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Last time, Sarah jumped through hoops to snag that cheap ticket and hotel. She excitedly planned the trip with me, but I spotted red flags.
"Sarah, is this booking app even legitimate? It looks really shady."
The app was unfamiliar, with a clunky interface and endless pop-up ads.
She snapped back," What do you know? This is a deal app I found through research. You can score tons of savings."
"I spent days spamming platforms with'I'm poor, give me coupons'to get this deal."
Sarah's obsession with coupons was extreme. Every day, she religiously sent a hundred messages across platforms:" Give me a one-cent coupon," So expensive, I'm broke…"
She even bombarded my DMs with these," crying poor" to manipulate algorithms.
I believe in saving money, but there should be limits. Once, Sarah ordered a one - cent meal from a dodgy delivery app. When it arrived, the food was spoiled.
"Sarah, these veggies are black and sour…"
I urged her to toss it, but she brushed it off.
"Pfft, what do you expect for a cent? It's vinegar-cooked, smells great."
She forced it down, nose pinched.
That night, she got acute gastroenteritis, diarrhea all night, and a fever that dehydrated her. I braved the cold to get her to the hospital, where she spent two days recovering.
That one-cent meal cost her hundreds in medical bills and left her haggard.
She tried to hold the seller accountable, but the address was fake, and the app had vanished with a"404"error.
Despite the lesson, Sarah didn't give up and started planning another budget trip.
She was thrilled about her cheap ticket and hotel, but I felt uneasy.
"Sarah, this isn't a chain hotel—it's a private hostel, and that comes with different risks. "
"The location's unclear and remote. Traveling alone, pick somewhere safer."
After researching, I warned her earnestly.
The app had no reviews for the hostel, and I couldn't find any legit hotels—just polished hostel photos.
I suspected fraud. Sarah, shaken by my analysis, trusted me.
"Ugh, after that meal, I'm done risking it…"
"What a shame.I've always wanted to visit River City. I don't know when I'll get another chance like this."
"My $25 ticket, one-cent hostel! Where else can I find deals like that?"
Though she canceled, she kept whining about the" missed opportunity", grating on my nerves.
One day, while blasting music and scrolling, her phone played a trending news clip on loop:
"College student outsmarts big data, scores half-price tickets, travels for just $30."
The video played a dozen times, and I could feel Sarah's mood darken.
"Why? I could've traveled that cheap too... Why did she succeed?"
"Why didn't I go? Why?!”
Sarah went berserk, glaring at me with resentment.
"It's all your fault! If you hadn't stopped me, I'd be famous, traveling cheap!"
"You know how hard it is for someone poor like me to travel? You ruined my chance, and I'll never afford it again!"
I'd seen the video too and sighed." Sarah, she booked through a legit platform, for a local trip, with a ticket lottery."
"You'll have more chances. Life's long. We can't gamble with safety..."
I genuinely cared, but she thought I'd sabotaged her.
"Pay me back! Give me my money! Give me my trip!"
She lunged, grappling with me."You act all high and mighty—give me the cash!"
In the struggle, I couldn't overpower her rage. She pinned me against the balcony railing.
