The friend who cannot afford the usual plan should still feel included in making the next one.

Money quietly decides a lot of friendships without anyone naming it. The group settles on the restaurant, the trip, the tickets, and one person keeps saying they are busy because that is easier than saying it is out of reach. Over time they stop being asked, and everyone concludes they drifted. What actually happened is that the planning never had a place for them.

Pull that friend into the deciding rather than the inviting. Ask what kind of evening they would enjoy, and let a cheap option be someone’s genuine first choice sometimes. Making the plan together removes the need for anyone to explain their budget.