You both started out with high profile careers and enough money to spend at will.  But now, for any number of reasons, one of you isn’t flying quite as high anymore.  Maybe it was a job loss or portfolio that’s rapidly shrinking in size, but regardless of the reason, when you’re no longer on equal economic footing, it can put a strain on even the best friendships.

Being in a different financial position than someone you care about can create some challenges; however, if you value the friendship, it’s important to find ways to circumvent the problem.  Whether you fall into the “have” or “have not” category, there are a few things you can do to keep a friendship from becoming an economic casualty.

• Be honest about your feelings.  Everyone faces challenges in their life; true friends will support each other’s goals and respect any limits.
  
  
• Don't set your friendship up for failure. .  Avoid activities that center around money – such as shopping – and find ways to spend time together that don’t require a capital investment.  For example, instead of meeting for dinner, meet for coffee.
  
  
• If there’s an activity you really want to do together and you know it’s out of your friend’s reach, offer to splurge for the both of you.
  
  
• Don't judge. Part of friendship is accepting each other’s limits. For example, if you feel that your cash-strapped friend is spending frivolously, don’t assume you know what’s best for them.
  
  
• Exhaust all options before lending or borrowing from a friend.  You may have heard that it’s best not to lend or borrow money from a friend - and there’s good reason for this.  Financial issues have the ability to ruin relationships. 
  
  
• Keep things in perspective.  Realize that things can and do change very quickly—for the worse or for the better.  Therefore, strive to be a well-rounded individual and understand that there are more important things than money.

Acknowledging that financial differences can take an emotional toll on a friendship can help keep those differences from damaging your relationship.  View it as an opportunity to redefine your friendship and find new things in common.    By taking the time to get to know someone on a new level, you might just find that your biggest success may be in being a good friend.