Am I Wrong for Refusing to Loan My Tablet for a Friends Trip?

A 28-year-old woman is stuck in a very specific friendship fight: her tablet only comes out for travel, and now her friend wants to use it for her own three-month trip.

Here’s the messy part, she already said “yes” when the friend asked to buy the tablet, then a week later the friend switched the ask to “can I borrow it instead?” OP refused because the only time she relies on that second tablet is during her own travels, while her primary tablet is too big for comfort.

So now the friend is mad, claiming OP could spare the primary tablet, and OP is wondering if refusing to loan it makes her the a*****e. Here’s the full story.

Original Post

For context, I have a tablet that I don’t use except for when I travel. A friend asked if she can buy it to which I said yes, then a week later she asked if she can borrow it instead for her 3 month trip.

I said no, because I am planning to go on a trip as well, so the time she wants to borrow it is the only time of the year that I dust it off to use it. She is saying she is upset that I was willing to sell it but not lend it to her.

Am I the a*****e? Edit: For further context, this is my second screen tablet, which is why I rarely use it.

She is upset because she says I could use my primary tablet instead during my travels, which I never do because it’s too large.

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It’s similar to the AITA where someone defends unconventional parenting methods after family criticism sparks a heated dinner debate.

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OP says she only uses the second tablet when she travels, which is why the timing matters so much to her.

The friend first asked to buy the tablet, then upgraded to a long-term loan right after, and that’s where the tension kicked in.

The argument gets sharper when the friend points out OP has a primary tablet she could bring along, even though OP claims it’s too large.

Now OP is stuck defending her “buy yes, borrow no” boundary while the friend is acting like OP promised something different.

What do you think about this situation? Let us know in the comments.

OP wasn’t wrong to treat her travel tablet like a rare, personal tool, not a free vacation accessory.

Want another family standoff over what to do with your life? Read the AITA where a woman defies her parents and chooses graphic design over the family real estate business.