icey - no need to feel like a jerk - three blogs upstream is the original article http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2009/08/23/happiness_a_buyer

icey - no need to feel like a jerk - three blogs upstream is the original article http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2009/08/23/happiness_a_buyers_guide/?page=full http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2009/08/23/... and it specifically says that spending money on your social network "buys you" mutually positive social effects. But I need to point out there are huge cultural specificities here. In the US it is common for two unrelated (and even related!) people to split the bill. Hence, picking up the tab may have a positive social effect in the manner described because that runs contrary to expectations. In other cultures it is traditional for one person to pick the bill. Either this designates social status (the most senior person pays) or a close-knit culture that ensures future reciprocity - eg. I'll buy you lunch today because I feel like it, and I know we'll have lunch many times and sometimes you will pick up the tab so it will all wash out in the end.