Should I send a reminder for the £18 my neighbour owes for our shared garden order?
Neighbours“Put mine on your order and I'll transfer it tonight,” my neighbour said over the fence. Her two bags of compost came to £18. I sent her the receipt, and she replied with a thumbs-up.
That was twelve days ago. On Sunday she handed me a tub of soup and said, “You looked busy, so I made extra.” It was kind, and I thanked her. Now I am hesitating over a payment reminder because I can imagine her thinking the soup settled it.
We have never used food to settle money before. She sometimes gives me things from her kitchen; I sometimes water her pots when she is away. The compost was different in my head because she explicitly offered a transfer. I have no idea whether she has forgotten, is short this week, or thinks our usual give-and-take covers it.
£18 won't put me in trouble, but I am about to order more for myself. I don't want to pay for her bags again and then quietly resent her. My partner says to write it off because she is generous. That feels reasonable for this purchase and unhelpful for the next one.
Is “Just checking you got the compost receipt—the two bags were £18” a fair reminder? Should I mention the soup, or would that turn a simple forgotten payment into an unpleasant tally of everything we do for each other?