Yay the 12s thats my goal!! Sounds like those friends need to get real, doe they not know how much petrol is now, you can't afford to be hopping back and forth like that!
It was kind of the same with what happend with me and my friends, but it was sorted after a month or so, when a couple of them realised they were being ridiculous. When we got engaged and realised we'd have to save up for the wedding ourselves (our parents can't afford to contribute) we had to start making cuts, I couldn't go out as much, and I always work every other weekend 8-8 shifts so rarely get to see my OH as he's only home once a fortnight/week. And sometimes it was when I was working a full weekend too!
I had to drop out of a holiday with them as we couldn't afford for me to go and put away what we need for the wedding, so I paid off my share (deposit) so none of them had to lose anything or pay extra.
I missed alot of days out with friends over last summer and one of them started arranging things when I was always working to spite me. Shes the type that holds grudges and I thought all along she was mad about the holiday thing. It all came to a huge blow up and in the end she realised she was wrong.
People sometimes need reminding that the world doesn't revolve around them x