Invited a friend and she's invited a friend - and we share the cost???

Just take it easy and do it. No point getting upset, she sounds like a good person who hasn't thought it through! Enjoy meeting the new person, I am sure it will be lovely.

I bet your friend doesn't realise the vouchers are a refund and not a freebie. I'd say you're a bit short this month, suggest going for a cheaper pub lunch when you can pay for yourselves and save the vouchers for another time and another friend.

As your asking for advice. Your obviously not happy with her suggestion, so just say how you feel.

I've so laughed out loud this afternoon at some of your suggestions... and am really glad I posted my dilemma on here, as I've had so many brilliant responses!
I have known this friend for at least 35 years and yes I know only too well how she can "put her foot in it!" big time and I'm thinking she really hasn't thought it all through.
Anyway I have messaged her to say I don't think that she has quite understood "the vouchers" and have re-explained that, I also sent her a link to the restaurant menu (which includes prices) and have left the dilemma up to her, as I haven't said either way if I'll meet her and her friend there for lunch.
So the ball is in her court now and I'll let you know how she responds, but I hope I was very diplomatic in my response to her.

Her request is both rude and presumptuous. Rude because she's putting you on the spot and presumptuous because she's taking advantage of your generosity. To assume that she's naive and can't say no to people, should have no bearing on you.
You are under no social obligation to include and pay for an (uninvited, unwelcome and unknown) third party. How to get out of it? Cancel, end of story! You already compensated her for giving you a ride to the hospital. You can be honest if you want to, but she doesn't even deserve an explanation. I would say that something came up and there is now a conflict. Don't give her a 'rain check' and don't offer to follow up. She'll get the message she deserves.

Clematisa.....you should have mentioned that this was an old friend you have known for 35 years. I thought this person was someone you met casually when she offered you a ride. Disregard my previous advice. It wasn't meant to be amusing.

Good for you Clematisa. I reckon the link to the prices will do the job for you! Best wishes for a nice lunch for just the two of you sometime somewhere xx

I agree with PamQS, and say no I would rather schedule it for another time for just the two of us.

I actually found your friend incredibly rude, I wonder if you had suggested that the two of you go for lunch and split the bill whether she would have come! If she had you could have then produced the vouchers and said 'my treat', if she had declined to come her loss!!

Lessons learned all around.....

This reminds me of a time when we invited a mutual (female) friend over for Sunday lunch. We know her through a sport that we all play and she lives about an hour from us and is always complaining about being lonely and not having friends, etc. Anyway, it took us ages to find a date that we could all do and after she'd agreed on a Sunday with us, she emailed to say she was going to have a friend staying with her that weekend so would it be OK if she brought her along too!!! (someone that we had never me, to have lunch at our house - and this from someone who has no friends, is lonely, etc!). I feel really peeved! In the end, I emailed her back to say 'If you have a friend staying, why not enjoy the weekend with her and we can rearrange our Sunday lunch with you'. In the end, she came anyway but minus the friend - because her friend ducked out (probably realising it would be rather rude!!). So people can be very thick-skinned! I would do as others have advised and just say something along the lines of 'I thought it would be nice, just the two of us - let's do it another time'.

I think you have been diplomatic Clematisa. What I don't understand is why one would tell someone else how to split a bill before you've had the meal! Surely the question should have been "Do you mind if I bring a friend?" It's definitely "a rummin' " .
Maybe put yourself in your friends shoes and ask yourself if you would have done the same thing.
Don't forget to let us know what she says

That's very cheeky of her; I think my reply would be 2s company 3s a crowd x

Surely, if she has been a friend for 35 years, as you say, she wouldn't have expected anything for taking you to the hospital as you have probably done her favours in the past anyway. Offering to pay for her petrol and covering car parking costs would have been enough.

I would say that you wanted to share your good fortune in getting vouchers because you didn't expect to get a reimbursement from the restaurant after the cancellation but that you don't understand why that would extend to paying towards a stranger's meal that you hadn't expected to be there!

Explain you only had vouchers for that particular day and don't have them regularly. Is there any reason why your friend couldn't get her own vouchers for herself and her friend? I'd say it was pushing friendship a bit far if she expects you to subsidise her and her friend.

I agree with Jayanna and PamQS,tell your friend you will reschedule when she isn't busy with another friend.

Yes just tell your friend honestly that you just wanted to spend time with just the two of you and say we can rearrange the meal for another time soon.I think honesty is best.

Yes just tell your friend honestly that you just wanted to spend time with just the two of you and say we can rearrange the meal for another time soon.I think honesty is best.

How complicated. Just say, lets re schedule when it's just the two of us.

Think I would say , by all means bring your friend , but I will keep vouchers for another time , it might not have been so bad if she had just asked if it was Ok to bring her friend but to mention the vouchers is very bad mannered, they are yours to decide on the use of not hers!!