a painful expenditure

Trying hard not to be irritated, as I just spent $35 on so-so salmon and a glass of red wine. My colleagues and I went to dinner, and I was under the impression that I would not be paying. Maybe because one of the gentlemen with us mentioned last week that he would pay for dinners, plural, the nights of our events. He paid last night, but apparently wasn't planning to expense another meal tonight. However, nearly everything on the menu was pricey, so even if I had tried to save money, I would've only saved about $6. Just knowing that I could've had a much better meal for the same price is what bugs me.