Of course you don't tell people they have to pay mid party. This is for things like collecting donations money for next parties.

In places when you don't have a lot of money to go around, solidarity goes a long way, and nobody finds it weird to ask for help.

I understand on HN the average salary allows to pay for a lot, but it's an exception.

In France, it's common that everybody brings something for dinner, for example, even if you are invited.

If you throw a big party and then ask people if they want to help the people that did that, they are usually happy to do it.

Same with people who try to act generously but then surprisingly throw a large bill your direction. I’ve been victim to this behavior a few times and I’ve cut those people out after every offense. No surprise, these people don’t tend to have friends for long.