Was Fred really Ricky’s friend or just a user?

When watching this show, Fred’s stinginess always baffled me because he literally always lets Ricky pay for everything. He never offers any compensation. And what really annoyed me the most was in the episode “Getting Ready” when Ricky wanted him to pay half the gas for the trip and Fred flat out refused. Seriously, he’s getting a free trip to Hollywood courtesy of Ricky and he couldn’t even chip in for the gas?? Sometimes I wonder if Fred was really a true friend to Ricky or just used him to mooch off of!

What are your thoughts? Was Fred really Ricky’s friend or just a user?