Splitting the bill...

jo1967

My OH & I no longer eat out with his family as we are always getting ripped off. One time I heard his mum say to his brother (not working) I will pay for your dinner, it went on our bill (in a pub where the bill is totted up by table number) which we paid then looked at coz it was more than we thought. Brother wouldnt pay coz mother said she would, mother denied this despite my hearing her. So our meal was more expensive.
Another time we went out to a pub & OH nephew (6ft 2 tall & wide) has steak etc we bought our meal in line with our budget spending £6 to £7 on meal & £3 for kids meal. OH sister insisted we all share the cost of the parents meal (dont mind but you need warning for this when on a budget) then split the bill evenly (well in her opinion). We ended up paying over £10 for a kids meal, my OH tried to speak to his sister but she wouldnt listen. Now we just dont go out & eat with them.

Morty_007

I absolutely HATE being told we will split the bill evenly as I rarely drink alcohol and often like may others here have a cheaper burger.

I got stung at a work do once (old job, not this one!) had a pizza and a coke which cost me £54 :eek: we were at a local italian restaurant and I arrived late so missed the starters. All the others were drinking Beer out of bottles and the bill showed 130 bottles between the 14 people who were drinking them. To this day I think the restaurant was trying it on but I stopped being walked over after that meal!

Have had to stick up for quieter colleagues in the past too when someone pipes up "oh lets just split the bill evenly". One girl I knew left the table in floods of tears and I spent the next ten minutes trying to convince her that it was OK to say she had only had the pasta and only had £10 on her so couldn't possibly pay the £25 she was being asked to stump up!:eek:

People can be SO thoughtless.

victory

I am diabetic and unable to drink as much as the others, I used to be shy about saying and ended up paying far too much for what I DID not have, as well as the sweet dessert puddings that I cannot eat anyway but now I say I will pay individually for my own. I say to them and when we get to the restaurant so there is no bad feeling but I then can relax and enjoy what I am eating and drinking knowing full well that is all that I will be paying for!!
As for our works do we pay monthly for it so when it comes to xmas it is fully inclusive so it is eat drink and be merry!! xxx

eden37

I organised a cheap Indian meal out for about 20 people. It was about £8 for 3 courses but when the bill came it was way over the top and I was well short. People were starting to get their coats and go and I was in a panick! When I looked into it some people had ordered a la carte but were trying to pay for the set meal! Also a girl and OH who are high earners and notoriously tight "forgot" to add on for their expensive wine and liquer coffees!!. Even she looked shamefaced when I pointed out those items on the itemised bill!! It put a dampner on the evening but I didnt see why I should stump extra up and will NOT be organising the next get together.

Voyager2002

Believe it or not, but this issue has been researched by universities in a serious project funded by the ESRC!

The result, of course, is that when the bill is being shared equally then everyone orders more expensive dishes in order to avoid subsidising other people. What is interesting, and a little more surprising, is that people generally prefer a system where the amount that each person pays is related to what they had.

regularsaver1

I went to an all you eat indian saturday night with work - meal was paid for - but then drinks on top. I don't drink wine, but others had loads and the difference was split. Not that fair really

Don't you find it awkward when on a first date and whether to split with man?

Mercenary

As a non-drinker I absolutely loathe going out for a group meal where I subsidise everyone else's endless booze and extra portions. My OH always tells me it's expected that everyone pays an equal share, but I don't see it that way! It's just not fair :mad: . I also refuse to pay over the odds for an orange or pineapple juice which I'm not particularly keen on and which seems to be the only alternatives in many places. So I end up with tap water to drink as I dislike tonic or fizzy mineral stuff too .

There is a Xmas meal coming up in Dec for OH's work dept and I'm dreading it. All the 'Christmas Spirit' that everyone will feel they have to pour down their throats.....I might have to say something even if it does cause embarrassment. I'm tired of seething quietly.

Imelda

My friends and I have another system. When the bill comes we pass it round and everyone puts in what they think they owe, it never comes up short (usually the opposite). With another group of friends though it's the total opposite, one of the couples earn an absolute fortune (and spend it too), they always order expensive wine and food and then suggest splitting the bill. Once, the rest of us decided enough is enough and said we would only pay our share, we paid about £25 per head, they paid £80! Just shows how much we must have been subsidising them, they didn't mind at all and have since taken us all out for a meal (5 couples) to repay us (and no we didn't order expensive things!). If they're your friends they will understand and not make an issue out of it.

Benny24

Our group will always pay for what they have ordered. The only unwritten rule is that if we are going out for a birthday, the birthday persons meal is split between us all and they don't pay.

As for the alcohol costing more......have you seen how much soft drinks can cost in some places!!!!!

cupid_s

when we go out from work and the bill comes, the people are split into two groups, those who drank wine/beer and those who did not. Then the alcohol drinkers pay for the alcohol, others pay their share of soft drinks and everything else gets split - usually they're set price meals anyway.

The only problem was last christmas there were about 8 people drinking wine and about 7 bottles ordered. I had half a glass compared to everyone elses 4 glasses yet had to pay the same (over £10 just for 1/2 a glass if wine!).

This year I'll just have soft drinks.