Going Out for a Meal - The Awkward Moment When Someone Says...

LandyAndy

If I was going out in a group of n people I would fully expect to pay 1/nth of the final bill and would take 2/nths, in cash, of my estimate to be on the safe side. If I couldn't do that I'd suspect I couldn't afford to go.

PasturesNew

elvis86 wrote: »

You were that upset? Over a fiver?! I rest my case. You're a tightwad.

It's not about £5 once.... this annoyance is usually born out of a lifetime of always putting your hands in your pocket to subsidise people who are being subsidised by £5 one night, £10 another. I've even ended up with a £25 "split the bill" night when I only went out with £5 and only bought a £4 starter.

It's about an ongoing situation that happens EVERY time you go out with anybody.... and it gets annoying. And sets precedents.

archie9uk

Timmne wrote: »

The site's actually about value, not cost. Even Martin Lewis says that it's not the aim to always spend the least, it's to get value for money.

Oh sorry, I didn't realise it was good value for money to pay for someone else...

Birdy12

PasturesNew wrote: »

People who say "split the bill" are usually overweight and greedy - and simply want to bully those that they expect to subsidise their greed.

They do this by making out YOU are the tight one - when it's them. THEY are the tight ones for trying to avoid paying their way. We all make choices ... they CHOSE to have the extra large pie, the huge dessert and enough alcohol to calm down their alcoholic shakes.... it's ferkin rude and bullying of them to try to get everybody else to stump up and pay their way every time.

£20 for a £16 meal and one drink = more than fair in my mind.

We need a phrase to show these people up - because they stop people with less money being able to go out and enjoy a meal out for fear of getting caught every time.

Did you get out of bed on the wrong side this morning? What you've written borders on vitriolic.

People who say 'split the bill' are overweight and greedy? Are you serious?

PasturesNew

Birdy12 wrote: »

Did you get out of bed on the wrong side this morning? What you've written borders on vitriolic.

All people who say 'split the bill' are overweight and greedy? Are you serious?

Mostly, yes they are - or they drink far too much. Sitting there ordering bottles of wine and brandies.... while I am on a jug of water. I've never known somebody to say "split the bill" that didn't weigh at least 50% more than me - and wasn't p155ed.

SandC

But Landy if you genuinely fancied a main course of pasta at £9 and others had steak at £18 would you really be happy to split, or would you decide to order something of a similar value? Certainly italian restaurants are a good example of places with menus having wildly different prices for different things. A chinese menu on the other hand wouldn't fluctuate that much.

Timmne

archie9uk wrote: »

Oh sorry, I didn't realise it was good value for money to pay for someone else...

You're still thinking of cost, not value.

Good value is a night out with your mates, eating and drinking away and having a great time, even if it costs a couple of quid more.

Poor value is spending !!!!!! all and being a tight wad, ruining the evening and getting tearful over a couple of quid and not sleeping over it.

krlyr

Timmne wrote: »

You're still thinking of cost, not value.

Good value is a night out with your mates, eating and drinking away and having a great time, even if it costs a couple of quid more.

Poor value is spending !!!!!! all and being a tight wad, ruining the evening and getting tearful over a couple of quid and not sleeping over it.

But if you could have a good night out with family and spend £20 because you were clear from that £20 was all you could afford, surely that's better value than the same night out at £25?

Birdy12

PasturesNew wrote: »

Mostly, yes they are - or they drink far too much. Sitting there ordering bottles of wine and brandies.... while I am on a jug of water. I've never known somebody to say "split the bill" that didn't weigh at least 50% more than me - and wasn't p155ed.

The word 'bitter' springs to mind.

Why haven't you ever thought to say at the beginning of each meal that you'll be paying for what you've had only instead of harbouring an incredible amount of bitterness over those 'split the bill' meals and unleashing it on this thread. Really, you need to re-read what you've written.

PasturesNew

Timmne wrote: »

You're still thinking of cost, not value.

Good value is a night out with your mates, eating and drinking away and having a great time, even if it costs a couple of quid more.

Poor value is spending !!!!!! all and being a tight wad, ruining the evening and getting tearful over a couple of quid and not sleeping over it.

Well, that would be in a world where one could afford to eat and drink away and have a great time. For a lot of us we can afford to eat out if we're careful and don't overspend.

So, you're giving us a choice:
- go and be called a tightwad
- don't go and be called a miserable old bugg4h
- go and get into debt

Why are people so unreasonable about this? Why do I have to spend as much as you, to prove to you that I am worthy of being your friend? I guess you dropped your poorer friends over the years (calling them tightwads). Well, they probably feel better now they're not subsidising the lifestyle you wish you could really afford.