How do you split the bill?

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Poll started 15 Jan 2013
If you eat out with friends, how do you split the bill when it comes to paying?Did you vote? Why did you pick that option? Are you surprised at the results so far? Have your say below. To see the results from last time, click this
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For certain close friends or family who we eat regularly with someone will often sneak away and cover the whole bill but what in effect happens is it becomes doing it in turns because the one who has not paid for a while will tend to make sure they pay next time but thats within close friends/family where you know you will eat with them again and trust them totally.
In terms of say a work lunch for someone leaving I wold say the fairest system is splitting it but with allowances for those who have had a lot more or less than the average.
eg. Say i was greedy and had 3 courses and a bottle of wine and the person next to me had 1 main only and tap water, why should they pay as much as me?
Ok when in this sort of group i tend to try to eat about the average level of the group in an effort to be fair but what i am saying it all depends on the situation and the people you are eating with.
I do sometimes try to get the pedantic accountants to work out a price for everybody, so that at least we don't all need to spoil the end of the evening by passing the bill round and doing maths.
On Saturday there was a group of girls from work and we each paid for our own. It's just agreed that's how it goes and TBH with what some of them were drinking I'm glad it's that way because if it wasn't split, then most of us would be paying someone else's drinks bill for the night
But a family meal is often split evenly. However, that often leads to arguments of who had what and she had more than me which is exasperating and I end up shouting if you wanted separate bills you only had to say so! :mad:
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I usually just have the cheapest main and a jug of tap water.
On my birthday about 12 of us went out for a curry, the restaurant was a BYO so I figured that with nobody buying booze, it would be easier to just split the bill. I made sure everyone knew in advance though and said that if anyone wanted to pay separately they could.
When we go out with friends who are a couple, we tend to pay for our own as my OH usually has at least 2 or 3 pints, and one of our friends only drinks diet Coke. I wouldn't feel right expecting her to subsidize the drinkers. I just keep a mental tally in my head and chuck in the right amount plus a bit for a tip.
If we are going out with another couple usually pay every second time or so ..so if they paid for lunch one weekend, we might pay for dinner another .. It tends to even out in the end ..
with others we might split it evenly but more likely whoever it is just to take turns ..
Over time it all works out more or less even ..
Sometimes it can work out very unfairly, so what I tend to do now, is to try to eat the same number of courses as everyone else, and when I'm not driving I will have a glass or two of wine, and coffee after the meal.
No point holding back myself if I am going to subsidise others.
Otherwise I will just pay for myself.