Restaurant Bills - To Split or Not to Split

mancrob26

My girlfriend and I like to eat out, but as money savers we try to be frugal. One way we do this is by not buying wine with the meal. As we all know, restaurants charge you through the nose for alcohol, and you could be drinking the same bottle at home for a third of the price. My girlfriend is also pregnant at present, so she wouldn’t be drinking anyway.

Recently, we went to a tapas restaurant with four other couples for a birthday, and Ruth (my missus) and I did not have any wine for the above reasons, but the rest of the group drank several bottles between them. I totted up our food whilst we were ordering and when we came to pay I told everyone we were only putting in what we had eaten (+ tip of course), and everyone else went ballistic.

It left a very sour taste in the mouth, and I was branded tight. In my opinion they are the tight ones, as they are expecting me to fund them! Not that it is anyone’s business, but I am currently paying off a hefty credit card bill, on top of saving for an impending baby and the prospect of only one wage coming in to the house- but that is by the by.

Does anyone else agree with me that the culture we have got into of splitting the bill isn’t fair? Surely money savers can see my point. Or am I just a tight sod?

tightgit_2

I agree with you that they were being totally unfair. Obviously if it was close family or very close friends it would be different, but I have experienced this several times when going out with groups of friends or workmates. Drinks can be very expensive and it always seems to be the ones that have guzzled the most that are the most anooyed when you are not prepared to subsidise them. I always think it is best to decide how the biil will be paid before the meal so that everyone knows where they stand.

Bennifred

I also agree - why on earth should you subsidise somebody else's drinking :mad: It can be really tricky though, when everyone else assumes the bill will just be split, not to mention embarrassing

aliasojo

I would have done the same tbh.

If you were known to be loaded and money wasn't a problem, then making an issue over the bill could be seen as being tight.

However, as Average Joe then I don't see why you should have to pay anymore than your fair share. In this case, since you didn't drink the wine, your fair share should not have included it's cost.

Forget about it. Your friends have shown themselves up to be a little inconsiderate to say the least, so I would say they have more of an issue than you do.


Now.....next time there is an MSE meet.....you'd better buy me a drink!

MoneyMonkey

These things are always best dealt with in advance. Make it clear that you skint (far better excuse than being branded tight), and can't afford to drink to excess.

Personally, it has not really bothered me in the past one way or the other, unless some people are really going too far. If everyone has had a couple of drinks and a main course, I don't see the reason to go into the details of the bill - after all, you are there to enjoy yourself.

BrightonLad

If we eat out we tend to split the bill, but if there is a driver or someone who doesn't drink, usually I would not expect them to foot the bill for drinks they don't have.


(I take it you are in manchester as you are 'mancrob26', there is a great little restaurant on cromwell road in salford by the bridge called punters bistro where you can Bring Your Own wine and pay just 50p corkage. Excellent food, very fun. Perhaps you and your pals could go somewhere which has a BYO policy next time?)

calleyw

I have suffered this before when going out with colleagues.

Once we had a £300+ wine bill and £250 food bill.

There was no way in hell I was going to pay out extra £50 + on top of the meal for hubby and me when he had water all night(driving) and I had shared one bottle of white with someone else. Didn't mind paying £6/7 for the half bottle of wine I had drunk.

I personally think that is unfair and underhand to expect other people to pay for what they have not consumed.

The best way to get around this is to go to the bar and pay for your own drinks. So once the alcohol bill is totted up there is no extra to pay.

Another way around it is when there is a large group is to ask for a jug or two or iced water. Most places do not charge for this and drink that all night.

Being expected to pay for other peoples drinks is one reason I don't like going out with a crowd any more.

The other thingnto do was to get them to set up a seperate tab just for you.

I don't think you are being tight. Espcially when it could add a lot to a bill.

Don't let it get you down. I think they are the selfish and tight ones as they don't want to pay for what they have consumed.

Yours

Calley

Spendless

One Xmas we went out in a group and the gf of one of the couples didn't have a meal. When the bill came they put the money in for one meal -fine but what they hadn't taken into account was that they'd been both drinking shorts. I had eaten a meal but not drunk as I was 6 months pregnant.

So while they didn't want to subsidise our meal they were quite happy for us to subsidise their drinking.

I agree with another poster who says state at the beginning or request seperate bills.

fatboyonadiet

Faced the situation where you pay for what you've eaten or split it, not a drinker but most people normally know this so tell me to put in less.

Best thing is to work out the cost of the meal when you order and put your money in then (not always possible with drinks) but works better.

We_Laugh_Indoors

fatboyonadiet wrote:

Faced the situation where you pay for what you've eaten or split it, not a drinker but most people normally know this so tell me to put in less.

Best thing is to work out the cost of the meal when you order and put your money in then (not always possible with drinks) but works better.

yeah i agree with the working out from the menu.

a tip if there is no pen and paper handy, store it in your mobile as a text message.

kazzy

if everyone has more or less the same to eat or drink then i think it's ok just to divide the bill.However if someone doesn't drink ,then i don't think it's fair to expect them to chip in for that.But if you had a couple of orange juices or cokes this can cost as much as say 2 glasses of wine.
We went out with a group one night and one guy reallt took the p*ss and orderd a lobster.Everyone else had something for about £10-12 but his lobster was about £35.I expect we would all have liked a lobster if someone else was paying.Needless to say we were too polite to say anything.What amazed me was that he didn't offer to pay for his bloody lobster himself.If it was me i would be so embarrased.I would have said at the beginning i'm having lobster and i'll pay for it so don't worry everyone!!!.
It's always the same old people but you get to know them after a while.Once bitten, twice shy!!
Luckily we now have a fisherman friend who brings us lobster and crab frequently!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!