large booking at restaurant- how to split the bill?

silvercar

PasturesNew wrote: »

I've never been to an expensive place. Harvester is, to me, expensive

But why would people not invite me? If I'm happy to come along and happy to pay for what I order, why does that make one unwanted?

That's the trouble with people.... they don't really like to mix with people across all sorts ... except in places they decide are the level for poorer people.

I would be happier going to a Harvester with you and seeing you eat a full meal you would enjoy, without you worrying about the bill, than us go to somewhere expensive where you fret about the bill arrangements.

silvercar

PasturesNew wrote: »

This is it. If we go out shopping for the afternoon and I buy a £15 cardigan and the other person buys a complete suit at £200 .... should we split the bill when out shopping too?



We've both enjoyed the same shopping experience.

Should you pay less for your cardigan because it is a smaller size than the person who just picked out a size that would swamp you?

silvercar

Person_one wrote: »

The cinema analogy makes absolutely no sense. It costs what it costs, unless you're a child/pensioner/student etc. There aren't lots of different options to vary the cinema experience or choose your own budget!

I think a lot of people who just want to 'enjoy the experience' and 'not stress about money' are underestimating the stress their attitudes can cause to their fellow diners. Sometimes, for some people, a few pounds really does make a big difference. Let people spend their own money according to their budget, please don't try to spend it for them!

Which is why agreeing beforehand on a restaurant within everyone's budget makes so much sense.

onlyroz

silvercar wrote: »

I would be happier going to a Harvester with you and seeing you eat a full meal you would enjoy, without you worrying about the bill, than us go to somewhere expensive where you fret about the bill arrangements.

How is it "fretting" to say "My food came to £26 so here's £30"?

seven-day-weekend

Last time I went out with my scrabble friends, I just said 'here's the £20 to cover mine', they said the same and then we all threw in a couple of quid for the tip.

Simple. Don't see why it is a problem.

mumps

For the first half of my working life, well most of it, I was employed in a large Police Force, not the met but another large one. People worked shifts, my husband worked in same force, sometimes on the same division but we weren't always working same shifts. People might be starting work at 6 am 9 am 2 pm 6 pm 10 pm and sometimes at other points in the day. We had a social life, people went to Christmas parties, leaving parties, promotion parties etc. It was quite normal for people to attend early and leave to start work at 10pm others would be arriving after finishing work at 10 pm. Some people would leave early as they needed to parade at 5.45 am to start the 6 am shift. It was normal for people to not eat much as it felt like breakfast time to them, to wolf down food at the end of a hard shift or to eat a light meal as they were having an early night due to early start. Same sort of rules with alcohol. Some people would be dolled up for a night out and some would be in uniform, some would be in strange outfits if they had being doing obs undercover.

Do you know it never bothered anyone what anyone else was eating, drinking or wearing. If we had got in a tizz about it we could never had all gone to parties together, impossible to find a night when everyone could just go on a non working night as it was a 24/7 service.

Georgiegirl256

silvercar wrote: »

Should you pay less for your cardigan because it is a smaller size than the person who just picked out a size that would swamp you?

IMO yes you should, but I guess that's a whole other topic! :rotfl:

moneyistooshorttomention

silvercar wrote: »

Should you pay less for your cardigan because it is a smaller size than the person who just picked out a size that would swamp you?

Ummm....actually I would think it fair personally to pay one price for sizes up to size 12 and a bit higher price for clothing size 14 upwards (ie the size that used to be labelled size 16 - and be the start of the "outsize" clothing ranges).

Or, at least, start paying a "premium" at size label 18 upwards (ie size 20 up then in "real" terms).

There will be more material in the bigger sizes - so that's not unfair actually.:)

mumps

PasturesNew wrote: »

I'd be doing the same in the Harvester.

I'm not paying for you to be necking expensive House Champers because you think I'll split the bill in a cheap place

Whether it's a £1 hot dog, or a £8 All You Can Eat .... I pay for what I order.

:P

It's not about me "fretting about the bill". I never fret about it - I know I've got the money to pay for what I order.... I just hate being stiffed by somebody who saw the opportunity to take advantage and prosper at my expense, even though they're (invariably) much wealthier.

We went out recently with a group of friends, we all just split the bill. Neither of us drink alcohol, never have, and I think over the years we have probably done alot of subsidising but haven't worried about it. Anyway on this recent meal one couple's adult son was home visiting so he came with us, no problem he was a student we would all just split the bill and cover his, have done it before for various kids. I noticed he picked the most expensive item on the menu and had starters and pud, that's OK. There was wine on the table, red and white and we had soft drinks. I saw him speak to a waitress and a drink arrived. When I saw the bill he had ordered a double brandy and it was quite expensive, well it seemed it to me but I guess alot of alcohol seems expensive to me. I thought that was taking the mick and I won't be falling for that one again. We aren't hard up and I think if he had offered to pay for his drink we would all have said it was fine but it was calculated and sneaky.

moneyistooshorttomention

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Last time I went out with my scrabble friends, I just said 'here's the £20 to cover mine', they said the same and then we all threw in a couple of quid for the tip.

Simple. Don't see why it is a problem.

It is a problem if your food cost £15 and you are too broke to pay up £5 for nothing. To some people that £5 would have been mentally kept to one side - as it was needed to buy food for the next day or two at home. Some people really are that broke that they just can't afford to "throw money away" for nothing.