New Way To Split Your Restaurant Bill

empfun

Pay for everyone.

nearlyrich

Depends who I go out with, if it's business I pay & claim on expenses, if it's a friend who earns less or who is having a rough time financially I offer to pay and do so if it doesn't offend, otherwise we split it. If we go out with another couple we usually split the bill in half and whenever DH is around he pays for me too.

oap

When we eat out with friends, which is not very often, there are six of us, the other two couples are well off for pensioners, we are not so well off and feel a huge bill at the end of the evening could have been spent better!! We do enjoy their company and do enjoy going out for the meal.

Anyway, we have tried missing out the starter, or missing out the pudding, they always buy very expensive wine too, I have one glass and hubby nothing if he is driving, so we are subsidising their meal, we have known them all for over forty years, but still they do not think to say lets pay for what we have had, now what is a good way of stating this tactfully,but firmly, hints do not work, they eat out all the time so probably do not think of it.?

We have managed to persuade them, at Christmas, to eat with us at our local college training restaurant, so they come and at £12 per head it is fantastic value, the whole works including mince pies,, chocolates and coffee, we still split it evenly though, but do not mind too much as it does not cost the usual arm and a leg. If none of you have tried eating at further education training restaurants, they are excellent value for money.

Regards oap

Choccyholic

I did have an awful night at an Indian in a party of about 15. The service was terrible and so some were drinking more, others barely at all. Some folks ordered a lot and others chicken & chips. The stupid thing was that at the begining of the meal it was agreed to only pay for what we ordered. When the bill came it was then split evens which was very unfair. Totally ruined the night as it got nasty.

The most successful meals out with colleagues have been ordered the day or week before and paid for (or deposit) upfront and we then have a kitty or buy our own for drinks. DD's get free soft drinks out of the kitty.

enmik

Though some people are embarassed to scrutinize the bill in detail for fear of looking Scrooge-ish, it's advisable to do so. Twice in the past 10 months I've been seriously overcharged - not necessarily deliberately, I like to think, but £8.70 and later £12.85 over the top is rather careless! Also, more recently, a pub which should know better simply presented the bill for eight of us as a total sum - of £131.50 They seemed rather irritable when I asked politely for an itemized bill. Good job I did, since they had made an error and charged for four deserts at another table. Moral: don't be afraid of looking tight. Be businesslike and check the bill - just as they'll check your payment.

Dianne_2

My sister-in-law and brother-in-law have three kids and keep trying on the "let's just split it in half" trick!!! It was at its worst when they suggested we went on holiday with them, should book a 4-bedroom villa and we should pay half!! Needless to say we didn't go!!

r.mac_2

I think it really depends who the meal is with. When I am with very good friends we just split it equally as it becomes swings and roundabouts. Likewise, I have another group of friends where we take it in turn to pay, but it is a regular thing and isn't usually an expensive meal.

If it's work colleagues, then we pay for what we have eaten and usually it works out. It's nights where it is large numbers of people when it gets complicated. I do agree with checking an itimeised bill - so many places will just try their luck on a group.

Jay-Jay_4

Debt_Free_Chick wrote:

Not everyone who drinks & eats fillet steak is bad

No I know If I'm having a fillet steak and a bottle of Chablis I wouldn't expect someone who had £5 worth of pasta and a glass of water to split the bill with me.

I would hate to think that my preferences had to be curtailed by someone in the group who had different tastes. I don't think this is what you meant ... did you?;)

No, just the opposite, if each person is paying for their own then one person can order the Lobster and Champage if they fancy without feeling guilty that someone else is footing the bill and someone who only has a tenner in their pocket can get a pizzza and a coke but still enjoy an evening of company without getting a huge bill at the end.

I'm not talking about sitting down with a calculator and working out every penny. I tend to roughly know what I'm spending so for a £20 meal I would be happy to put in £25. I don't worry about a fiver but paying £20 or £30 too much would put me in a VERY bad mood :rolleyes:

I think that splitting the bill evenly can reduce your choice somewhat.

ListerS

I have to admit that when we go out with friends the vast majority of the time we go to buffet or Tapas type resteraunts. This makes for easy bilss, but also everyone can try a bit of what they fancy.
I tend to leave the more expensive outings to when I have somthing to celebrate with family or v close friends, then paying for it all or splitting it down to the last bean isnt as embarassing.

Aloeabundance

I have 2 brothers - and don't know anyone who drink as much as they do.
They eat loads to (to soak up the booze I guess)

My sister and I don't drink at all.

When we go out as a family - say 15 people.

They want to spilt the bill equally.

Often their booze bills comes to more than the food.

We both object, and they moan like hell.

This year it's my one brothers wedding in Scotland - there will be 60 of us from around the world. My sister and I are joining forces to insist on paying our share rather than subsidising their drink (and they earn more than double our salary!)

Not quite food - but accomodation. My brother wanted all the family to stay together for his wedding. So he booked a place (5 star self catering place for 5 days that we're all together - wedding and extended family holiday. Funny thing is, we're out everyday site seeing, and the actual wedding except one evening!)

He told me that I had to pay $150 for our baby who is 8 months old. I called the self catering place and asked if they charge for babies. He said no - a cot would be put into the room for free. I told my brother the guys responce and he said "no one will get special treatment, we all pay our way!"

It turns out that he was charging everyone a higher rate than the actual self catering itself to help fund his wedding.

Needless to say, we aren't staying there... We've found a place that is £56 cheaper for our family PER NIGHT (me and SO, 3 year old and babe), and we get an organic breakfast - and it's only 2 minutes away from where my brothers staying. For the 5 days we've "saved" £281 by finding our own accomodation - hey, we'll be site seeing together everyday anyway. Don't really need to be sleeping on the same site.

My sister is joining us!

Long live money savers!