Splitting bills in restaurants / drinking rounds

saajan_12

Will52 said:

Regarding the rounds thing, sometimes my wife doesn't come out or she doesn't drink, so my dad will buy a round first (this being from both of them - he pays for everything for both of them), then us (my wife and I, or just me if she's not out or not drinking) - including her £12 wine - then back to them, back to me. So I'm buying 3 drinks each time, but only one for myself, they are buying 3 drinks but 2 for themselves. So, say, after 6 rounds, that's a total of 18 drinks, 12 of which have been bought by me (6 x £12 glasses of wine I might add). Sorry, I'm not good at explaining this point!

Thanks!

Are you sure? From 6 rounds, you buy every other one ie 3 rounds. In each round you buy, you pay for 3 drinks, ie 9 total. You drink 1 per round ie 6 total. So you're buying 9, drinking 6. I say this not to challenge you, but in case it helps you feel slightly less aggrieved. Still, the advice for the future stands - either say upfront how you want to split it (for restaurants etc), or just pay for yourself by ordering at the bar (for pubs and casual places where this is more doable). 

Will52

af1963 said:

So, say, after 6 rounds, that's a total of 18 drinks, 12 of which have been bought by me (6 x £12 glasses of wine I might add). Sorry, I'm not good at explaining this point!

After 6 rounds in total ...

You've bought three rounds containing 9 drinks, and you have drunk 6. Three of those nine that you bought are £12 glasses of wine.

They have bought three rounds containing 9 drinks, and have drunk 12. Three of the nine that they have bought are £12 glasses of wine.

You're not paying 2/3 , you're paying 1/2 and drinking 1/3 of the drinks, costing a bit less than 1/3 of the overall total.

Fair point - the overall amount paid at the end of the 6 rounds is the same, but it's still a very unfair way to do it. So, a typical round of 2 beers and the £12 glass of wine now in London is, let's say, £28. So, I bought 3 rounds at £28 each, that's £84 total. They spent the same, £84 in total. However, divide £84 by the 6 drinks I had, that's £14 per drink, that's a hell of a lot for 6 beers. Contrast that to their £84, divided by 2 people, divided by 6 drinks, that comes to an average of £7 each per drink. See what I mean?

sheramber

Will52 said:

af1963 said:

So, say, after 6 rounds, that's a total of 18 drinks, 12 of which have been bought by me (6 x £12 glasses of wine I might add). Sorry, I'm not good at explaining this point!

After 6 rounds in total ...

You've bought three rounds containing 9 drinks, and you have drunk 6. Three of those nine that you bought are £12 glasses of wine.

They have bought three rounds containing 9 drinks, and have drunk 12. Three of the nine that they have bought are £12 glasses of wine.

You're not paying 2/3 , you're paying 1/2 and drinking 1/3 of the drinks, costing a bit less than 1/3 of the overall total.

Fair point - the overall amount paid at the end of the 6 rounds is the same, but it's still a very unfair way to do it. So, a typical round of 2 beers and the £12 glass of wine now in London is, let's say, £28. So, I bought 3 rounds at £28 each, that's £84 total. They spent the same, £84 in total. However, divide £84 by the 6 drinks I had, that's £14 per drink, that's a hell of a lot for 6 beers. Contrast that to their £84, divided by 2 people, divided by 6 drinks, that comes to an average of £7 each per drink. See what I mean?

You either carry on as is or you  advise that you will cover your own meal and drinks.

If you don ‘t say anything, nothing will change.

Only you can change it. 

Bit there is no good going to come out of carrying on sharing the cost and grudging it. 

You cannot control what other people do

You can only control what you do.