How do you split the bill when going out with friends?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup. Nothing infuriates me more than the person who has 4 drinks to everyone else's 1-2 drinks and wants to split the bill evenly. YOU are the cheapskate, not the salad and water person. Way to take advantage of your friends.

That's one way to look at it. Another way would be that another time, you'll have the extra drink or the more expensive entree. It all evens out. You sound like a great friend!

Always split evenly.

Or maybe you won't, because your financial situation isn't likely to change. The alternative as PPs have stated is to not eat out together with those friends, which has its own price.

OP here. I'm not a big drinker. I spent all my younger years splitting bills with people who drank. I often did not have a lot of money. I always just thought that was the cost of going out.

When I was in college, there was this girl who made a whole scene about not wanting to split a bill evenly. She claimed she doesn't like seafood and did not eat any shrimp. She made a huge stink about it. Thought it was really strange. I didn't eat some of the eggplant dish that was on the other side of the table and some other things.

Honestly, it sounds like you had selfish friends and that has rubbed off on you. Paying for other people's drinks is not the price of going out. Maybe I have nicer friends but I have never once had anyone expect I would subsidize their drinks or vice versa. If we were both drinking, sure. But as a rule? No. What pleasure do I have in going out and spending money on alcohol for other people?

People split checks ALL THE TIME. Any waiter can split it for you, or itemize it for you. If they say they can't they're lying because they don't want to.

OP here. Quite the opposite. We have very generous friends. DH usually fights to pay the bill with our friends. We have a 7 figure income and most of our friends also have very high incomes. No one is thinking about who ordered a salad and who ordered lobster.

When my good friends and I go out, we split evenly or we take turns treating.

Itemizing a bill seems so cheap to me. Not something friends should do. After last night, I am not interested in hanging out with the girl who itemized the bill. Other girls next to me were staring at her thinking she was so annoying. It made dinner dynamics awkward.

So you're so rich other people should just gladly pay for you? It sounds like YOU made dinner dynamics awkward and that you are your friends are major snobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup. Nothing infuriates me more than the person who has 4 drinks to everyone else's 1-2 drinks and wants to split the bill evenly. YOU are the cheapskate, not the salad and water person. Way to take advantage of your friends.

That's one way to look at it. Another way would be that another time, you'll have the extra drink or the more expensive entree. It all evens out. You sound like a great friend!

Always split evenly.

Or maybe you won't, because your financial situation isn't likely to change. The alternative as PPs have stated is to not eat out together with those friends, which has its own price.

OP here. I'm not a big drinker. I spent all my younger years splitting bills with people who drank. I often did not have a lot of money. I always just thought that was the cost of going out.

When I was in college, there was this girl who made a whole scene about not wanting to split a bill evenly. She claimed she doesn't like seafood and did not eat any shrimp. She made a huge stink about it. Thought it was really strange. I didn't eat some of the eggplant dish that was on the other side of the table and some other things.

Honestly, it sounds like you had selfish friends and that has rubbed off on you. Paying for other people's drinks is not the price of going out. Maybe I have nicer friends but I have never once had anyone expect I would subsidize their drinks or vice versa. If we were both drinking, sure. But as a rule? No. What pleasure do I have in going out and spending money on alcohol for other people?

People split checks ALL THE TIME. Any waiter can split it for you, or itemize it for you. If they say they can't they're lying because they don't want to.

OP here. Quite the opposite. We have very generous friends. DH usually fights to pay the bill with our friends. We have a 7 figure income and most of our friends also have very high incomes. No one is thinking about who ordered a salad and who ordered lobster.

When my good friends and I go out, we split evenly or we take turns treating.

Itemizing a bill seems so cheap to me. Not something friends should do. After last night, I am not interested in hanging out with the girl who itemized the bill. Other girls next to me were staring at her thinking she was so annoying. It made dinner dynamics awkward.

So you're so rich other people should just gladly pay for you? It sounds like YOU made dinner dynamics awkward and that you are your friends are major snobs.

6 of the 8 people last night hang out regularly. We always split evenly. We also host one another's families in our homes. 2 people are new.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup. Nothing infuriates me more than the person who has 4 drinks to everyone else's 1-2 drinks and wants to split the bill evenly. YOU are the cheapskate, not the salad and water person. Way to take advantage of your friends.

That's one way to look at it. Another way would be that another time, you'll have the extra drink or the more expensive entree. It all evens out. You sound like a great friend!

Always split evenly.

Or maybe you won't, because your financial situation isn't likely to change. The alternative as PPs have stated is to not eat out together with those friends, which has its own price.

OP here. I'm not a big drinker. I spent all my younger years splitting bills with people who drank. I often did not have a lot of money. I always just thought that was the cost of going out.

When I was in college, there was this girl who made a whole scene about not wanting to split a bill evenly. She claimed she doesn't like seafood and did not eat any shrimp. She made a huge stink about it. Thought it was really strange. I didn't eat some of the eggplant dish that was on the other side of the table and some other things.

Honestly, it sounds like you had selfish friends and that has rubbed off on you. Paying for other people's drinks is not the price of going out. Maybe I have nicer friends but I have never once had anyone expect I would subsidize their drinks or vice versa. If we were both drinking, sure. But as a rule? No. What pleasure do I have in going out and spending money on alcohol for other people?

People split checks ALL THE TIME. Any waiter can split it for you, or itemize it for you. If they say they can't they're lying because they don't want to.

OP here. Quite the opposite. We have very generous friends. DH usually fights to pay the bill with our friends. We have a 7 figure income and most of our friends also have very high incomes. No one is thinking about who ordered a salad and who ordered lobster.

When my good friends and I go out, we split evenly or we take turns treating.

Itemizing a bill seems so cheap to me. Not something friends should do. After last night, I am not interested in hanging out with the girl who itemized the bill. Other girls next to me were staring at her thinking she was so annoying. It made dinner dynamics awkward.

So you're so rich other people should just gladly pay for you? It sounds like YOU made dinner dynamics awkward and that you are your friends are major snobs.

6 of the 8 people last night hang out regularly. We always split evenly. We also host one another's families in our homes. 2 people are new.

Isn't it possible that the 2 newcomers aren't as rich as your 6 snobs and maybe didn't have the budget to subsidize (or did not realize they'd have to subsidize) your steaks and drinks when they purposefully chose the cheaper pasta and no/fewer drinks? Is it possible that someone else could be in a different life/monetary situation than you?

[Anonymous]

As a former server, just split it evenly. Separate checks are a nightmare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup. Nothing infuriates me more than the person who has 4 drinks to everyone else's 1-2 drinks and wants to split the bill evenly. YOU are the cheapskate, not the salad and water person. Way to take advantage of your friends.

That's one way to look at it. Another way would be that another time, you'll have the extra drink or the more expensive entree. It all evens out. You sound like a great friend!

Always split evenly.

Or maybe you won't, because your financial situation isn't likely to change. The alternative as PPs have stated is to not eat out together with those friends, which has its own price.

OP here. I'm not a big drinker. I spent all my younger years splitting bills with people who drank. I often did not have a lot of money. I always just thought that was the cost of going out.

When I was in college, there was this girl who made a whole scene about not wanting to split a bill evenly. She claimed she doesn't like seafood and did not eat any shrimp. She made a huge stink about it. Thought it was really strange. I didn't eat some of the eggplant dish that was on the other side of the table and some other things.

Honestly, it sounds like you had selfish friends and that has rubbed off on you. Paying for other people's drinks is not the price of going out. Maybe I have nicer friends but I have never once had anyone expect I would subsidize their drinks or vice versa. If we were both drinking, sure. But as a rule? No. What pleasure do I have in going out and spending money on alcohol for other people?

People split checks ALL THE TIME. Any waiter can split it for you, or itemize it for you. If they say they can't they're lying because they don't want to.

OP here. Quite the opposite. We have very generous friends. DH usually fights to pay the bill with our friends. We have a 7 figure income and most of our friends also have very high incomes. No one is thinking about who ordered a salad and who ordered lobster.

When my good friends and I go out, we split evenly or we take turns treating.

Itemizing a bill seems so cheap to me. Not something friends should do. After last night, I am not interested in hanging out with the girl who itemized the bill. Other girls next to me were staring at her thinking she was so annoying. It made dinner dynamics awkward.

So you're so rich other people should just gladly pay for you? It sounds like YOU made dinner dynamics awkward and that you are your friends are major snobs.

6 of the 8 people last night hang out regularly. We always split evenly. We also host one another's families in our homes. 2 people are new.

Are they rich? Do they know you're rich? Did you clue them in to how you usually do things or just expect them to be psychic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup. Nothing infuriates me more than the person who has 4 drinks to everyone else's 1-2 drinks and wants to split the bill evenly. YOU are the cheapskate, not the salad and water person. Way to take advantage of your friends.

That's one way to look at it. Another way would be that another time, you'll have the extra drink or the more expensive entree. It all evens out. You sound like a great friend!

Always split evenly.

Or maybe you won't, because your financial situation isn't likely to change. The alternative as PPs have stated is to not eat out together with those friends, which has its own price.

OP here. I'm not a big drinker. I spent all my younger years splitting bills with people who drank. I often did not have a lot of money. I always just thought that was the cost of going out.

When I was in college, there was this girl who made a whole scene about not wanting to split a bill evenly. She claimed she doesn't like seafood and did not eat any shrimp. She made a huge stink about it. Thought it was really strange. I didn't eat some of the eggplant dish that was on the other side of the table and some other things.

Honestly, it sounds like you had selfish friends and that has rubbed off on you. Paying for other people's drinks is not the price of going out. Maybe I have nicer friends but I have never once had anyone expect I would subsidize their drinks or vice versa. If we were both drinking, sure. But as a rule? No. What pleasure do I have in going out and spending money on alcohol for other people?

People split checks ALL THE TIME. Any waiter can split it for you, or itemize it for you. If they say they can't they're lying because they don't want to.

OP here. Quite the opposite. We have very generous friends. DH usually fights to pay the bill with our friends. We have a 7 figure income and most of our friends also have very high incomes. No one is thinking about who ordered a salad and who ordered lobster.

When my good friends and I go out, we split evenly or we take turns treating.

Itemizing a bill seems so cheap to me. Not something friends should do. After last night, I am not interested in hanging out with the girl who itemized the bill. Other girls next to me were staring at her thinking she was so annoying. It made dinner dynamics awkward.

So you're so rich other people should just gladly pay for you? It sounds like YOU made dinner dynamics awkward and that you are your friends are major snobs.

6 of the 8 people last night hang out regularly. We always split evenly. We also host one another's families in our homes. 2 people are new.

Isn't it possible that the 2 newcomers aren't as rich as your 6 snobs and maybe didn't have the budget to subsidize (or did not realize they'd have to subsidize) your steaks and drinks when they purposefully chose the cheaper pasta and no/fewer drinks? Is it possible that someone else could be in a different life/monetary situation than you?

It sounds like OP makes it a point to only hang out with rich snobs so I'm sure if that's the case they'll both be dropped now that she knows they're not her "type."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a former server, just split it evenly. Separate checks are a nightmare.

One check itemized by person isn't complicated at all, particularly if everyone pays by CC.

[Anonymous]

Op, you do realize not everyone makes as much money as you? We simply don't eat out much because we are trying to pay off student loans and save for college for our kids. Several bottles of fancy wine at a restaurant is not in our budget right now. Don't assume everyone has money to blow like you do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Split it, evenly, down the middle. Nothing infuriates me more than women who insist on itemizing. "You had the steak but I only had the salad and water ..." AHHHHHHHHHH!

That's probably because you are ordering the steak and she is getting the salad and water. Pay your own way. I pay my share, taxes and tip. You pay yours.

Yup. Nothing infuriates me more than the person who has 4 drinks to everyone else's 1-2 drinks and wants to split the bill evenly. YOU are the cheapskate, not the salad and water person. Way to take advantage of your friends.

That's one way to look at it. Another way would be that another time, you'll have the extra drink or the more expensive entree. It all evens out. You sound like a great friend!

Always split evenly.

Funny. I used to go out to dinner all the time with a male friend. He always ordered expensive entrees and would outdrink me by a lot. (I'm 120 lb female and definitely couldn't keep up with his drinking).

I never complained about splitting check evenly. Then one time for some reason we were pretty even but I wanted dessert. He asked the waitress to close out our check to make sure I would pay for my dessert. haha. I stopped going out to dinner with him. I hate cheap people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seriously. I went to a bday party dinner and ordered a salad and one glass of wine because I'm broke. Everyone else had steaks and millions of glasses of wine. My share of the bill was $225. I was so mad.

I don't believe this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a former server, just split it evenly. Separate checks are a nightmare.

One check itemized by person isn't complicated at all, particularly if everyone pays by CC.

What about shared items, like say sparkling water or bread?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously. I went to a bday party dinner and ordered a salad and one glass of wine because I'm broke. Everyone else had steaks and millions of glasses of wine. My share of the bill was $225. I was so mad.

I don't believe this.

Why wouldn't you? This has happened to me too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a former server, just split it evenly. Separate checks are a nightmare.

One check itemized by person isn't complicated at all, particularly if everyone pays by CC.

What about shared items, like say sparkling water or bread?

Who pays for bread?

Anyway, though, typically one person will take claim for things like appetizers, etc.

[Anonymous]

Credit Card Game

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Split it, evenly, down the middle. Nothing infuriates me more than women who insist on itemizing. "You had the steak but I only had the salad and water ..." AHHHHHHHHHH!

Yes women are so cheap. Split is down the middle.