Splitting the bill with family

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're Greek so every meal ends with DH, FIL, and BIL arguing heatedly over who gets the honor of paying the check. It is grabbed multiple times, money is shoved into pockets only to be taken out and tossed onto the table. After about 10-15 minutes of squabbling, someone gives in and the check is settled. Then the two who didn't get to pay stuff cash into the kids pockets. My kids love it, going out with the family means they return with at least $100 in their pocket. We tip handsomely as all grew up in the restaurant business.

I love this. I want to hang out with your family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're Greek so every meal ends with DH, FIL, and BIL arguing heatedly over who gets the honor of paying the check. It is grabbed multiple times, money is shoved into pockets only to be taken out and tossed onto the table. After about 10-15 minutes of squabbling, someone gives in and the check is settled. Then the two who didn't get to pay stuff cash into the kids pockets. My kids love it, going out with the family means they return with at least $100 in their pocket. We tip handsomely as all grew up in the restaurant business.

Same here on the American side do the family, fighting to pay the bill and stuffing money at the wives.

But on the European/Turkish side of the family, the bill comes and it’s silent crickets. They expect the eldest son to pay for everyone. We both work too, and they only thank him.

There was a fabulous Curb Your Enthusiasm episode in which Larry thanks only the husband of the couple treating them to dinner because (as he explains to her) the wife doesn’t work. She is not amused. See if you can find it online so you can at least have something funny to think of next time you are with that side of the family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're Greek so every meal ends with DH, FIL, and BIL arguing heatedly over who gets the honor of paying the check. It is grabbed multiple times, money is shoved into pockets only to be taken out and tossed onto the table. After about 10-15 minutes of squabbling, someone gives in and the check is settled. Then the two who didn't get to pay stuff cash into the kids pockets. My kids love it, going out with the family means they return with at least $100 in their pocket. We tip handsomely as all grew up in the restaurant business.

Our family is mixed, Asian and white, and this story makes me laugh. My Asian relatives run to the waiter station as soon as we arrive to try to commandeer the check like previous posters described, my white relatives are stuffing money in other people’s pockets, and everyone who’s in the youngest generation ends up with cash. Joke’s on them when DH calls ahead and puts down his credit card number before we arrive at the restaurant! None of us are richer than the others but we’re all just so relieved to not be poor anymore.

[Anonymous]

Ugh, my inlaws have 6 in the family. We are a family of three. We usually get sep checks. Of course, whenever a parent comes to visit, we cover their portion but it ends up like this:
BIL: let's cover mom/dad's check and just split the bill?

What should happen is they cover their family and half of mom/dad. What actually happens is we pay 50%, covering mom and dad and half their family. They have plenty of money, btw.

I have never said anything. Neither has DH. We just keep the peace and keep the dinners to the bare minimum.

[Anonymous]

We ask for separate checks from the waiter from the start. Solves everything!