The bill when going out eating with friends

[boyse7en]

GCH said:

Split equally as usual between everyone (including kids) and the parents pay for their respective kids splits, or ask for separate checks at the start of the meal.

Alternatively, find better friends who don't expect you to to subsidize their kids sunday lunch

Hang on, if you split it equally between everyone including the kids, then it isn't you subsidising the kids, they are subsidising you!

Eg. you two and my family go out for Sunday lunch - Adults £20 each, kids meals are usually a lot cheaper so say £10. Split teh bill and you get your 2x£20 lunches for £33! Cheapskate!

[HorneyMX5]

There's a good case for both options. As a rule I go for split but as I have a lot of friends who are younger than me and at earlier stages in their working life I know every penny counts so I'm happy to go the pay for what you ate/drank route.

the key is to have an understanding before you go out about which way it's going to be, then it causes no issues.

A good example is my Aunt, she always works out her exact bill. These days we let her do it and then just split the rest. She's happy, we're happy there's no complaining.

[anonymous-user]

krallicious said:

They have a good system in Germany. The waiter/waitress goes round the table and you each say what you had, pay your bill and then the service moves onto the next person.

Very easy and it's the normal way of sorting out a bill if you are in a group.

I noticed the same thing in Canada - except they split it at the time of ordering and everyone gets their own bill.

Simple and effective.

[BluePurpleRed]

I couldn't feel bad subsidising a meal with toddlers / kids.

Not having them yet means I feel like I will have so much more disposable cash than if I did ( I am told they are surprisingly expensive! ) that subbing a meal with kids a few times a year is a winner in the end!

With big groups I like to split unless there is some extreme case but as its normally at one end or the other they just get taken off to fend for themselves and then the rest split.

It does however pay dividends to check the bill carefully. It seems about 20% of the time to have mystery items on it! Not to pay exactly my share but to keep an eye on the restaurant as they see big groups as a soft target. Any obvious mistake and the 12.5% gets deleted, esp if they are funny about it in any way.

[Bullett]

boyse7en said:

GCH said:

Split equally as usual between everyone (including kids) and the parents pay for their respective kids splits, or ask for separate checks at the start of the meal.

Alternatively, find better friends who don't expect you to to subsidize their kids sunday lunch

Hang on, if you split it equally between everyone including the kids, then it isn't you subsidising the kids, they are subsidising you!

Eg. you two and my family go out for Sunday lunch - Adults £20 each, kids meals are usually a lot cheaper so say £10. Split teh bill and you get your 2x£20 lunches for £33! Cheapskate!

You've missed out the parents
2 x 20 + 2 x 10 = £60
2 x 20 = £40
= £50 per 'family'

Except it's rarely that simple as children rarely drink wine/beer and a childs drink is often included.

We tend to take out our kids meals in a split scenario but it's rare as all our friends have kids similar ages anyway.

[AB]

I'm the one that shrugs his shoulders and says something along the lines of "I don't mind, let me know what you decide" - if I end up paying for exactly what I ate and drank then fine, if I end up paying a little more or a little less then it's also fine, it generally balances itself out over the next few times you eat out.

[Hackney]

hman said:

yeah - this is a pet hate "But I didnt have any drinks" or " But I didnt have dessert"

Just divide the bill and dont be a wker all your life.

Depends on the proportions though doesn't it.
Really annoys me when people who clearly haven't eated for a week do the "lets get loads of starter to share", then order expensive mains and sides plus dessert and coffee. That's before they even get to the "who else is having wine" [silence] "lets get a bottle".

If everyone was reasonable then sure split it. and my example is extremet, but why should someone who's actual bill is about £15 stump up for an equally divided bill that's £25-30 each?

Petty is petty, yes. But don't assume that someone who doesn't want to divide the bill is a wker.

[hman]

Hackney said:

hman said:

yeah - this is a pet hate "But I didnt have any drinks" or " But I didnt have dessert"

Just divide the bill and dont be a wker all your life.

Depends on the proportions though doesn't it.
Really annoys me when people who clearly haven't eated for a week do the "lets get loads of starter to share", then order expensive mains and sides plus dessert and coffee. That's before they even get to the "who else is having wine" [silence] "lets get a bottle".

If everyone was reasonable then sure split it. and my example is extremet, but why should someone who's actual bill is about £15 stump up for an equally divided bill that's £25-30 each?

Petty is petty, yes. But don't assume that someone who doesn't want to divide the bill is a wker.

I dont have to assume - I know, because that there is the test, and you would have failed it.

You go out for the occasion - not to be petty about the bill, the bill is the least important thing about having a nice social occasion.

But well done for coming on here and effectively admitting the tight fisted wker part LOL

Edited by hman on Friday 10th October 09:56

[Bullett]

hman said:

I dont have to assume - I know, because that there is the test, and you would have failed it.

This

[SeanyD]

Round up to the nearest fiver or tenner for a tip, and split - always - CBA with the calculator brigade.

[Hackney]

hman said:

Hackney said:

hman said:

yeah - this is a pet hate "But I didnt have any drinks" or " But I didnt have dessert"

Just divide the bill and dont be a wker all your life.

Depends on the proportions though doesn't it.
Really annoys me when people who clearly haven't eated for a week do the "lets get loads of starter to share", then order expensive mains and sides plus dessert and coffee. That's before they even get to the "who else is having wine" [silence] "lets get a bottle".

If everyone was reasonable then sure split it. and my example is extremet, but why should someone who's actual bill is about £15 stump up for an equally divided bill that's £25-30 each?

Petty is petty, yes. But don't assume that someone who doesn't want to divide the bill is a wker.

I dont have to assume - I know, because that there is the test, and you would have failed it.

I'm rather glad that I failed the "lets all pay for hman's dinner" test.
Makes me feel a lot better about my own friends who have a sense of fairness about these things.

[Warnie]

hman said:

I dont have to assume - I know, because that there is the test, and you would have failed it.

You go out for the occasion - not to be petty about the bill, the bill is the least important thing about having a nice social occasion.

But well done for coming on here and effectively admitting the tight fisted wker part LOL

Edited by hman on Friday 10th October 09:56

No, your the wker.

Don't assume all people are in the same position financially as you are (if you are that is). If you value their company then it shouldn't matter how they decide to pay. For me as long as people aren't taking the piss then yes I split it evenly, but I've also been in the position in the past when things aren't going well financially when invited out for family occasions, and I couldn't afford to help fund the sister in laws family's greed. So I either had to turn up go easy and pay for what we have (wker) or stay away.

Luckily for me, my family understand these things and would rather have our company and are not so far up their own backside that they'd assume everyone is a loaded company director.

Edited to say that all that above is bks and I do in fact pay for everyone's meals on all occasions as is the PH way. I also have the goatee to go with my wealth

Edited by Warnie on Friday 10th October 10:54

Edited by Warnie on Friday 10th October 10:56

[hman]

Warnie said:

hman said:

I dont have to assume - I know, because that there is the test, and you would have failed it.

You go out for the occasion - not to be petty about the bill, the bill is the least important thing about having a nice social occasion.

But well done for coming on here and effectively admitting the tight fisted wker part LOL

Edited by hman on Friday 10th October 09:56

No, your the wker.

Don't assume all people are in the same position financially as you are (if you are that is). If you value their company then it shouldn't matter how they decide to pay. For me as long as people aren't taking the piss then yes I split it evenly, but I've also been in the position in the past when things aren't going well financially when invited out for family occasions, and I couldn't afford to help fund the sister in laws family's greed. So I either had to turn up go easy and pay for what we have (wker) or stay away.

Luckily for me, my family understand these things and would rather have our company and are not so far up their own backside that they'd assume everyone is a loaded company director.

Edited to say that all that above is bks and I do in fact pay for everyone's meals on all occasions as is the PH way. I also have the goatee to go with my wealth

Edited by Warnie on Friday 10th October 10:54

Edited by Warnie on Friday 10th October 10:56

"No, your the wker." what a lame comeback, did you think that one up whilst you were itemising your last meal bill?


anyway as I said earlier if you fail the test you are a wker.


BUT I did also say the following - which covers your situation :-

"fk it - if they said at the beginning when the arrangements are made, I dont have much money I would gladly pay for their meal in return for a meal when they are better off

So no, I don't expect to be in the company of people that are going to be tight fisted wkers, I would gladly pay their bill if they said that they werent able to pay up - therefore they wouldnt be getting their caluclators out - they would be enjoying the meal and owing me one in the future.

The point is - you truly are a tight fisted wker if you value scrimping on a few pounds over not making everyone feel uncomfortable by analysing what the minute detail of your bill is.


This really is "outing" the tight fisted wkers on here - who'd have thought eh?

Probably best that you tell the people at the table at the beginning of the meal so that they dont have to realise this later and have their evening spoiled by your pettiness.

[hman]

Hackney said:

hman said:

Hackney said:

hman said:

yeah - this is a pet hate "But I didnt have any drinks" or " But I didnt have dessert"

Just divide the bill and dont be a wker all your life.

Depends on the proportions though doesn't it.
Really annoys me when people who clearly haven't eated for a week do the "lets get loads of starter to share", then order expensive mains and sides plus dessert and coffee. That's before they even get to the "who else is having wine" [silence] "lets get a bottle".

If everyone was reasonable then sure split it. and my example is extremet, but why should someone who's actual bill is about £15 stump up for an equally divided bill that's £25-30 each?

Petty is petty, yes. But don't assume that someone who doesn't want to divide the bill is a wker.

I dont have to assume - I know, because that there is the test, and you would have failed it.

I'm rather glad that I failed the "lets all pay for hman's dinner" test.
Makes me feel a lot better about my own friends who have a sense of fairness about these things.

Ah the preserve of the TFW, trying to mislead people into thinking your itemisation tttery is fair.

Perhaps you might say :- "if we all itemise our bills then we all pay the right amount",

At that immediate point - as those words are spoken, deep inside every one at the table at that point knows that you have failed the TFW test...

[Type R Tom]

Symbolica said:

krallicious said:

They have a good system in Germany. The waiter/waitress goes round the table and you each say what you had, pay your bill and then the service moves onto the next person.

Very easy and it's the normal way of sorting out a bill if you are in a group.

I noticed the same thing in Canada - except they split it at the time of ordering and everyone gets their own bill.

Simple and effective.

Had that recently in Tallinn, Estonia. 4 of us where having some lunch in the business district and when it was time for the bill we were given a receipt each, I would imagine that maybe people going for lunch there prefer to pay for their own. For me it meant I didn't have to pay for the GF's!

[dave123456]

hman said:

I dont have to assume - I know, because that there is the test, and you would have failed it.

You go out for the occasion - not to be petty about the bill, the bill is the least important thing about having a nice social occasion.

But well done for coming on here and effectively admitting the tight fisted wker part LOL

Edited by hman on Friday 10th October 09:56

really appreciating the billy big bks majority on here who seem to be very cognisant of the tight fisted wker whilst seemingly not noticing the piss taker in the corner who is merrily ramping up the bill knowing every increment he adds he will suffer the merest percentage of.

reasonable people want to pay their way and do their bit.

thick tts who struggle with very rounded mental arithmetic and a strong sense of entitlement will keep looking down their nose at people who won't subsidise them.

it seems most only ever go out with close friends, what about the time you politely attend the leaving meal of someone you barely spoke to and get mugged by the fat git who had the king prawn supplement at every round washed down with several pints of kronenburg and finished with an irish coffee...

or the so very middle class who had to choose from the top of the wine list because he once read a weekend supplement in the guardian...

[Hackney]

hman said:

Ah the preserve of the TFW, trying to mislead people into thinking your itemisation tttery is fair.

Perhaps you might say :- "if we all itemise our bills then we all pay the right amount",

At that immediate point - as those words are spoken, deep inside every one at the table at that point knows that you have failed the TFW test...

You really are an absolute cretin aren't you?

Do you realise there's a difference between absolute penny pinching and just havin a bit of fairness?

And don't come the "if you're poor just tell me and I'll make you feel really st about yourself and buy you dinner"

If you can't see the difference between someone being really tight or Scrooge like, suggesting everyone itemise the bills and having a bit of fairness about things then I'm afraid there's only one wker on this thread....

Since when did a being reasonable mean "Itemise tttery" You really are a wker aren't you?

[RWD cossie wil]

Hackney said:

hman said:

Ah the preserve of the TFW, trying to mislead people into thinking your itemisation tttery is fair.

Perhaps you might say :- "if we all itemise our bills then we all pay the right amount",

At that immediate point - as those words are spoken, deep inside every one at the table at that point knows that you have failed the TFW test...

You really are an absolute cretin aren't you?

Do you realise there's a difference between absolute penny pinching and just havin a bit of fairness?

And don't come the "if you're poor just tell me and I'll make you feel really st about yourself and buy you dinner"

If you can't see the difference between someone being really tight or Scrooge like, suggesting everyone itemise the bills and having a bit of fairness about things then I'm afraid there's only one wker on this thread....

Since when did a being reasonable mean "Itemise tttery" You really are a wker aren't you?

Leaving the insults aside, I often do "the works" when I eat out, and as such when it comes to bill splitting, I have absolutly no problems in chucking an extra 10/20 quid or whatever in to cover the extras. I think the general point is when someone has a £2.50 starter & someone else has a £4.25 starter, or mains that are a few quid different are you really going to get upset about that?

General rules of decent people I want to spend time with are as follows:

1) don't take the piss out of your mates & stump up a fair wedge for what you ordered

2) don't be a tight & argue over a few quid here or there

That makes splitting the bill fair & easy, if you have been guzzling wine etc then you know if you are in the same area as everyone else or if you are taking the piss.....

[otolith]

Some of my friends are the kind who, if you don't keep an eye on them or get in there first, will sneak off to the loo and pay the whole bill on their way back. I am glad I don't know anyone who gets the calculator out.

[Driver101]

You have to be fair.

If everyone is having drinks and eating 3 course meals, there is no point fighting over a few quid.

However if some people are having the works and drinking heavily, you can't expect the person who is having little food with a little coke to meet everyone else equally. That isn't fair.

I'm the one one eating all the food and having too much to drink, but I'd feel wrong for others paying for me.