The bill when going out eating with friends
Discussion
It pisses me off if I have to go out for a meal with my sisters family. Especially at a Chinese. She and her adult daughter orders vast quantities of food, which barely get touched, and then gets stroppy when I ask for the remains to be bagged up. I don't like waste, and am happy to have it the next day for my lunch at work. She thinks leftovers are the spawn of the devil, and would happily bin good food. (Don't get me started on the wastage of her Christmas eve buffet)
She'll bring her family along with nephew's wife so they have 7 in their party, and we'll have 4, I'll be driving, and will drink water, my wife will have had one glass and our kids probably the same, but her side will have consumed the best part of 10 pints, 2 bottles of wine and liquer coffees and she'll try to split the bill 50/50.
Now I say "I can't really afford it, but if you buy a large lump of meat from the butcher, I'll happily do you a roast, and then nobody has to drive" Last time she bought 1/3 of a sheep. I had stew everyday at work for a week.
She'll bring her family along with nephew's wife so they have 7 in their party, and we'll have 4, I'll be driving, and will drink water, my wife will have had one glass and our kids probably the same, but her side will have consumed the best part of 10 pints, 2 bottles of wine and liquer coffees and she'll try to split the bill 50/50.
Now I say "I can't really afford it, but if you buy a large lump of meat from the butcher, I'll happily do you a roast, and then nobody has to drive" Last time she bought 1/3 of a sheep. I had stew everyday at work for a week.
Generally just split as a few quid either way evens out over the long term.
However I/we will always chip in extra if I have had particularly expensive or extra grub or drinks, as it's only fair, luckily most of our family & mates are the same.
We all have a mate who is so tight it is embarrassing, last year 16 of us went to the Nurburgring, this one lad insisted on his own individual meal & drinks bill each evening, then paid down the the last cent! Embarrassing & a very sad way to live, he has plenty of disposable income but is just shocking. Same lad who will happily take a beer off the round buyer but never gets a round in. It all got a bit heated in the end, constantly mooching off people who are meant to be your friends is pretty bad form.
However I/we will always chip in extra if I have had particularly expensive or extra grub or drinks, as it's only fair, luckily most of our family & mates are the same.
We all have a mate who is so tight it is embarrassing, last year 16 of us went to the Nurburgring, this one lad insisted on his own individual meal & drinks bill each evening, then paid down the the last cent! Embarrassing & a very sad way to live, he has plenty of disposable income but is just shocking. Same lad who will happily take a beer off the round buyer but never gets a round in. It all got a bit heated in the end, constantly mooching off people who are meant to be your friends is pretty bad form.
My family are an absolute nightmare with this.... no matter what the location, no matter who's there, even if they're on holiday they'll divide every single thing up so that they only pay for exactly what they had.
It's got to the point now where unless I'm prepared to pick up the tab for the whole meal I won't go out for dinner with them as I find the whole thing cringe-worthy.
It's got to the point now where unless I'm prepared to pick up the tab for the whole meal I won't go out for dinner with them as I find the whole thing cringe-worthy.
Pit Pony said:
It pisses me off if I have to go out for a meal with my sisters family. Especially at a Chinese. She and her adult daughter orders vast quantities of food, which barely get touched, and then gets stroppy when I ask for the remains to be bagged up. I don't like waste, and am happy to have it the next day for my lunch at work. She thinks leftovers are the spawn of the devil, and would happily bin good food. (Don't get me started on the wastage of her Christmas eve buffet)
She'll bring her family along with nephew's wife so they have 7 in their party, and we'll have 4, I'll be driving, and will drink water, my wife will have had one glass and our kids probably the same, but her side will have consumed the best part of 10 pints, 2 bottles of wine and liquer coffees and she'll try to split the bill 50/50.
Now I say "I can't really afford it, but if you buy a large lump of meat from the butcher, I'll happily do you a roast, and then nobody has to drive" Last time she bought 1/3 of a sheep. I had stew everyday at work for a week.
So you wont split a bill 50/50 but you are quite happy for her to buy you food for a week? She'll bring her family along with nephew's wife so they have 7 in their party, and we'll have 4, I'll be driving, and will drink water, my wife will have had one glass and our kids probably the same, but her side will have consumed the best part of 10 pints, 2 bottles of wine and liquer coffees and she'll try to split the bill 50/50.
Now I say "I can't really afford it, but if you buy a large lump of meat from the butcher, I'll happily do you a roast, and then nobody has to drive" Last time she bought 1/3 of a sheep. I had stew everyday at work for a week.
My wife's sister used to do this, invite us over for sunday lunch then ask us to buy the food on the way. quite unbelievable.
As for the bill at a restaurant just split life really is too short to worry about things so trivial, if you think your friends are taking the piss then just get better friends or don't go out in the first place.
Edited by ascayman on Tuesday 7th October 13:07
Haha 
Life is indeed to short to worry about such things. It obviously depends on the company, with some friends we take turn paying the bill, with others divided evenly and I have a couple of friends who are not comfortable unless we split it up.
Could not care less as long as a good time is had and everyone is happy
Life is indeed to short to worry about such things. It obviously depends on the company, with some friends we take turn paying the bill, with others divided evenly and I have a couple of friends who are not comfortable unless we split it up.
Could not care less as long as a good time is had and everyone is happy
Sounds like there's an awful lot of powerfully built company directors here, happy to pay the whole bill or assume everyone had exactly the same.
I don't want to pay attention to what everyone had just to ensure no-one's paying loads for a small meal or getting away with lobster when everyone else had salad.
I'll tend to estimate what mine cost, add a bit and chuck that in.
I got really pissed off when about 15 of us went for a meal post first day of snowboarding holiday. Me and two friends ended up walking out.
Basically bill came to €1200, so we all chucked in €100, when the pot got to the other end of the table there was €1100 in it and people were asking everyone to chip in a bit more. No chance!
I don't want to pay attention to what everyone had just to ensure no-one's paying loads for a small meal or getting away with lobster when everyone else had salad.
I'll tend to estimate what mine cost, add a bit and chuck that in.
I got really pissed off when about 15 of us went for a meal post first day of snowboarding holiday. Me and two friends ended up walking out.
Basically bill came to €1200, so we all chucked in €100, when the pot got to the other end of the table there was €1100 in it and people were asking everyone to chip in a bit more. No chance!
Vocal Minority said:
As others have said - split it evenly, and it comes out in the wash. I think insisting people split it to the last penny is anti-social.
No, insisting on 'divide evenly' is anti social. If someone, whatever reason, want to split it up according to who ordered what, you do that. Not rocket science.Easiest however is to just take turns on paying. Also comes out in the wash.
you owe this much................just f
Obviously splitting it equally is the proper thing to do.
The only problem that arises is when you are out with poor people. You want a massive fillet steak, cocktails, handjobs etc but you know they will refuse to let you pay extra. Hence you find yourself having to compromise your order.
THe moral of this story is obvious, but try as you might you still end up with the odd poor friend.
The only problem that arises is when you are out with poor people. You want a massive fillet steak, cocktails, handjobs etc but you know they will refuse to let you pay extra. Hence you find yourself having to compromise your order.
THe moral of this story is obvious, but try as you might you still end up with the odd poor friend.
blindswelledrat said:
Obviously splitting it equally is the proper thing to do.
The only problem that arises is when you are out with poor people. You want a massive fillet steak, cocktails, handjobs etc but you know they will refuse to let you pay extra. Hence you find yourself having to compromise your order.
THe moral of this story is obvious, but try as you might you still end up with the odd poor friend.
If dinning with poor people just order what you like and pick up the whole tab, you never know when you'll need some 'manual work' doing in the house. The only problem that arises is when you are out with poor people. You want a massive fillet steak, cocktails, handjobs etc but you know they will refuse to let you pay extra. Hence you find yourself having to compromise your order.
THe moral of this story is obvious, but try as you might you still end up with the odd poor friend.
Split it, unless separate checks have been requested when ordering.
Phones all stacked in the centre of the table when first seated. First person to touch their phone pays the whole tab.
Gargamel said:
See, this is why credit card roulette was invented.
Everyone puts a card in, waiter puts a napkin over the lot, then draws a "lucky" card.
Lucky diner picks up whole tab.
Most of the party go home happy !
Or phone rouletteEveryone puts a card in, waiter puts a napkin over the lot, then draws a "lucky" card.
Lucky diner picks up whole tab.
Most of the party go home happy !
Phones all stacked in the centre of the table when first seated. First person to touch their phone pays the whole tab.
Edited by GCH on Tuesday 7th October 14:52
Mermaid said:
To contrast, 10 of us went out and one of the party knew the restaurant owner. The restaurant knocked off 10% of the bill - the chappy who knew the restaurant owner considered that as his contribution. The others were not impressed.
Cheeky f
ker.Hackney said:
Basically bill came to €1200, so we all chucked in €100, when the pot got to the other end of the table there was €1100 in it and people were asking everyone to chip in a bit more. No chance!
Cheeky fkers.Edited by hornetrider on Tuesday 7th October 14:50
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.
Let them add up their bill, then you divide up the balance. Simples.Just divide the bill and dont be a w
ker all your life.Another top tip is to not hang out with people you consider to be w
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