Splitting the check for group dinners

[tlh]

Sometimes I drink, sometimes not. Whenever we go out with good friends, it is just easier to split the check, because it all evens out in the end. I''ll order a dinner, and the boys will get apps, and more drinks than I do... and we''ll take turns driving.

In your situation, you all ate the same thing, they drank, and you didn''t. AND YOU NEVER DRINK, and NEVER WILL. It will never work out in your favor. I just don''t think that because you decide not to drink that you should always end up paying $30 more "to enjoy their company". Seems rude on their part for making the comment. Now if it was $1 you call its, and you didn''t want to pay an extra $2.25, then unfortunately you would appear cheap, even though in principle you''d be right.

 

[Julianna]

Date: 7/11/2009 9:26:03 AM
Author: beau13
This all sounds strange to me..but I guess everyone has different practices when dining with friends.
If there's 4-6 of us, and we have asked friends to go out to dinner, it is assumed that we will pay (since we invited). The waitress usually asks 'will this be one bill?', at which time my husband answers yes! It doesn't matter how many drinks someone has ordered, or who had desert and who didn't, we just claim the bill and pay!
If we have been invited out by friends, then I just assume that they will pick up the tab this time, and again, when the waitress asks if this will be all on the same bill..the person who invited us along usually says 'yes', and picks up the tab.
I guess splitting the tab is easier on the pocketbook, but seems awkward, trying to figure out who owes what (kinda like when I had a roomate in University, and we split the cost of groceries). Just not our style!! I figure, we pay this time, they'll likely pay next time, it all works out in the end!

Now I'm curious as to what happens when the guys go out together and buy rounds...a pitcher of beer lets say! Should the guy who had two glasses of beer, be expected to pay more than the two guys who only had only ONE glass of beer, from the pitcher ? Surely when my husband buys a couple pitchers of beer for his buddies, he's not keeping track of how much each of them consumed! However..there are those guys (gripping the wallet tightly lets say), that will never buy a round!! EVER! But..if those are the friends you choose to hang with, then you just accept the fact that they are like that. (I know of a few who take advantage of having dinner/drinks bought for them almost always, but they will very seldomly return the favour).

Great in theory, if you can swing it financially. I personally wouldn't make mortgage if I started picking up entire restaurant tabs (especially for the drinkers), and I'm not going into debt over it, so I'm going to fall on the Karl side of the fence, here. If there's any question that someone's gonna get silly at check time, it's split-checksville for me. Nobody screws with my house payment!

I value my friendships as much as the next person, but there's a line.

I think with beer, almost universally the boys rotate who buys the pitcher, so it doesn't end up being "who drank the most from what pitcher". Fraternity and all that BS.

ETA See also the "tipping" thread. I habitually overtip and having a split check ensures that whomever I am eating with doesn't decide not to throw anything toward tip because they think that mine was sufficient.

 

[chiapet]

Date: 7/13/2009 12:38:05 PM
Author: Julianna

Date: 7/11/2009 9:26:03 AM

Author: beau13

This all sounds strange to me..but I guess everyone has different practices when dining with friends.

If there''s 4-6 of us, and we have asked friends to go out to dinner, it is assumed that we will pay (since we invited). The waitress usually asks ''will this be one bill?'', at which time my husband answers yes! It doesn''t matter how many drinks someone has ordered, or who had desert and who didn''t, we just claim the bill and pay!

If we have been invited out by friends, then I just assume that they will pick up the tab this time, and again, when the waitress asks if this will be all on the same bill..the person who invited us along usually says ''yes'', and picks up the tab.

I guess splitting the tab is easier on the pocketbook, but seems awkward, trying to figure out who owes what (kinda like when I had a roomate in University, and we split the cost of groceries). Just not our style!! I figure, we pay this time, they''ll likely pay next time, it all works out in the end!

Now I''m curious as to what happens when the guys go out together and buy rounds...a pitcher of beer lets say! Should the guy who had two glasses of beer, be expected to pay more than the two guys who only had only ONE glass of beer, from the pitcher ? Surely when my husband buys a couple pitchers of beer for his buddies, he''s not keeping track of how much each of them consumed! However..there are those guys (gripping the wallet tightly lets say), that will never buy a round!! EVER! But..if those are the friends you choose to hang with, then you just accept the fact that they are like that. (I know of a few who take advantage of having dinner/drinks bought for them almost always, but they will very seldomly return the favour).

Great in theory, if you can swing it financially. I personally wouldn''t make mortgage if I started picking up entire restaurant tabs (especially for the drinkers), and I''m not going into debt over it, so I''m going to fall on the Karl side of the fence, here. If there''s any question that someone''s gonna get silly at check time, it''s split-checksville for me. Nobody screws with my house payment!

I value my friendships as much as the next person, but there''s a line.

I think with beer, almost universally the boys rotate who buys the pitcher, so it doesn''t end up being ''who drank the most from what pitcher''. Fraternity and all that BS.

That''s exactly how I feel! It''s great for those who can afford it financially but I have to keep to a strict monthly budget and it all depends on how over-the-budget I am. I went to dinner with a bunch of friends two weeks ago and happily split the check evenly (and yes, paid for all the drinks that I didn''t have) and was over my food budget for the month. So last Friday I had to play the "cheap" role and refuse to pay for their drinks. I''m leaving for a 3-week trip in Asia tomorrow and would rather save my hard-earned $$$ for my trip than pay for other people''s alcohol

 

[phoenixgirl]

This happened on an episode of Friends. I remember that Phoebe, Rachel, and Joey couldn''t afford to split bills with Ross, Monica, and Chandler, and Phoebe pointing out that all Joey had for dinner was that "teeny tiny pizza," or something like that.