Split the bill or pay for your own order?

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

I just think it's bad form to sit their and work out that you ate and drank £8.36, don't come for the meal. I'd rather just pay for the whole bleeping lot than have people counting up and arguing. And then avoid going for meals with them.

I get if people are skint but there is no excuse for being tight

 

[Curly]

I just think it's bad form to sit their and work out that you ate and drank £8.36, don't come for the meal. I'd rather just pay for the whole bleeping lot than have people counting up and arguing. And then avoid going for meals with them.

I get if people are skint but there is no excuse for being tight

THIS!!! We always just round it up and chuck in the same. Even if I go out and I don’t drink or get a starter we always split it even cos there will be a time that I do drink and others don’t.

 

[Death2unicorns]

We always pay for what we have ordered when my group of friends go out, one doesn’t drink, one is vegetarian, one only ever gets one course as she has a bowel condition, personally I get three courses and plenty of alcohol, I would never expect someone who doesn’t drink to contribute towards my alcohol, also I think it’s a bit presumptuous to think everyone is gonna be happy just splitting the bill some people might be trying to stick to a budget, or just outright skint even but don’t wanna say, you never know what’s going on behind closed doors for some people, unless you are all rich of course in which case it doesn’t matter but most people have budgets to manage

 

[Fairypop]

I’d usually split it unless someone has had quite a lot more/less than me. Me & my partner don’t drink so if everyone is having loads of alcohol then I’d probably just pay for mine but if it’s a couple of drinks each I wouldn’t generally mind splitting.

 

[Babyjane123]

Oh god I absolutely hate when people quibble over the bill. Growing up my mum and dad were on benefits (their choice) so meals out we’re few and far between but if we did it was always the cheapest thing on the menu/ 1 drink etc. Now me and my husband both work we like to eat out and I definitely don’t pick the cheapest thing on the menu. Luckily our wider family and friends are all really generous so we will always split or one of us will cover if it’s a birthday etc. Can’t bear tight people.

 

[Yel]

I just think it's bad form to sit their and work out that you ate and drank £8.36, don't come for the meal. I'd rather just pay for the whole bleeping lot than have people counting up and arguing. And then avoid going for meals with them.

I get if people are skint but there is no excuse for being tight

I don't think it's that complicated, people round up the cost of a couple of dishes and drinks add a tip and say charge £x to this card.

If you're going out for dinner with people you argue with I'd not want to meet them anyway! We all have lean times, and knowing someone can meet up and not spend much means they can come out and I'd rather that.

 

[Itsallaboutmememe]

If I’m out with my partner one pays (we take it in turns) for both
If we’re out with my in laws they insist on paying for us all
Out with friends we pay for our own
(I have treated when I know they are skint-they pay next time and it all comes out in the wash-but only with good friends Ive known for years)

 

[Death2unicorns]

Sometimes it not people being “tight” it’s that they don’t have much money, you know, like the way some people have more money then others?? If someone is going out for a meal and only having one course and one drink maybe they are just bleeping skint and only want to pay for what they’ve had themselves, that’s not being tight.

 

[MaxieMoo]

The dividing of the bill is one of the major things that puts me off going out with friends tbh. I'm happy to split the bill even if not really drinking. We have been out in some small groups and people literally order stuff (like double G&T) and then don't drink it. Or loads of sides and don't eat them. They know we typically split the bill so don't give a tit. These situations tend to apply when out for a friends birthday, for example, when you are not the one inviting the other guests. And I have friends who send the poor waiting staff back and forth for any little thing but don't tip. So I over tip more to compensate for that. Often come home feeling ripped off and now try to avoid these situations. I sound like a misery guts but this has happened so many times over the years .

 

[Youtubegossip]

The dividing of the bill is one of the major things that puts me off going out with friends tbh. I'm happy to split the bill even if not really drinking. We have been out in some small groups and people literally order stuff (like double G&T) and then don't drink it. Or loads of sides and don't eat them. They know we typically split the bill so don't give a tit. These situations tend to apply when out for a friends birthday, for example, when you are not the one inviting the other guests. And I have friends who send the poor waiting staff back and forth for any little thing but don't tip. So I over tip more to compensate for that. Often come home feeling ripped off and now try to avoid these situations. I sound like a misery guts but this has happened so many times over the years .

Not eating out but something that grinds my gears big time is when your out in a group and buying rounds and someone is drinking half pint lagers until it’s your round then they are suddenly on doubles and mixers....

don’t mind buying people what they drink any time, if that’s what they are drinking but that takes the absolute p**s and have known many over the years. Or they drink really slowly when it’s approaching their round so it ends up skipping them

 

[KateESJ]

Sometimes it not people being “tight” it’s that they don’t have much money, you know, like the way some people have more money then others?? If someone is going out for a meal and only having one course and one drink maybe they are just bleeping skint and only want to pay for what they’ve had themselves, that’s not being tight.

Yep. On the meal I went out to, I couldn’t really afford it, which is why I got myself a kids meal, but I didn’t want my kids to miss out on seeing family. So we went and I took the kids their own beakers with juice, I had water and I paid only about £10 for two kids meals (one for me to share with my 11 month old and one for my 3 year old).

Everyone else’s came to a lot more (£30ish pp). They had two, or three courses and alcohol. I wasn’t about to pay that much. I could hardly even afford £10. Like you said, it’s not being tight, it just literally wouldn’t have been possible for me.

 

[erin182]

I just pay for what I’ve ordered It’s so easy just to ask the staff to pay x amount on card! I won’t usually tip because I don’t carry cash.

 

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

I don't think it's that complicated, people round up the cost of a couple of dishes and drinks add a tip and say charge £x to this card.

If you're going out for dinner with people you argue with I'd not want to meet them anyway! We all have lean times, and knowing someone can meet up and not spend much means they can come out and I'd rather that.

This is why I don’t go out with people who do that. Because once is enough. Cannot abide people who are tight and don’t tip. You know you are going for a meal so you can put aside a few pennies for the waiter.
And if you are skint you say I can only afford x-amount. Nobody is mind readers

 

[MaxieMoo]

I just pay for what I’ve ordered It’s so easy just to ask the staff to pay x amount on card! I won’t usually tip because I don’t carry cash.

It's not that easy if you are a group of a few couples who have all had different things. I don't keep a running tally of what me and my husband have ate and drank all evening. I find people often pass me the bill to ask what they owe. Once the calculator on the phone has to come out that's normally a big cringe from me . Same issue we have when we arrange to meet friends who arrive early and start ordering alcoholic drinks for them to be charged to the table.

A couple we know do this all the time. The last time we went out I deliberately got there extra early and ordered a large glass of wine to the table ( bit childish I know). The husband pointed out the large glass of wine on the bill and gasped at the cost. Yet my husband who cannot drink for medical reasons drinks coke all night but we still split 50/50 regardless. Sorry, think I'm venting a bit much

 

[Skyeball]

We'll do whatever the family we're dining with prefer.
It's easier to split it down the middle if we're with people who don't drink much, because we don't really. We only have one alcoholic drink each.

 

[SavvyBee]

I’m happy to split the bill but would notice if someone had much less than others or hadn’t been drinking and would make a point that they should pay for what they’ve had (assuming they round it up and include service) and the rest gets split, sometimes you have a couple of drinks more or less than others but over time it evens out.
If it’s close friends I would expect people to say ahead of ordering listen I’m a bit skint so I’m just going pay for my own / I’ll get my own drinks and not do rounds etc. We’ve all been there, nothing to be ashamed of and I would rather someone paid for what they could afford than not come. It’s when people can afford it and are open about their disposable income but still quibble over pennies that it irritates me or insist on splitting the bill when they’ve had far more. I know a couple like this and think it’s a really unpleasant trait. If you’re wanting to pay for what you had then I expect people would make a note of prices when ordering and round up a bit to cover service, it’s not hard, but please please don’t ask for the receipt and add up to the penny each single item. It’s awkward and always makes me cringe a bit. Or people who insist they’re fine splitting the bill but then make awkward comments about the cost of what some others have ordered.
I would always know if I’d ordered the most expensive thing / had much more than others and would make a point of paying more first.
Everyone pays by card these days, I think as long as you know what you’re paying when the staff come to take it rather than make them wait whilst you figure out the sums, they usually don’t mind.

 

[TommyTBFC]

No chance do I split the bill. I pay for what I ordered, simple. I don’t go down to the penny though but why should I pay more to make theirs cheaper? Not happening

 

[Sp20191]

One of my absolute hates is splitting the bill!

I don’t drink alcohol so no way do I get anything when splitting the bill. I like to pay for what I’ve eaten not everyone else! X

I also don’t actually tip if we’re out on our own or a small group (if it’s a big group we do but only if the service was good!)

 

[bubbletea123]

OK I've been reading along. When I go out with friends we often pay for our own but that may be a Canadian thing.

Also, why is everyone here saying they have to count money for paying or tipping? Is it not common to pay with card back in the UK? I have not lived there for years so no idea how it is.
Here, most people pay with their debit card and you tip through the machine. Rarely tip in cash or even pay with cash.

 

[Horatio]

No chance do I split the bill. I pay for what I ordered, simple. I don’t go down to the penny though but why should I pay more to make theirs cheaper? Not happening

Because they’re your friends and sharing a bill is part of sharing a nice evening and meal together?
I completely agree with the general consensus that situations do occur when one person has consumed vastly less and it’s a bit presumptuous to assume they should subsidise you. I always try and keep an eye on that if someone’s too polite to say. But generally a few quid here or there I don’t think is worth quibbling over. Eating out is an indulgence and luxury so when somebody acts like it’s an outrage they’ve paid 1.50 more than they should have it seems a bit of a warped perspective.
Again I know there are times when you're really skint but feel obliged to attend a birthday or something, and it can be hard when everyone else has a more disposable income.
But in general, if you are at a restaurant already, you can afford to split (most) bills and you can afford to tip. That’s the worst of all - I’ve actuslly heard people say that they weren’t paying service because they couldn't afford it. I was like “well then you can’t afford to eat out at all!” Rude and inconsiderate.

Agree that large birthday meals are the absolute WORST for this. The last one I went to half the table conveniently left soon after the bill came, (all people I didn’t know) and seemed to ‘forget’ to pay service. Me and a few others had to cover around £50 extra between us. It’s not even about the money as much as the selfish attitude, the total opposite of what eating out as a group should be about.