I’d rather have my friends with me for a meal and split the meal then not have them there at all, I read through this thread and wonder how many of our friends feel the same as most people on here as we NEVER split the bill, I’m not paying for someone else’s food, we can’t afford it!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.
There’s a passage in the journalist Dolly Alderton’s memoir of her 20s where she remembers being at a friends birthday meal when she was extremely broke. She drank water and had a starter only but didn’t want to speak up when they decided to split it because she was so stressed about being broke anyway or something like that. Anyway she describes how one of her friends clocked her look and didn’t say anything but paid her share while she was in the loo, she says she’s never forgotten that kindness. I found that quite inspiring to read. So while I may argue for splitting the bill in general, I am aware these kind of situations arise.I always remember going out for a big family meal, I sat by my cousin and his girlfriend. They'd just bought their first house and were very skint. Everyone ordered and I saw them discussing the cheapest item, think they had a ploughmans lunch and a squash each.
At bill paying time, my dad just shouted 'everyone ok if we split it in couples?'. The panic on their faces bless them!! I spoke up and said i didn't think that was fair and paid our way - I explained why after.
Ever since then I've always been mindful and check everyone's ok whichever way we do it
I think that sounds a really fair way of doing itMy friends and I all pay for what we order and leave a collective tip. It works for us and none of us have to feel guilty about ordering something expensive.
I’d rather tip nurses who are in an underpaid profession. It’s ridiculous to tip someone over here for bringing you a pizza and asking if your enjoying your meal only when your mouth is full.Tipping I find a bit weird in the UK. Everyone is paid minimum wage so there's no need. It's not like the states where a server is a profession and people are paid way less as people would rather have the control to tip. There you need to tip and we've unnecessarily imported the custom over here.
Most of the service in the UK is awful and they automatically add service then are annoyed when you don't pay it. If service is good I'll tip, but I've no guilt over giving nothing if it was shit.
Yeah wtf ? I feel like that’s not even tight it’s kind of like open theft.... of your friends....I also have friends who are really tight, as in don't even want to pay for what they've had, will order the most expensive things and then laugh when the split bill averages to less than what they've had! really winds me up!!!
Tipping I find a bit weird in the UK. Everyone is paid minimum wage so there's no need. It's not like the states where a server is a profession and people are paid way less as people would rather have the control to tip. There you need to tip and we've unnecessarily imported the custom over here.
Most of the service in the UK is awful and they automatically add service then are annoyed when you don't pay it. If service is good I'll tip, but I've no guilt over giving nothing if it was shit.
I fully agree, I worked in care for minimum wage and obviously no tips for too long to leave tips for people who are legally getting the minimum wage now. Much rather give that money to charity or help out friends.I’d rather tip nurses who are in an underpaid profession. It’s ridiculous to tip someone over here for bringing you a pizza and asking if your enjoying your meal only when your mouth is full.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?