Bill-splitting

£20 is not extortionate but it’s fiddly splitting a bill between five people. Maybe don’t go for meals with couples on the future

I always speak up for the person who hasn’t had a drink or whatever in a bill-splitting deal. Needs to be reasonably fair. Point it out politely next time. They’ll be reasonable. And if they’re not, don’t go out with them again!

I can only assume they meant split bill equally. Across 3 cards. The waiter then got confused.

Nothing eise makes sense.

Dont worry OP
@Makemyday99 has indicated £20 is fuckall to her / him and will send this to you to make up for your friends lack of maths

Been there, out with 3 other couples to the Indian. One couple have the most expensive meal there also naan each, rice each and lots of alcohol then the bill got split 4 ways at their suggestion! We should have said no we'll pay our own as we always share a naan and a rice but felt it would be awkward as the other couples agreed, they must have loved it. Definitely would speak up now especially with the cost of living. Think sometimes we just need to say no and not feel bad.

5 people, 5 meals = bill split 5 ways. This is an easy one. Too late to say anything now, but next time speak up and say.
It's more tricky with other things like sharing a cab and it drops a couple off at one address and a single person at one address, this usually gets split 50/50 in my experience.

It could absolutely break the bank for some people.

You have some truly crap friends.

@Attractedtotheofflimits its incredibly hard running a household on one single salary, especially if you have kids. People who are happily paired up have such little understanding but why should Op shut up and pay up? £20 puts dinner on the table for a family. Does this mean we should just stay home if we don’t fancy paying for other peoples meals as well as our own? Outrageous.

You can't moan when you didn't speak up. People suggest things without thinking.

Exactly this.
What's more, at the risk of causing a minor scene, I would have spoken up politely before parting with any money.
Totally unfair.😡

You needed to say something at the time, I don’t think I would bring it up now.

The other four people were taking the piss, they could not fail to have realised that this was not fair.

YANBU!!!!!!! I HATE THIS!!!!!
when me and my OH go out I try and take into consideration others when we split the bill. So we have some friends where we split 50/50, others where we pay for what we’ve had and others where we take into turns to pay the full bill.

I’ve been out with couples before when my husband couldn’t make it and been expected to pay a “third” of the bill with two other couples and it made me so mad!!

I would say something. Personally in this scenario they should split the bill five ways and then each couple pay 2 x 5.

we often go out with a single friend and this is how we split the bill as it is only fair.

Definitely not they should have worked out the cost by 5 and paid 2 x shares each.

I do think you need to speak up though but I'm surprised no one thought to say anything - are they usually tight or mean?

Normally if someone dosent drink or only has one course etc I/someone would bring that up in the bill conversation to pay else. Splitting it 3 ways is blatantly not fair/

Had this happen to me a few times.

Just say no.

It is unreasonable, it is unfair and the person who suggested it isn't your friend.

I just do not know how 5 people think that a bill can be split 3 ways. Did they actually KNOW what they did. Also why didn’t at least one of the 4 not speak up? Cheeky bastards.

Or ask for a separate bill for yourself so u just pay for yourself.

I can't believe how rude people are. They know u paid part of their bill.

The problem with some couples is they seem to forget there is 2 in a couple. You've actually paid for a partner that wasn't there.

The bill should be split between 5, cheeky feckers took a discount for themselves. Speak up next time.

Wow. The absolute brass neck on your DB. 😂

Has he tried that at the cinema or theatre, for example, I wonder?

That’s a single person tax! Absolutely not on. I don’t mind dividing the bill up evenly of everyone broadly had the same but to divide it that way is ridiculously unfair!

I vote for saying something now - just a ‘I had such a great time last night guys, thank you, but I would have preferred it if we’d split the bill equally, we each paid a third but there’s only one of me. It’s quite pricey being single so I’d appreciate it if we can do that next time - thank you’

I doubt this was done on purpose, its just the other couples didnt think it through. It's understandable if you didn't speak up at the time if you were caught unawares especially if money is a sensitive topic for you. I don't know why so many people on this thread are being so rude. Next time make sure you're ready to say something. As for now, if the £20 is really something you can't afford then message your friends and say I'm so sorry guys this is a bit embarrassing but would you mind if I paid just my share of food for last night, money is tight at the moment and I didn't realise at the time it wasn't worked out correctly. If they are true friends they would rather know. Alternatively if you can afford it then chalk it up to experience. Either way remember that no one did this deliberately.

I hate this sort of thing. Something similar happened to me the other day, went for a very casual brunch but there was no vegetarian option so just shared DP’s side salad (so ordered nothing for myself). I had a Diet Coke. Someone also declared we split the bill by couple!

Its so so rude. I think people know what they are doing and they get away with it because disputing how to pay a bill in a restaurant is awkward.

There are two ways in which this could have been unintentional. Firstly, the friends might have been on autopilot from eating out in groups of couples. Secondly, they might have meant ‘let’s put it on three cards’ meaning the non-equal shares and the waiter has understood that the amounts should be equally divided. They may have paid without looking at the amount at all.
OP might have scope, depending on the people, to say that she’s just seen her internet banking and thinks something went wrong because she thought they were splitting across three cards 2/5, 2/5 and 1/5, but 1/3 has been booked. And see what they do. A decent friend would pay you back.

I’m very blunt when it comes to bill splitting as a single person who doesn’t drink alcohol and rarely buys soft drinks either as I get too full/bloated. I usually say I’ll pay my share then you split the rest of the others/couples had fairly similar meal spends and drinks. I once was shouted down when the service charge of 10% was added to the final bill and everyone wanted to split that too. My £5 pizza and tap water was to become £10!! No chance. I said I’d happily add my 10% on but I had chosen my meal that night out as I was skint. People thought I was being unreasonable and it came up frequently after the event but I wasn’t being bullied into doubling my spend.