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Original poster

To think you don’t get out of paying the bill because you don’t drink?

458 replies

ThatHardyWaspAgain · 09/04/2025 19:58

I’m sure this has been done many times before by people in similar scenarios.

I went out for a bit of lunch with two friend’s and one of them brought another friend along that I’ve never met but was nice enough.

However, when it came to the bill, she said ‘’Can we please calculate it all with the alcohol you’ve had separately paid for? Because I only had classical cokes’’

So, we did as she asked. Added up everything but removed the drinks. So 3 of us paid for our drinks in a split, and then did another split for the rest with her and her food and classical colas.

The annoying bit is, she had 3 of them. And they weren’t really much different in price to most of our alcohol.

We all had the same roast and mango cheesecake.

I wouldn’t mind but she kept insisting we all had a dessert so she didn’t feel alone in having one. We’re adults after all but it is a bit annoying

Separate thread to come to see if I would be U to tell my friend not to bring her along again

She also didn’t tip.

OP posts:
TellReign · 09/04/2025 22:29

I think many people must have misread the OP’s post. As I have no idea why you paid for her drinks (the classical cokes!) If she wants to split the bill she needs to pay for her own drinks. Very odd way of splitting the bill. I would have said woah no way - You buy your own ‘classical cokes’ haha!

Like you say non alcoholic drinks are not much/if at all cheaper than many alcoholic ones!

nomas · 09/04/2025 22:28

Why didn’t you say she needs to pay for her drinks? You were all conned. Don’t invite her again.

Ladyluckinred · 09/04/2025 22:26

You’re not wrong, OP. If I’m out with people who have had significantly less than the rest, I’ll usually pass them the bill to work out their share and then the rest is spilt. In this scenario, the price was so similar, she was definitely BU. Did she look at the bill?

Iwannakeepondancing · 09/04/2025 22:25

The fact she was so petty would mean I was pissed off that I had to sub her! She sounds like a twat!

Sunbeam01 · 09/04/2025 22:21

Sofiewoo · 09/04/2025 21:33

I’ve literally never eaten anywhere and not been able to just put different amounts on different cards and I’m talking about being at literally thousands of restaurants, cafes, bars over the years.

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@Sofiewoo Yes you can however this means either splitting the bill or everyone manually working out the cost of what they've had to eat and drink. There's often awkward conversations. It's tiresome. It can kill the atmosphere. Not always - very much depends on the company.

It would be much better if it was seamless with no additional 'touch points' or considerations.

scotstars · 09/04/2025 22:21

When you added up the costs why didnt anyone point out to her the cost of her cokes?

westcott · 09/04/2025 22:19

Just pay what you ordered.

Gogogo12345 · 09/04/2025 22:14

whynotwhatknot · 09/04/2025 22:09

alot of places here wont do that ive tried they say its their system-i think its jut being lazy

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It is lazy. However surely you can add up what you have spent yourself anyway

lalaloopyhead · 09/04/2025 22:14

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 09/04/2025 20:05

So many people with poor reading comprehension on this thread.

I was thinking exactly the same thing, it's not a difficult scenario to understand!

Bogginsthe3rd · 09/04/2025 22:13

Friend be like

To think you don’t get out of paying the bill because you don’t drink?
To think you don’t get out of paying the bill because you don’t drink?
Jabberwok · 09/04/2025 22:13

OldCottageGreenhouse · 09/04/2025 20:02

So you wanted her to pay towards your alcohol?

But she made them pay towards her cokes...so what would she have done if you were drinking non alcoholic beers/gin/cider

She's a cf...and you got played

HelpMeUnpickThis · 09/04/2025 22:13

Eldermilleniallyogii · 09/04/2025 20:08

You don't need to keep calling it a classical coke OP

@Eldermilleniallyogii right?! It’s killing me 🤣.

Interl0per · 09/04/2025 22:11

I am on both sides of this

  • I don't drink, and appreciate those friends who willingly pay for what we have ordered (I also don't often fancy dessert!)
  • I hadn't realised how much the gap between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink prices has (apparently) lessened.

When I first started paying for orders, I'd pay £2 for drinks all meal, and other guests would pay £5-15 each. With a party of 4 that's a big discrepancy. If things have narrowed a lot then maybe there's a good conversation to have - others may not know that.

But, either way, expecting others to pay towards your coke while refusing to pay towards their alcohol is CF (unless you bought a big bottle of coke to drink/water the spirits down ;--)

AthWat · 09/04/2025 22:11

JorgyPorgy · 09/04/2025 22:01

Athwat, I was replying to your comment on my second post where my POV was implicit . I cannot believe your lack of comprehension here. (I only say this because you are raging at everyone for not reading properly and now you do the same - a tad hypocritical of you 😄)

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My comment on your second post was pointing out to you the reason I made my first post, as you didn't acknowledge that that was the original point of the OP's question. Never mind, it's not important.

Delatron · 09/04/2025 22:10

fromthegecko · 09/04/2025 22:02

It's even worse than that, isn't it? Because the cost difference between alcoholic and soft drinks didn't matter at all. She's just got them to pay for their own drinks plus 75% of hers, irrespective of price differential.

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Yeah exactly. So she was tight on two counts…

Yet people on here don’t see that and are just focusing on the alcohol part which isn’t the point at all.

StupidBoy · 09/04/2025 22:10

Classical cokes is hilarious

whynotwhatknot · 09/04/2025 22:09

Gogogo12345 · 09/04/2025 20:43

It's very easy to do. Just ask for separate bills at the start

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alot of places here wont do that ive tried they say its their system-i think its jut being lazy

Gogogo12345 · 09/04/2025 22:09

ThisFluentBiscuit · 09/04/2025 21:59

I'm British, but have lived in the US for 18 years. Over here, it's easy to get separate bills and only pay for what you have, but you MUST tell the server at the start. It's something to do with the restaurant-industry software. It's much more difficult to separate it out by what people consumed later in the process. But doing individual bills from the start is very easy.

Years ago, when going out in groups in the UK, I remember it was very difficult, if not impossible, for restaurants to separate out what everyone had. My question is, has that changed? Can you be billed individually if you ask at the start? It's been about 20 years since I've been out for a group meal in the UK that wasn't family, with my dad usually paying for everyone!

Edited

Yes it can

Coconutter24 · 09/04/2025 22:04

AthWat · 09/04/2025 21:59

I apologise humbly for that typo. Well done to you for spotting it.

I certainly should have checked my typing. I should have, indeed.

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👍

CalmDownCats · 09/04/2025 22:02

She shouldn't pay for your booze and you shouldn't pay for her coke. However the fact that she requested not to pay for the alcohol yet she was happy for the rest of you to cover her 'classical' coke stinks. I wouldn't be rushing to have lunch with her again if I were you.

fromthegecko · 09/04/2025 22:02

Delatron · 09/04/2025 21:58

Why are people not understanding the OP? Is it because they are so quick to jump in with the ‘I’m not subsidising anyone’s booze’ - this isn’t what happened…. She made them split her cokes which were about £1 less. Petty.

It's even worse than that, isn't it? Because the cost difference between alcoholic and soft drinks didn't matter at all. She's just got them to pay for their own drinks plus 75% of hers, irrespective of price differential.

JorgyPorgy · 09/04/2025 22:01

AthWat · 09/04/2025 21:40

It's not at all implicit in your original comment of

"If there’s not much difference in price with the cola and the alcoholic drinks then it seems a bit petty to not just split the bill 3 ways. But where I live alcohol is considerably more expensive than soft drinks and i wouldn’t want to sub someone else’s alcohol bill if I wasn’t drinking or not drinking as much."

that that is what you think, as the OP was not saying she was petty not to split the bill, or that she should have paid other people's drinks bill, just annoyed that she got everyone else to split her cokes - which you don't even mention.

Show quote history

Athwat, I was replying to your comment on my second post where my POV was implicit . I cannot believe your lack of comprehension here. (I only say this because you are raging at everyone for not reading properly and now you do the same - a tad hypocritical of you 😄)

katepilar · 09/04/2025 22:01

NC28 · 09/04/2025 20:06

Back in the days when alcohol was notably more expensive than soft drinks, I’d have thought she was fair enough.

But full fat Coke is subject to the sugar tax and usually the prices between that and an alcoholic drink are negligible.

I think it’s a bit cringeworthy to have someone working everyone’s individual cost, then you have the hassle of Joan only having a £20 note and needing £3.45 change, whereas Margaret wants to put her’s on her card. Just a big carry on.

Why is it considered too much work to work out each person cost? Where I am in Europe its done without a wink, the waiter either does the sums on a piece of paper in an instant or if its a lot of people then they come to the till where its get calculated one by one. Its a normal thing thats done on a daily basis without a wink.

availablecupcake · 09/04/2025 22:01

Iceandfire92 · 09/04/2025 21:41

She sounds like a right penny pincher. The sort to chip in "I only had a tap water and a grain of rice" and the sort to run off early to catch the train conveniently before the bill comes in avoiding paying their share of the tip/service charge. I would understand if one person had multiple cocktails and she had water but come on, life is really too short. If there's a few pounds difference, save everyone and the waiting staff the ballache and just split the bill. If you have to quibble over a few quid, perhaps you should prioritise things other than going out.

Edited

But some people do have tap water and rice, and they should be able to do that freely and the champagne and “market prices” person should be able to have what they want as well without anyone feeling bad.

The way to do this is to pay for what you had, or only be friends with people who are fabulously wealthy so that is never ever an issue.

beAsensible1 · 09/04/2025 22:00

You should’ve just made them give her a separate bill including her service and then split yours 3 ways. Shes actually a cheeky cow.