How would you split this meal costs?

[SplitTheMeal]

3 adults, 1 child. All related.

A (60s) orders main no starters or puddings. Cost £12.

B (late 20s) orders a starter, and a main and pinched a bit of Ds pudding. Starter was £6, Main £12 so total without the bit of Ds pudding was £18.

C (early 30s) orders a starter and a pudding. Starter was £6, pudding was £5. Total was £11.

D (under 7, Cs DC) has a childrens main and a childrens pudding. Main and pudding were on a deal for £8.

Everyone got one drink free with their meal apart from B who paid a bit more to have an alcoholic drink which added a £. C and D had an extra drink each which where £2 each.

Total meal cost was around £54. I’ve rounded meals up to nearest £.

So how would you split it?

A says adults pay for their own meals and drinks, all put in £3ish for Ds meal and drinks. So A pays £15, B pays £22 and C pays £16.

B says we split it between 3 adults and all pay £18.

C says we split it as per own meals; so A pays £12, B £19, and C £23 (as they pay for Ds meal).

We did resolve this and I am one of the adults. But not saying which or who we went with. I am curious to see how you'd split the meal.

C or A depending.

One friend I'll always chip in for her sons meal. Another one always insists on being paid back if you owe her 12 pence so with her I'd pay for what I had.

Generally I'd say C.

As its family.. Probably the same. It depends on dynamics. One of my siblings can pay for themself and their offspring. Another sibling we would probably split the child meal.

I don't think it's fair to assume that others should pay for children

@BarbaraWoodlouse

In my household A would insist on paying. Otherwise I expect the only acceptable solution to all would be splitting three ways between adults. I’m confused about the dynamics, A seems intent on subsidizing C’s child at the expense of B?

B and C get on very well and B often helps out C with money, A probably genuinely thought B would be ok with paying part of Ds meal as they get on well with their sibling and DN.

B

@Nohomemadecandles

That sounds painful. I'd pay it all not to have to go through that calculating again!

Me too!

Tbh, the context isn’t terribly relevant. Wealthy or not wealthy, single parent or not-you’re all consenting adults who have presumably agreed to go out for lunch and can afford to pay otherwise you would have declined.

If I was the parent of the young child, I would say I’ll pay more as there were two of us. If the others insisted on splitting it three ways, I’d probably say ok.

I’d split that three ways as the difference between costs is so small...

C if it was bigger, though, or someone there wanted to just pay for their own thing.

I'm fairly certain OP is C.

@HunterHearstHelmsley

I'm fairly certain OP is C.

Correct

I should say but if the child was mine I'd pay for their food myself too

B or C.

It would be a fight with my family over who gets to pay. You have to be stealth like to catch the waiter with the bill before anyone else grabs him.

Not enough in it to care. Unless you're skint and chose starter and pudding to save money

This sounds exhausting.

I'd probably just split it 4 ways.

Due to the similar values I’d say B but if there was a bigger difference C

Either split 3 ways of depending on the occasion the ‘children’ go halves and cover parent and child’s meals

I am C.

I chose starter and pudding as thats all I wanted.

In my family A would pay! (Sadly A lives overseas!). (Joke. It is actually sad, but not because she pays!!)

It's split differently depending which friends I'm out with, but that scenario we'd just out £20 each and the change for the tip.

It would ruin my meal to have this discussion after dinner and I would probably pay. I had a friend who one time refused to split the bill because my items totalled 24 pence more than hers. Ruined the meal and the friendship.

I don’t mind splitting the bill three ways in these kind of instances but I always expect and offer to pay for my DC as don’t expect others to cover my DCs meal . I’m always mindful of what people can afford though as if C purposefully ordered less expensive meals as they didn’t have much money then it’d be hard to be expected to pay more.

Correct

And how was the bill split?

C - just pay for your own meals! Can’t get my head round this splitting the bill nonsense - if I go shopping with my friends we don’t split the total cost of the goods we’re buying 🤷‍♀️.

I think if it was me out with my child and some friends I'd probably pay the cost of the kids meal and then we'd split the remainder equally per adult. On the basis we always split the bill equally and it's swings and roundabouts.

If I was out with family it's a competitive sport who manages to pay for the lot first. (DGM somehow always wins, even though she's in a wheelchair. She has minions....)

@Howshouldibehave

Correct

And how was the bill split?

We went with B in the end.

But it's very interesting to see how others would do it.

D should pay £54 out of respect for his elders and to teach the little blighter the value of money.

B. Or if close family or friends, I'd offer to treat, under the assumption they'd do likewise next time

@Faranth

I think if it was me out with my child and some friends I'd probably pay the cost of the kids meal and then we'd split the remainder equally per adult. On the basis we always split the bill equally and it's swings and roundabouts.

If I was out with family it's a competitive sport who manages to pay for the lot first. (DGM somehow always wins, even though she's in a wheelchair. She has minions....)

My late DGM was the same even down to being in a wheelchair, I miss that.