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.

@merryhouse

I'd have assumed - if no-one had said "my treat" when the idea was first mooted - that we all paid for our own consumption (and obviously parents are responsible for their dependent offspring).

But then, I've never understood the "split the bill exactly" crowd anyway.

It does rather suck the joy out the opportunity to spend time with people when you've got to keep tabs on the cost of each element of the meal as you eat it, then Aunty Gladys owes £16.45, but she's only got a £20 note, has anyone got any change? Reggie, Tarquin and Belinda shared a bottle of wine, but Reggie had more of it than Belinda. Ronnie sent his starter back, did it actually get taken off the bill? Maureen doesn't believe in tipping. And now everyone's put in what they owe but we're £8.47 short, and I'd overpaid by £5 to include something for the waiter.

Whoever’s child it is pays for the meal.

If I were C, I'd insist I'd pay for D and split the rest of the bill 3 ways. If I were A or B I'd say of course not, we will split the whole bill 3 ways. We would have a good natured argument and if I were C and a little bit short that month I might 'reluctantly' agree and be very grateful. If I were D, I would not let Aunty or Uncle B steal any of my ice cream.

For the child I mean. Not for the lot

You pay what you eat. What your drink. But the parent pays for the child. Who splits a child’s meal between adults?

Thank Christ I'm not in a family where these things have to be divided down to the last crouton.

In North America the servers do this for you.

Bliss

C

@Nancydrawn me too!

‘Without the bit I’d D’s pudding was £18’

The suggestion seems to be that £’s are added on for a random bite of a pudding...

I’d be ok with B or C as long as those are the actual numbers and everyone is comfortable financially.

If the grandparent in this scenario was my great grandmother for example, I wouldn’t be ok with her paying extra. But then I might also let her pay the whole thing and then slip enough money in her purse to cover the whole thing so she doesn’t realize that we aren’t letting her treat us anymore. We’ve been playing that game for some time now.

C

In my family, my parent would pay for lunch for me, my child and my sibling.

If it was friends, I would pay for me and my child and let the others split the bill, if that's what they wanted.

B or I’d pay the lot. Too much angst over £54 quid.

B, just split it, but in our family I’d have paid for the whole thing.

Commenting on first post only - B. Who wants to spend their time quibbling over restaurant bills after the year we've had?

Although in my family, A would pay the whole bill.

Split three ways. But if there was as much as a sniff of dissatisfaction I’d pay the lot.

Life really is too short.

Split it between the three adults...it’s not exactly a life changing amount of money!! So B for me .

In my family, we'd just split 3 ways between the adults. And comment on the reasonable prices. But we like each other and enjoy seeing the others' kids...

B

I'd pay it all or do B.

To be honest though you were all squabbling over a few quid each, Unless any of you are seriously skint I can’t imagine doing that at a family meal.

As said though, in this I’d assume the position of a and not consider making my children pay.

B sounds a bit like some people I've been out for a meal with...

They choose more expensive things off the menu, have more drinks, and then suggest the bill is split equally. So the poor sap who is driving and only had a basic main meal and drank water gets to subsidise the glutton.

Nah. This is why I have a calculator in my handbag.

C

It does rather suck the joy out the opportunity to spend time with people when you've got to keep tabs on the cost of each element of the meal as you eat it, then Aunty Gladys owes £16.45, but she's only got a £20 note, has anyone got any change?

I agree. Ordering (and paying) at your table in pubs is one unexpected bonus of Covid. Saves a lot of bother...I wish more places would introduce it.

If I were D, I would not let Aunty or Uncle B steal any of my ice cream.

Yes. D needs to be taught to stab the adult offender's hand forcefully with their spoon in a swift downwards motion before pretending it was an accident and apologising guilelessly. "Oh sorry, Uncle Barry, I didn't see your hand approaching my pudding..."

If this was me I would either insist on paying for everyone. Or if not, paying for myself and the children.

Unless the bill splitting is discussed before hand and people are clear if they are not in funds then they most gracious thing to do is to stump up the cost.

I HATE it when people are fiddly with the bill after the fact. If you can only have tap water and a starter and cannot split the bill/can only pay your own way. Be clear! Either ask the wait staff discretely for a separate check and settle it. Or be upfront about it with the group!

Every time I'm out with my parents they pay - have tried to take a turn and it doesn't go down well. If no one is in a position to treat everyone else then split the bill or if this will cause ill feeling, pay for your own including your own children. Usually I have a steer before I go out based on previous experience if people are happy to split the bill. People tend to be a split the bill type or not.