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.

Posted too soon. But I am always aware of other peoples financial positions and wouldn’t expect them to split evenly if a couple of quid mattered to them.

You're all related? B for sure. Life's too short to faff around.

I'm amazed anyone had the staying power to read that op!

I wouldn't care. IF I could afford a greater share of it and nobody had form for piss taking.

C is right except making B pay a bit more for having some of the pudding.

In my family, A and B would probably take it in turns to pick up the whole tab for dinner, with B paying more often, given B is working.

C might occasionally pay for coffees out (so a cheaper option than dinner).

It's different with family to friends. With family, as long as you don't all hate each other, whoever can afford it the most pays the most.

I would say B or C but definitely not A. Either you’re splitting everything or you’re all responsible for your own household.

I couldn't be arsed with this. I would just pay for my family. Then one of the other adults should pay the next time.

Calculating what you should pay like this is what you do if you go out with a big group of friends. That's my view anyway.

If it was me, my two adult children and a grandchild, I’d pay.

B - couldn’t be arsed with the faffing over small change.

It’s not as if one person’s meal was £100.

Life is too short.

C. I refuse to pay for others who eat 3 courses when I only have 1

But nobody did eat 3 courses. B pinched some of the children's dessert, but that doesn't count.

B as it's family!
However with other friends I might go for C

A would pay every time in my family. In your scenario B & C are fine

If A were my mum or step-dad, they’d insist on paying. My sister and I would try and convince them to split it equally 3 ways, but we’d lose. If we were quick enough off the mark one of us would sneak to the bar and pay it all.

If A were my dad, he’d conveniently disappear to the loo just as the bill arrived and my sister and I would roll our eyes at each other and split it 50/50. I’d try and pay an extra tenner to cover D, but she'd refuse. Then Dad would come back from the loo, express surprise that he’d missed the bill, and generously leave a 5% tip on the table. My sister and I wouldn’t mention we’d already covered the tip.

B I detest stinginess over bills

In our family A would pay too.

C is the fairest

In my family it would be either B or one person would offer to pay for the whole thing, we loosely take it in turns.

In DH's family it would be C or we pay for everyone.

B

I cannot stand when people take ages adding up what they’ve had to end up with £12.50 versus £13.50

Bloody hell, life is too short to be worrying about that. Just split it evenly between you. It'll likely even out over time. I think I'd make my excuses not to go if that sort of palavar was involved with the bill.

And we’d all have pinched D’s dessert because his eyes would have been too big for his belly

I have a rule that if I spend more than others, I initiate me paying more before anyone else says anything about the bill (if possible). I never want anyone to feel that they have to sub me. So I guess C should have said "I'll pay more" as their bill (inc D's as that's their child) was the biggest. If there was an insistence on splitting it, C should have left the tip for all (if it's the sort of place where people tip).

I’d always be up for splitting it evenly just avoid the complicated maths. If I know I’ve spent more than others though I’d offer to pay a bit more, or just pay for the whole thing to save the awkwardness.

C

Although in my family, A wound probably treat everyone - it's not a huge bill

Although in my family, either A would pay, or B & C would split it two ways.