Non drinkers - how do you deal with rounds at the pub?

[gentlesea]

I feel really miserly never offering to buy anyone a round at the pub but as a non drinker I can only really manage 1 or 2 drinks, sometimes I only have water. What usually happens with me is I either get my own or someone offers to buy a round, I'll say I'll get my own and they insist on including me so I'll then offer to buy that person I drink later on.

What does everyone else (who doesn't drink) do?

I don’t go to the pub, so can’t help.

I would just opt out of rounds and insist on getting your own. A coke or soft drink is about £3 and a glass of wine is £7++ so you really shouldn't need to buy alcohol for people.

The non-drinkers I know don’t engage in big rounds in large groups.

Buy your own drinks or get a round in every other time you go to the pub.

Soft drinks aren’t free and depending on what you drink can almost be the same price as an alcoholic drink especially in spoons type places.

I generally buy my own or will accept being included in a round if someone insists but I don’t feel obliged to get a whole round back.
With my close women friends if there are only two or three of us I’ll maybe get a round in once in the evening, but it evens up with buying coffees at other times.

Don’t do rounds

I’m a wine drinker and I don’t do rounds as wine is usually less than beer where I am so I get stooged if I do rounds so just stay out of it.

In groups we’ll have a drinks kitty, so drinkers put in £10 and non-drinkers put in £5, though in most of my groups the non-drinker often offers to give lifts to others and doesn’t contribute to the kitty because in the scheme of things a non-alcoholic drink costs so little and they’re doing someone a favour with a lift.

No (decent) drinker would expect someone drinking water to be in rounds.

Don't worry about it.

I just step out of rounds. Don't overthink it op.

Whenever the first one getting a round in asks what I want I just say 'oh I'll come with you to the bar. I'm going to just get my own today if no one minds, I'm on the soft drinks'.

Cue various unconcerned smiles/nods/shrugs. No one ever minds.

You're right! I probably am overthinking this!

Yes, the difference between a soft drink and alcohol in London is £££! (never order mocktails).

If anyone insists on including me in the round and buying my drink I try and make a joke out of it along the lines of 'oh honestly, thank you but no, really, I'll get mine otherwise I'll have to buy you one back and yours are three times the price!'. Usually goes down fine if you're casual about it.

I don't get into buying rounds but will offer somebody a drink if they have bought me one. I quite often end up giving lifts both ways to several people and kind of think that if each person in the car bought me one drink that would be reasonable and I'd have enough to drink for the evening.
Is it cheeky to suggest that?

“Nothing for me thanks - I’m getting my own this evening”

”No honestly there’s no need” if they try to insist

As an aside, I think it's cheeky to go into a bar and drink tap water. They're running a business and need to make £

The first drink isn't usually in rounds as people tend to get their own as they turn up, if I'm with DH (who drinks pints) he tends to get ours and if others are there already will ask if anyone wants one but usually they already have one. Then if someone else offers to buy a round I tend to say no, if it gets to DH's turn again I might have a second. My standard drink is a pint of diet coke and I can make that last a couple of hours easily.

With friends and DH not there I'll get into small rounds with eg 2 or 3 other people but not larger ones, I just get my own.

I'm not drinking for medical reasons currently rather than a teetotaller. I drink non alcoholic beer or wine when out which is about the same price as normal so just get the rounds in (nobody has cocktails or double brandies, just simple drinks). I have always been very content to opt out of rounds though. If someone wants to insist on including me I say I'd be really glad of a pint of tap water, and usually am.

Just keep out of paying for rounds. I do, for a different reason. I like a glass of wine but it's not cheap and I don't expect someone else to pay for it. On the other hand, I can't drink more than a couple and I often find if I get into buying rounds, it works out more expensive.

It really depends how tight money is. I would still buy my friends the odd drink if I weren’t drinking but I’m not on a budget. If you are it’s perfectly fine to opt out of the rounds and go it alone. If people still insist on buying you one I’m sure they don’t expect a drink bought for them in return.

I and a lot of my social group like a drink and do rounds. Everyone is generous and TBH more concerned to pay their way than to avoid it, it's all very easy going, but we're also very aware of non drinkers and wouldn't "let" them buy a round.

I'm happy to buy them the odd soft drink and would offer of I'm going to the bar, but equally understand if they prefer to do their own thing and that's fine too.

Often they drive, so we buy their food as well!