Especially with one group of friends who I mostly only see for "bjg" nights out. A meal, drinks, dancing.
I'm still happy to go and enjoy myself, I've been surprised myself at how much I actually didn't need the drink to let my hair down.
However, the norm in this group has always been that food and drink flows freely, no one counts or worries about who had a starter/dessert, the expensive cocktail or wine, and the bill is split equally at the end. Or we buy rounds on the same basis. We were all fairly extravagant and over time these things work out. I was genuinely happy with this arrangement, and pleased to be generous with friends sometimes.
Now DP and I are not drinking and much more aware of how much the others are costing us us!
Last night we went to a Halloween fireworks thing with a band and dancing. DP drove and had 2 non alcoholic beers (I.e. more or less equivalent price to real beer). I had two lime and sodas (very cheap). The others were "on it" from the start, having multiple pints and large glasses of wine.
Neither DP nor I bought a round. I'm reasonably relaxed about that as a one off, as by driving DP saved them the cost of a taxi and my drinks were very cheap and neither of us "spent" much, but it obviously isn't OK to never buy drinks.
Is it OK, do you think, to buy a full round now and again but not strictly take your turn?