People splitting the bill when going out for a meal

[ThePlEWhoLovedMe]

10 of us went out for a meal last night for a friends 30th Birthday. When the bill came people were really picking over the bill - I would have been happy to split it 9 ways . I get that some people are really skint and I understand that people who don't drink shouldn't be paying for the drinkers... but seriously people were picking over everything to the last 50p and one lady seemed to have forgotten the 2 bottles of wine she shared with two others. AIBU to be a little annoyed that they made such a fuss?

This is one of the reasons I love going to places that are "eat all you can for £15"... everyone pays the same then, but can order the dishes that they like.. as many times as they want to.

as herroyalnothingless says , in Canada I have been out in groups and get brought individual bills. It's great.

Well since having a gastric band fitted (and not telling anyone) I have come to the conclusion that it's an expensive way for me to watch other people eat. I either make my peace with that or don't go.

People who quibble over 50p or small amounts piss me off. I try not to dine with them again because you go out for a nice time, not to waste your precious leisure time quibbling with tight arsed tossers. It really makes me cringe and is quite vulgar behaviour. YANBU OP

oh god I hate this, as someone who doesn't drink much normally (and now pregnant so not at all) I would always rather just 'subsidise' someone else's meal then have a good night ruined with this fuss at the end of the night. I have friends who'll when we arrive ask if we can do separate bills which I'm always happy with, it's clear what you're doing.

If someone really takes the piss with ordering the most expensive thing on the menu and not at the splitting the bill moment say "oh, I had X, can I throw in an extra tenner and then spilt the rest?" then I'll suck it up at the time but next time either decline the offer of dinner with them or ask for separate bills at the start of the next meal.

I cant stand it when this happens.

Yanbu !

i hate this too. i hate this because there is always one person who takes the mick! if it's a group of friends who you've known for years and go out with all the time, and like bertude said, it all works itself out in the end anyway, if one week you dont eat that much but pay a bit more.

i much prefer it when everyone gets the set menu so it costs everyone the same, or even better, go to a buffet place!

the one person who always took the mick isn't friends with me anymore. he used to go all out crazy on meals, yes most expensive thing on the menu, wine freely flowing then suggested it was split equally. loads of other reasons why he is a total tosser and i finally got rid of it (things you put up with when you have known someone since teenage years!) after one evening out when everything was split equally, and everyone was drunk and piling in their money including a generous tip, as it was about 18 people, he realised that the tip would cover his meal too and didn't put anything in! several people noticed this! thing is he aint even skint...always them ones isn't it!

The best solution to this I've seen is what my sister done for her birthday. She called the restaurant and asked them to put together a set menu so it was 2 courses for £x and 3 for £x then drinks ordered at the bar.

YANBU It's infuriating.

Oh yes, the ones who say ooh, lobster for me as its being split! I calculate my bill, plus wine if I have had it and hand it over. Though like the idea of getting the set menu and not ordering a la carte. As long as the wait staff are aware it's generally ok.

I never pay the tip on the bill, we always leave cash on the table as otherwise the staff might never see it. And please be aware tips don't go to the chefs slaving 16 hours in the kitchen, just to your waiter. Ask to see the chef and slip him a note for the chefs...

The set menu has worked for us as a family even if it's not something the restaurant generally does they are very accommodating and happy to put one together.

It is annoying but it always seems to be those that have eaten or drunk the most (or in the case of one of my friends, who earns by far the most) that are the first to insist on splitting equally. Once I ended up paying double the value, £40 instead of £20, of what I ordered because I didn't want to seem tight. To be honest it annoyed me that my friends let me do that. I am always conscious of not letting the non drinkers,light eaters etc pay way over what they should.

It is irritating when people add up what they owe to the exact penny though.

I'm the same in there situation I always speak up for the pregnant, the driving or the one course eaters.

I don't really understand why paying for what you had is such a taxing endeavour. I went for a meal for a friends hen night a few week ago, there were 16 of us. I am really skint at the moment, a few of us were, so we agreed to pay our own share of the bill. We ordered all drinks at the bar and paid cash. We knew how much our selections were, rounded up, added a few quid for a tip, and handed money over to the bridesmaid. Took 5 minutes and the bill was covered with a generous tip on top.

Maybe I just hang out with really reasonable people?

a tip is up to the person giving it. if it should be 10% then it should be put on the bill. otherwise it's up each person how much they tip. and i say this as a former waitress.

sorry, my last post was in response to celticpromise

Sounds like the main difference was the wine.

I've always found if everyone just chucks in what they had, it adds up.
Problem solved.

If it doesn't add up you have problem friends!

I would like to think there's a happy medium somewhere between quibbling over 50p and some people subsidising the big eaters/drinkers. I'm pretty skint and am trying to lose weight so, on both counts, I tend to be restrained when eating out. I find I'm getting more annoyed about splitting the bill equally when the consumption has been nowhere near equal. I'm happy to pay an equal share of the the birthday girl/boy's meal but, otherwise, I'd rather pay for what I had and no more. Usually, though, I'll go along with splitting for fear of seeming tight.

If I have had something expensive to eat I will always put more money in to the pot - and just say my meal was more expensive ...but all our meals were the same ish. I am happy for people who are not drinking not to pay towards the wine - it was just the way they went about it (no no I only had two glasses and you had three - kind of thing)

That is why I never split the bill any more but advise wait staff upfront it will be separate bills....so much more relaxing. There is always someone who miraculously can't add or doesn't tip or tries to get you to pay for their beer.....I have a few friends who are ridiculous in this regard so I just absolutely don't even go there any more.

Also it's worth bearing in mind sometimes there is little difference between a glass of wine and a glass of coke!

oh, I am in Canada too though....maybe they don't commonly do separate bills in the UK?

Booyhoo I always tip in excess of 10% and so do the people I eat out with regularly. If service is on the bill it's usually 12.5%. Perhaps this is why in an unfamiliar group I always end up putting in extra, I'm embarrassed to tip below 10% unless service is crap.