to want to split the bill when the difference is less than £1 each

[Sonders]

I'm guessing this might have been done to death so apologies if I'm stirring up old territory!

I'm all for paying for what you eat/drink when there's a big difference, like an extra course or significant extra alcohol consumption.

Just before Christmas, about 10 of us went for a meal to celebrate and old member of the group who had moved to the states and was back for 2 weeks only. This member and her boyfriend plus 2 others shared a bottle of white, everyone else had soft drinks or had ordered and paid at the bar before we sat. We each had one course.

At the end of the meal, the bill came to dead-on £150 (inc. tip), most of us had put in £15 each when one couple said actually they want to pay for what they ate as they didn't have any wine. A few people pointed out the difference would be pennies as they had 2 soft drinks each. The couple were visibly very offended, and we could see them chat to each other about how ridiculous the rest of us were.

We all took back our cash, and started passing around the receipt to work out who should pay what. After all the fuss, the couple in question actually spent more than the wine people, bringing their total to £31ish including tip.

One of the other guys in the group then said something along the lines of 'you guys just talked your way out of £1' and their answer was that actually, they don't want to pay a tip, so are just going to pay £30 any way.

A couple of us then chipped in another 50p each to cover the damn tip and the couple remained in a sour mood for the rest of the evening.

So...

AIBU to just want to split a nice round number when we've had a nice evening instead of all this rigmarole?

I ask because they want to meet up again in 3 weeks time and I'm not sure if I can be bothered.

They sound like tightarses. I wouldn't see them again either.

Nightmare couple!

Yanbu! Sounds like they're very set in their ways!

Those type of people really get on my . Yanbu in the slightest. They are though. £1 for gords sake.

Gosh. What a waste of all your time.

Nothing like a fun evening out, eh?

YANBU.

This exact same scenario happened to me a few years ago. I never went out with the couple again. Their insistence on not paying 34p each to split the bill equally between us

Poloves it was one of the best nights out we'd had in ages before the bill arrived!

We wasted 20 minutes in the end that could have been far better spent at the quiet pub across the road.

They would have a point if some people had ordered multiple courses and wine when others had only had a starter or something, but clearly that wasn't the case.

yanbu.... their ridiculous tightness backfired on them.

Posted too soon!

Anyway. It really lowered my opinion of them.

Say to them before the upcoming meal that they can decide before ordering and eating if they want to pay their own, and it can be put on a separate check. Or they can sit at a separate fucking table. What an embarrassment.

I wouldn't invite them again. The nitpicking followed by refusal to tip would make me not want to bother

Now I'm going to have a bit of a rant too, we have all made concessions for this couple before. Last year we all travelled 200 miles round trip for their weekday wedding (the venue held no significance and was in the arse-end of nowhere) and each time we meet they have to approve the place first to make sure they have enough vegetarian options.

Not that they have a vegetarian option that each of them would like, that they have a range so that they can pick when they get there.

I felt awful for the waiter too, he was at the table taking card payments when the couple declared that they were not paying a tip.

The service was absolutely fine, food was quick (but not microwave-suspiciously quick) and we even got free crackers despite not ordering from the Christmas menu!

Just so embarrassing.

I think I work with your friends!
Such a pain!

I would never dine with them again and would have been mortified and given a bigger tip out of principle.

I'd bin them OP. They sound like hard work to me. And I'm a vegetarian.

I can't abide tightness like that. Really saps the joy out of eating out with friends. By all means don't contribute to the booze if you didn't drink, but when the difference is negligible it's just altogether nicer to split the bill.

They sound insufferable arses, how embarrassing for you all.

YANBU and I'm teetotal

phew, I am glad IANBU. I have been tempted to 'ditch' this couple before. They're just such hard work for people I only see 4-5 times a year and have a gift for making every experience worse.

the idea is to do the maths in your head as you go to work out if you are getting a big difference.. if so say something then as paying for others or being subbed by others is not on.

oh gosh they do sound hard work. they need to socialise with people of similar food likes if they make it all a bit miserable. doesn't sound like they are happy either.

YANBU. I went for a night out at xmas with friends and drove. Watched people quaffing champers (well not quite, but v nice wine ) - wouldn't dream of quibbling about splitting the bill.

Yanbu op. They sound like real miseries. Fancy making everyone take their money back and start again for the sake of one pound and then not want to add a tip.