Bill Splitter

[Queynte13]

AIBU to think that the person who suggests splitting a bill evenly is usually the person who benefits from it the most?

Went out for a meal last night. I was driving so I wasn't drinking. I've not been very well lately, which means I'm struggling to eat large amounts so I just had a starter and a side dish. Genuinely not a budgetary issue, I didn't even finish all my food.

The others at the table were drinking bottles of Prosecco and pints.

The bill comes and someone says "that's £30 each". Mine came to £10! This person was drinking and I noticed their portion of the bill was the highest out of everyone (others refused to split evenly in the end).

The worst bit was that everyone scarpered and the waitress returned to the table and told me the bill was short!

I'm afraid there's only one thing for this. I make sure I have a reasonable meal out of it, eg starter, sides etc. So at least if someone suggests splitting the bill I don't feel ripped off.

Personally I think it would be better if we could all be billed separately, but it looks like we're stuck with Bill Splitters attending every meal out.

In Germany it is completely normal for people to pay for what they have had and waiters are happy to go through the bill, person by person (if they haven't prepared individual bills) until it's all covered. Nobody gets in a snit and nobody begrudges the 10 minutes or so it takes. (or enjoys the complementary grappa/ouzo/schnapps while it's being done)

Agree about Germany - and because the waiting staff do it there's no concerns about under-estimating or forgetting the tip and no awkwardness.

@DanniDuck I don't think people eating more than a starter and a bowl of ice cream makes them gutsy fuckers. If they're going out for dinner, they are reasonable to actually eat a full meal!

@Nohomemadecandles exactly! If I’m going out for dinner I’m going out for dinner
I’m always happy to split the bill if I’m with a small group of friends where everyone has had roughly similar. Tbh I think I’m in the minority as I don’t mind generally splitting the bill anyway even if I pay a bit over what I’ve had. I do find with a lot of these threads that there are a lot of comments along the lines of “why should I subsidise all these GREEDY people GUZZLING wine and STUFFING steaks in their mouths” like ffs by all means get your starter and water but why the need to speak about what other people are eating like that?!

However I must admit it’s probably a different situation if you’re out with people you don’t know very well/in a work situation and I’d rather pay individually then! But with good friends I don’t see why it would be an issue. If someone hasn’t been drinking etc and everyone else is very boozy I get it, but my close friends and I generally have the same sort of budget/expectations so we’re lucky it’s not been an issue.

I think some think it’s easier but I do agree if I’m driving and only order a main course I’m not splitting a bill with someone who’s had loads of alcohol and several courses . I’d only do it we are ate and drank similar and I wouldn’t be at all bothered if someone wants to pay for what they had only . I was on a big group meal once where someone refused to split bill but made a big song and dance about it so we just said pay for what you had but clearly someone forgot what they had as the bill was short so in that case that’s annoying too .

I thought this was going to be about a porn star

I had this a lot at uni. We went for meals together and one of us was a millionaire (who never carried any cash not even for a vending machine coke) and being skint students would order salads and sides and soft drinks. No word of a lie he would order the most expensive wine, lobster, whatever was expensive. Tell us at the end that we would split the bill equally as he rushed off to the toilet to do lines of Coke. To say he was a tight wanker would be an understatement.

Depends on the situation if we've had close to similar I'll split it. If there is alcohol involved and I'm not drinking I have no issue saying I'd rather pay for what I've had.
From what you've said it does sound like they were trying to get a cheaper bill for themselves!

Having just forked out £5K in vets’ bills last month, yes, I got out the phone to add up my part this week, as did a mate who just bought a house. Don’t see why they should subsidise me or vice versa.

@dryasaboner

I thought this was going to be about a porn star

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

I always feel uncomfortable splitting the bill because I often have something more expensive (like steak or a cocktail) because I can afford it, but others may have a veggie meal which is cheaper, so I hate the thought that they are paying more than their fair share. I always make that point, and offer to pay for mine separately, hoping everyone else will want to do likewise. It just feels so awkward.

I'm from Canada. The bill comes to the table already pre divided per person with a cumulative total at the end. So there may be 6 small bills numbered throughout with what each has and then the grand total should someone be treating the group.

That doesn't happen in the UK. The bill comes for the whole table, most often including the service charge, and is presented to the person who asks for the bill. It is up to you to split the bill then and tell the server as they go round the table who owes what.

@Gertie75

Am I the only person who opened the thread to find out who Bill Splitter is?

@Gertie75 me too! I wanted to read about Bill Splitter 😂

@fabulousathome

There must be an app to help groups split bills?

You'd all need to have it though. Put your own stuff in and it would work it out.

Yes its called the "calculator"

@OhNoNoNoNoNo

Why is asking to only pay for the food and drink you had being 'that person' I'd have just said 'I didn't drink so I'm going to just pay for what I had'. You would have to be a weird person to find anything objectionable about that.

I feel like this. I mean, i go to Sainsbury’s with my mum and we share a shopping trolley. Sometimes I buy three items and she fills the thing, sometimes it’s the other way round. We never ‘split the bill’

Because..That Would Be Ridiculous 😂

@blobblob

Sometimes though - and this is partly just a devil's advocate point - if youwere to go to a restaurant and order a galss of water and a starter they wouldn't serve you. No restaurant can survive on that. They'll only allow Ms Tap Water and Salad for dinner because the other eight people at the table have spent £40 a head. (Like people who go to dinner with others and bring a bottle of "what I'm drinking" - eg water - and think that's fair while they happily tuck into a prawn starter, steak main and chocolate pudding!!)

No I don't think you're correct about this. Very few restaurants will refuse to serve someone, the bad publicity from that would probably cost them more money than serving the very occasional customer who only has a small meal.

Plus, when you order a tap water and a starter they don't know that's all you're planning to order.

I hate ending a lovely meal with friends only to have to spend the end of it itemising every item consumed. It feels like such a tedious administrative way to end a nice evening and the number of times I’ve done it only for us to find there’s only a few pounds difference.

However you do have to be fair, booze should be split between the drinkers only and you should notice if someone has had significantly less for other reasons and alter the split accordingly.

In my mind a meal shared is not just about feeding yourself and paying for what you’ve consumed, it’s an experience shared and you share the cost of that experience. As someone else has said already, if it’s people you see regularly then it all comes out in the wash.

That said, I don’t have any friends who take the piss and maybe I’d feel differently if I did.

If it’s for work and we have to reclaim, we ask for separate bills at the outset. It’s not a problem.
Socially, nothing worse than a head girl scrawling on napkins, collecting up odd amounts, seeing if it’s enough to cover etc. It’s somewhat tiresome, to say the least. I understand if it’s students, but we’d usually just have senior male from each family/couple settle up.
Alternatively, if it’s a couple we often go out with, we just take it in turns to pay - it probably balances over time.

NB by senior I mean the oldest male who isn’t elderly and who has highest disposable income. Not someone who makes all decisions or is deferred to.

There’s absolutely no excuse for writing on napkins. Especially nice linen ones.
Everyone works out their total on their phone and swipes their card for that amount.

@Sparklingbrook

There’s absolutely no excuse for writing on napkins. Especially nice linen ones. Everyone works out their total on their phone and swipes their card for that amount.

Invariably there is a shortfall that head girl types try to resolve. Just tedious outside of work setting or youthfulness.

The Germans invented the answer to this. Everytime they ask you if you want to split the bill and they calculate everyones personal bill. Its genius.

Never encountered any ‘head girl’ types thankfully. Work colleagues and friends all totally normal in that regard.