To think you don’t get out of paying the bill because you don’t drink?

[ThatHardyWaspAgain]

I’m sure this has been done many times before by people in similar scenarios.

I went out for a bit of lunch with two friend’s and one of them brought another friend along that I’ve never met but was nice enough.

However, when it came to the bill, she said ‘’Can we please calculate it all with the alcohol you’ve had separately paid for? Because I only had classical cokes’’

So, we did as she asked. Added up everything but removed the drinks. So 3 of us paid for our drinks in a split, and then did another split for the rest with her and her food and classical colas.

The annoying bit is, she had 3 of them. And they weren’t really much different in price to most of our alcohol.

We all had the same roast and mango cheesecake.

I wouldn’t mind but she kept insisting we all had a dessert so she didn’t feel alone in having one. We’re adults after all but it is a bit annoying

Separate thread to come to see if I would be U to tell my friend not to bring her along again

She also didn’t tip.

please don’t justify your appalling stinginess by pretending it is for the public good.
Unbelievable!

And surely everyone knows soft drinks are now almost as expensive as alcohol - they can be more if ‘artisan’ products!

In this day and age I wish everyone could order what they want and pay individually for their own order.

The tech must be there.

Everyone should just pay for what they had. I hate splitting the bill.

But yes, if her coke added up the same as your alcohol it should have been divided equally. Or everyone pays their own drinks. Just because you have a cocktail that costs £1 less does not mean others have to subsidise. She was being very cf.

Yes this 😂

Ah, ok. I'm not quite sure how she wrangled that one! Yeah, cheeky!

Two large and one small might. Or one large and two small.

Chalk it up as an experience, to not be a passive push over.

The next time if you don't want a dessert, say. If you don't think "classical coke" should be part of the evenly-split food bill say.

A good lesson, and it only cost you £2.50.

Better than calling it "fat coke" like the staff in my local beefeater. And my mum

In several countries when asked for the bill the asks "together or separate" and then brings everyone their individual bills. I refuse to belive my very small home country has I anyway more advanced tech than restaurants in UK.

I think it’s reasonable to do drinks separately (though haggling over 1/2quid is tight) but equally I would do food separately if it’s not a close friend and there’s a big difference in price (like a £15 veggie main versus a £30 steak). I split down the middle with close friends (we’re usually bad influences on each other anyway) but I prefer to go dutch with people I know less well because then I don’t feel guilty for ordering expensive things (cocktails when everyone’s on beer etc). Not tipping if the service or food is good would annoy me though.

I don’t think you’re being unreasonable at all, OP. Unless someone completely takes the puss by ordering lobster and champagne cocktails, I think it completely ruins a meal out when people start insisting that they only pay for what they’ve eaten or drank. I don’t drink alcohol at all now, and usually have one flavoured water while friends drink a bottle or two of wine, but that’s my decision and I would never be so tight as to expect to only pay for the actual items I’d ordered. If I was with someone who tried to split the bill like you’ve described, it would be the last time I ate out with them.

True.

I want to meet someone who can do 2.5 pints of coke over lunch. I think the alcohol would likely have been the healthy option.

I agree that non-drinkers shouldn't have to split alcohol BUT she absolutely should have paid for all of her drinks.

What would have really pissed me off is the non-tip. Nothing worse than someone who'll watch everyone else tip and not chip in. VERY poor form.

I do think YAB a bit U though, because you could have just spoken up and reminded the waitress to put all of the cokes on her bill and it's ridiculous to suggest that you can be nagged into having a dessert when you didn't want one.

How did everyone else feel about her, money issues aside?

Interesting the OP is vanished when questioned on why they didn’t just pay for what they had ordered!

You've given your views on a lot of situations, none of which are the one described by the OP.

You do know there's a minimum wage in this country

It's very easy to do. Just ask for separate bills at the start

First poster has it!! Classical coke!

I’ve just read your post again and seen that the tightwad didn’t tip either 🙄

It is because of tight arses like you that they add a service charge on, which is loathed by service staff.

I can’t understand how the alcohol total was only £12 for 3 people having a two course meal!

Surely you just needed to split the food cost between you all, she then pays for her coke and the rest pay for wine. Just suggest it next time.

Why would it ruin a meal out? As ddtated you can all get individual bills and just pay them.

I know some people nit pick over bills. It is possible to have an app so everyone pays for their own - I've been told that, never done it but it sounds reasonable. Otherwise just split the bill evenly. If people can't afford it they don't have to go.