To think that my friend was a CF with restaurant discount?

[LeslieRunner]

I went for dinner with my friend on Saturday. She moved away from our local area about a year ago - the restaurant we went to she used to go to quite regularly because it was near where she worked, and the staff recognised her.

When the bill was provided, the manager said she’d removed the cost of my friends meal (they always used to use each others businesses) and my friend was really grateful.

When we go out, we always split the cost proportionate to what we each picked. The discount for my friends meal came to over £50. So with the final bill, all she had to pay was her half of the wine we shared, and I had to pay for my meal plus my share of the wine which came to over £60.

I haven’t said this to her, but I feel like my friend could have passed some of the discount on to me and offered to pay a greater share. I would definitely have done similar…

But they weren't discounting your costs?

I can sort of see both sides. I’d have split the remaining cost if I was her personally so you both got a cheaper meal, but can see that actually they wanted to give HER a free meal, not you a slightly cheaper meal, so what she has done is fair enough really.

It would have been nice but her choice not to share.

Formally your friend wasn’t in the wrong. But the only people I know whom I can imagine behaving as she did are known to be miserly.

If that was me getting the freebie I'd have offered to split by friend's bill 50/50 so we paid £30 /40 each

You would have had to pay the same regardless.

If I were her, I would have shared it but if I were you, I wouldn't have been overly bothered as you aren't out of pocket.

It wasn’t a discount. You always pay for what you consume so that’s what she was doing. It’s a bit weird and awkward , the restaurant doing that but it’s not really her fault. She presumably has to do something similar when he comes to her business . Broom his dog or give him a filling.

What a tight arse

% off the bill voucher - definitely share.
£ off the bill voucher - I would see as part of my payment, i.e. x is cash & y in voucher.

In this case it is £ off the bill.

No she wasn’t a CF, her meal was removed because the restaurant owner wanted to give her a discount, if they wanted to give you both a discount then they would of removed 50% off the bill which they didn’t. Yeh it would have been generous of her to share the discount but she didn’t have to. You’re a CF for expecting to share the discount

On the basis that you both normally cover the cost of what you order rather than splitting the bill 50/50, I think keeping the discount for herself was fair enough. If you were in the habit of splitting down the middle then I’d think she should share the discount equally so you both benefitted.

It's weird that you would have be happy enough with what you paid if she gave cash, but because she traded services/discounts you think she's tight.

Not a CF as such, but a bit miserly, I would have just split the bill in half.

I find that extremely tight and cringe. The overall bill was reduced by £50 so I would have gone halves on the remainder..I can't bear tightness and awkwardness around money though so I wouldn't go to dinner with her again

You haven't lost anything by her doing that, but it would have been nice for her to say something like "drinks are on me" to pass on a bit of the goodwill

I would have offered something towards your bill or pay for taxi/pre drinks.

She could have paid for the wine

Not a CF exactly but definitely a bit mean. If I was her I would have split the bill 50/50 as normal and shared the discount.

Your friend is really tight. I can’t imagine acting like that. It’s the same as turning up with a 241 voucher and expecting yours for free while your friend pays.

it would really put me off someone tbh.

Can you bear the OP being tight?

Do you think that the OP should perform some service for the restaurant owner if she shares the money off the meal? Teach him phonics or sell his house?

no way i’d have taken the free meal and made my friend pay all of hers. I’d have definitely shared the discounted meal. If it was my friend and they offered i’d have said oh no you benefit from it but they’d all say no, let’s share the cost after discount. My friend and I went on the eurostar once and we got a free ticket due to some points my ex had. She told me to take the free ticket and she would pay full cost but I said no, we would split it. She is now disabled and gets a free ticket when booking tickets in the disabled section for concerts. We still share the cost even though she technically got us the free ticket. Isn’t that what friends do? It’s what me and my friends do anyway.

Eh?

The restaurant comped somebody they knew and they'd done business with and vice versa.

No, you weren't entitled to a discount because she was comped. It was a personal favour.

I would have split the total remaining cost 50/50. She was a bit cheap not doing so

If I had been her I would have paid for the wine.

To be honest it wasn't a free meal was it, as it sounds more of a reciprocal transaction on the basis that she has had a business arrangement with the restaurant in the past.