Does anyone else dislike splitting the bill?

[Savedbythebell36]

Unless you've had something very similar and the price difference is pennies.
I went out with a group of friends the other week, I don't drink alcohol and most of them do. I had a starter as a main course, and two diet cokes.
It came to £33 each when splitting, even though my starter was i think £8.99 and two cokes around £8 in total.

That included a tip, but that would've meant me leaving a £16 tip which sounds extreme. I wish I'd spoken up really, next time I will but you're labelled as 'tight' if you do that. I asked them to confirm again, and nobody said 'you've only had a starter/soft drinks whereas we had more.'

It does put me off going sometimes but I suppose if your friends call you tight/cheapskate then they aren't real friends? I'm on more of a budget too.

Perhaps it’s normal in your circle - it isn’t for other people.

You say "You're the one trying to get me to pay for your drinks and you say I'm the tight one?"

Speak up. Just put in what you owe and let them pay the rest. You don't need to subsidise them and they are cheeky to expect you to.

That’s one of the things I love about living in the US - servers take separate bills for granted . When taking orders they note which couples are together , or who needs a separate bill.

I really dislike it, it just doesn’t make any sense unless everyone’s had a very similar meal.

Sorry I pressed YABU by mistake.
I totally agree with you, especially when on a budget.

I expect it's all the ones who benefit from your contribution that say this?

Ask for a separate alcohol bill- so the wine bill can be split by the wine drinkers only

I was a cabin crew at 21. It was common for the whole crew to go out on a layover.

Remember shortly after starting we all went out and the captain ordered champagne and lobster for himself.

I only had a side salad and pepsi as I was wanting to save my layover allowance to sightsee and the greedy fucker casually suggested we all split the bill.

I was the only one who told him I’d be paying separately as his order was extortionate compared to everyone elses. He looked disgusted and the others seemed shocked.

I don’t eat a lot and don’t drink alcohol when eating a meal so no way will I split!

Haven't RTFT yet but does anyone remember the 'Bill Splitter Karma' thread?

It's in classics. It's a great read.

@OVienna so you correctly paid more for food as your meals were more expensive. But are you saying the non drinkers should have paid a share of your alcohol?

Really? Wow.

Yes I cannot stand that! I remember one particular dinner, the group had been drinking cocktails from the bar and transferred the cost to the table, when I hadn't even arrived yet, plus I don't drink alcohol if I'm driving. These people were also ordering their dinner for the next day (their Sunday dinner!) and charged it to the bill. I spent 26.00 and they wanted to split it to 50 each! I declined!

We all just pay for our own and split the tip, unless it’s a birthday, then the birthday person usually but not always buys the first drink

Labelled as a cheapskate by people who take the proverbial - no great less there

Many, if not most, restaurants now have the means to charge people separately/individually for what they've had. It's best (tho' not essential) to ask when your table begins to place your individual orders - just simply state: "we'll be wanting to pay separately for what each of us has had". Works here where I am in London, worked recently in Prague in a number of different restaurants. Shouldn't be a problem. Your group just needs to agree before you order that's what you're going to do.
Obviously, if you've got a massive group of 20+ then that might be a bit of a problem & a nuisance for the serving staff. But for up to, say, 6 to 8 people, it shouldn't be a problem.

What I don't like is fuss and faff. I've no issue if people want to pay for what they've had, just don't wait for the bill to come and create hassle. Ask for your own bill upfront, no drama and no fuss that way.

I wouldn't tell someone to put less in because I pay shit all attention to what people have.

YANBU I'm the same. Don't drink, also vegetarian, and not tight but just don't have a lot of extra to spend. I don't go out often but if I do, I'll order a ginger ale and a small veg starter, drives me mad when I'm then expected to put in £30-40 for everyone else's alcohol and food. I've started approaching the bar separately and paying mine before the bill comes round. Feels much more fair.

I don't care if people think I'm stingy.

I would say when it's being arranged. I. Not drinking and just having a starter so I'm keeping my bill separate. When you are in the restaurant, state that you would like your separate bill when you order. Or go up and order yourself if that's appropriate.

People expecting others to supplement them are very cheeky. Who cares what they think?

Ach. That’s on the people you’re with, though. I’d nearly always suggest splitting the bill but that’s because I don’t want to tot up who had what. If someone had had much less than me, though, I’d either suggest splitting the bill without them or finding another way to work it out.

I also once knew someone who would ask before ordering how we were dividing the bill. If it was individually, she’d order the bare minimum. If we agreed to split it, she’d order the most expensive things on the menu.

I hold firmly to the opinion that the cheap skate isn’t the one wanting to pay only for what they had, it’s the one expecting everyone else to subsidise them. Hold your head high & stand your ground.
Oh, and always have approximately the right amount of cash to cover what you’re likely to have plus tip, so you can put it on the table and say firmly ‘this covers mine’.

Oh i dont know, my experience is that the "i'll only for what i had" types invariably:

• dont leave enough tip
• eat the shared dough balls/nibbles but don't expect to pay towards them
• round costs down
• order only water/the cheapest possible soft drink but then sneak a half glass from someone elses bottle

Generally its better if you discuss budget etc before hand, if you cant afford to properly participate properly due to it being too pricey a restaurant it can be better to suggest one you can comfortably afford.

This is why apps are a Godsend. Everyone can order/pay independently which removes the problem.

If you won't speak up for yourself you cannot complain about it. If your "friends" make you feel so uncomfortable, don't go out with them anymore.

I think its quite rude to the restaurant to take up a dinner seat and then only order a small starter. If you dont want a meal out, dont go? Just meet people afterwards for drinks.

what's normal for you isn't normal for everyone.

I can count the times I've split the bill with a group on one hand.

I don't really see how working out how much you ate is 'cumbersome.' Even if you struggle with basic maths you could use a phone, but for most people rounding up to the nearest £1 and adding two or three things together isn't hard.

Perhaps it's a generational thing, it's very rare amongst anyone I know under 40 to split. My parents might be more likely to do it with their friends but they are also more likely to pay with cash, if you pay with card it's no easier for either the payee or the restaurant whether everyone pays the same amount or different.

Personally I always suspect people who suggest splitting to be the tightwads - it's an interesting phenomenon that it's never the person who would be significantly overpaying, like OP who suggests it, but is almost always the ones who had a bottle of wine and 4 courses...