Bill splitter karma

[Payforyourowndinner]

I wanted to share this as often read stories on here of people getting stung by people insisting on splitting the bill when they’ve gone all out on cocktails and steak.

I went out with work tonight, and don’t go often. I was driving so no drink but did have a starter, main, and dessert.

There is a person who works for the company but not on my team who often hears about meals out and adds himself on. No one ever stops him. He does get on with some of the men on my team so all good, but he does go for the steak, wine, sides etc and insists on splitting and folks are too scared to challenge him for some reason. Now as he’s not on my team he’s not on my team WhatsApp group so I put it out there on the chat I wouldn’t be splitting, just paying for my own. A few added that they’d much prefer to do that (and a few of the newer staff are on a lower wage). No one updated the other man (why would they?) so out we went, all ordered. Some preferred one course with water, others the same as me. Some shared wine. He ordered- (I made a note as it was crazy)
bread and oil
A starter
bottle of Rioja
main (steak and chicken)
two sides
dessert
2 pints.
Now, I’m all for going for it, fill your boots, but pay for it.
The bill came, he said “usual is it?”, I said what do you mean, he said well spilt like always. I took so much delight in telling him that we had all decided to pay for our own, times are hard and we have junior members etc. Oh the face, the face!! He said he would never have ordered what he did if he knew we weren’t splitting and I took great delight in saying “you wouldn’t have ordered what you did if you knew you’d have to pay for it all yourself? Didn’t you see some had one meal and a glass of water?”
As we paid the bill I also made sure that they took our payments before his so he couldn’t wangle. He was so red, he paid and left without saying a word.

I can’t believe the cheek of some people.
hope it will make him think twice. I understand friends splitting bills but why would he assume colleagues from other teams would want to pay for his dinner.

I wanted to share the little win. When I was a junior I wouldn’t have stood up to him either, but menopause does things to a woman.

Name change in case my colleagues are on here.

I used to work with someone that would allow everyone to put in enough cash for the bill and tip. Then she would lift all the cash and take it to the till to pay on card. She would pay the whole bill on card, take the cash and leave a tiny tip, thereby pocketing the difference for herself. Haven’t invited her for a while.

You're amazing, I've never had the confidence to do this before but I'm going to do the same with my sister in law on Sunday, we are going for a family meal at this new indian place.

I'm 36 weeks pregnant and on maternity so will probably just drink water or a jug of cordial orange and have a starter and a main, while she will have 4 or 5 gins and tonics, a starter, a main and sides and expect to just chip in maybe £10-£20.

Where we live it's common to buy your gin then a small bottle of tonic separately, so it works out expensive and you probably spend more on drinks then on food. And she drinks so fast, especially when she's not the one paying.

Oh please @Danielle9891 make sure you don’t pay for her 5 gins!!

@Danielle9891 and come back and tell us how it goes

@Payforyourowndinner I wonder if CF thinks you've been off because you're worried about him taking it further.

Yessss! Go you! 🙌

@Trethew that is truly horrible. I hope karma has struck him hard.

What an absolute CF!!! I’m so pleased you did what you sid! That’ll be the last you see of him! 🤣🤣

OMG I hope you make sure this goes all around your workplace!! Cut this freeloading embarrassment off for good. Or even better, hopefully he's dumb enough to keep trying and gets caught out again 🤣

How do CFs possibly think they can get away with this? A child not having any of their own money to pay is normal, so their parent pays for them. How is that hard to fathom?

I don't know if they have an equivalent of child benefit in Japan, but people in the UK who expect everybody to cover their child's costs oddly enough don't also offer to share out the child benefit with other adults who are not the child's parent!

Love this! @Payforyourowndinner has shown that not all heroes wear capes!

Did everyone clap you op?

what kind of job are you in that you are all going out for proper dinners on the regular, including very junior people?

Congratulations. I still remember a cf girl from when I was 17. A large group had gone out to celebrate a birthday and this girl wasn't someone I know. She ordered three courses and multiple cocktails, then when the bill came, she announced that she hadn't brought any money with her and looked at everyone else expectantly!

I can't actually remember how it resolved but I do remember thinking she was outrageous!

This gives me the rage. I'm the person who enjoys going all out when out for dinner. Cocktail, wine, 3 courses, coffee. But I don't want or expect to be subsidised, so I go out if my way to pay my own bill by contributing more.

It can be tricky though, as people often seem to want to split the bill (why? to appear generous?) and argue against me paying more. It's weird.

In one group of 6 friends, there are 2 of us who go all out, 2 middle of the road, and 2 who drink very little or don't do desert /coffee. It took years of discussion/argument but these days it's the norm that me and extravagant friend pay at at least 10 more, and non-drinking friend pays at least 10 less. I feel much happier knowing I'm not taking advantage of my friends.

Marvellous, I wish I had the confidence to do that. Well done you. 👏

Well done OP may mr tightwad drown in embarrassment which he has magnified because of his 'poor me I had to pay for my own meal & drinks whilst showing myself up as a tightwad to your team' message.

I remember years ago everyone in our department (4 of us) went to the pub every Friday lunchtime, each person bought a round, a half beer or a small glass of wine usually.

One week a new bloke had just started & was invited out. He said he didn't realise about the drink & hadn't brought any money. He was told not to worry, we'll stand you a drink. He asked for a pint of premium beer & a double whisky chaser...... cheeky bugger was never invited again.

Used to organize works dos and unknowingly got caught out by some who would turn up early and order bottles of wine and would say just put them on the bill .several times after collecting in the money we were well short on the bill total and that included tips people had put in. Turns out that they thought "putting a fiver in" each was enough to cover the bottles !
After that we prewarned the restaurant that all drinks were to be paid for at the time of ordering and not put on the bill

Freeloader Fred - love it!

Well done you @Payforyourowndinner !!!!!

I remember going out as a uni student with a group who were all earning ok money for a friend's birthday. I'm not a huge drinker or eater but expected we were splitting the bill and had budgeted for that - but then the birthday girls partner announced we were covering her meal as well - so the bill was split 4 ways instead of 5. And I paid like a dill and could barely afford to eat for the rest of the week.

I used to go out with a group of people and we used to go to a particular restaurant regularly. One guy used to order quadruple barcadis to put on the bill. He knew he was out of order as he used to say it quietly to the waiter during the meal without asking if anyone else wanted a drink.

I also know someone who tried the tip thing ie paid last and said they didn’t need to pay so much. The organiser said no, you pay the same as everyone else and they laughed it off. I don’t know why they tried that as they are generally a nice and kind person! Maybe it’s just trying to get a bargain without thinking it’s unfair to everyone else.

This happened to me once. I was minimum wage, most junior, lowest paid staff member at the event (restaurant). I was just into my 20s and my grandmother was my dependent (my dad had not long died). I could barely afford to live, let alone taxi's, restaurants, alcohol etc, they all KNEW this. Went to the meal (I was driving as couldn't afford a taxi/alcohol), I had a salad and water. They all had loads of drink, steaks, desserts etc and when it came time to pay boss said, "split the bill everyone?", I absolutely felt sick and said "er, I will pay for myself", and he laughed and said "no, you should've known we'd be splitting", and I was too young and scared to speak up for myself. I ended up paying over 20 fucking pounds more than what I had, and at that time for me financially that was literally my shopping bill for most of the week. I cried when I got home. Never went on another team building night out or event ever again, and when questioned by HR why I wouldn't "join in and be part of the team events" I said "can't afford what they can afford". Lesson learned.

I think most of us know people like this. It does put me off going out in a big group plus I’m not a drinker these days.

One time recently there must have been twenty of us. The people with money drank a lot and wanted to split the bill. I didn’t think it was fair on behalf of a couple of other people who were retired and elderly. Anyway we did split it. Then at the end of the meal three people practically jumped in my car and I ended up driving around the city to take them all home. They were having a merry time and I was on the water!

Oh, I used to fucking HATE the lot who would get wasted then happily quickly tag onto me as I was the driver! I stopped going to work events, couldn't stand them. Stayed at happily at home from then on hahaha.

Horrible behaviour. When I was younger I often used to drive at work things (couldn’t afford taxis, not a big drinker especially with colleagues) and my passengers would usually insist I put in a minimal amount (maybe my share of the tip) because of this.

This story fills me with joy. As someone who has little money for meals out and usually drinks water, people like the CF make me mad. Well done👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼