Eating out with friends

[sweeps]

How do you handle "splitting the bill" when you go out to eat with friends?
Do you:
1. Ask for separate checks from the beginning
2. Split the bill evenly at the end of the meal
3. Whip out the calculator and find out exactly who should pay for what
4. Alternate who pays ("I'll pay this time; you pay the next time.")

Plus here's a complication. If you have a coupon for the restaurant and your friends don't, do you use it for yourself or "share the wealth"?

[cicy33]

We have a couple we go out with and we always get seperate checks. ours and theirs. it is only fair. that way we can have whatever we want without feeling guilty! our bills are usually similar but sometimes ours are higher if dh is drinking or he has a steak.

[mom-from-missouri]

seperate checks always--unless i announce ahead of time that it is my treat.

[PrincessPerky]

If the coupon reuires co-operation (IE buy one get one, you need them to buy to get one) then share the wealth. If not, who picked the restaurant? I would never pick one my house is cheaper, so I don't share and we do seperate checks.

[Dingoluv4eva]

Depends on the credibility of the friends..

some friends like last weekend, i felt i had to step up and cover most of the costs, because thats what they tend to always do.. so felt indebted..

other friends it tends to be split down the middle..

some that are short on credibility u say, separate, and u tell em why, "u got no credibility dood" lol

[niki_the_tiger]

It really depends on the situation. Most of the time we just get separate checks, but sometimes we'll cover, other times they'll cover. Coupons... depends on what it's for, and how broke we are at the time. LOL! Today I will be going with my mom to a breakfast restaurant cuz I have a buy one get one free coupon, so we'll split the difference.

[zakity]

Yep, depends here also. Most of the time, we all get seperate checks or we whip out the calculator and figure it out. If I have a coupon, it depends on what the coupon is and who I am with. Most of the people I know aren't frugal and aren't into using coupons.

Sometimes we alternate, depending on who I am with and where our budgets are. One friend technically "owes me one", but she is really broke right now and I won't let her "pay up". When she is less broke, then I will let her. Another friend was having a really hard time financially for a while, we would either split her bill or one of us would cover it (whoever had the extra cash on hand) because we knew she couldn't afford it and we wanted her to come and spend time with us.

[DivaJen]

It depends. If everyone basically has the same things in terms of drinks and meals, then we'll just split things evenly. If we pay an extra dollar or two one time, it isn't a big deal. If things are definitely not close to being equal, then we'll figure things out more precisely.

If I had a coupon I wouldn't mind sharing the benefits of it. If someone else had one, I wouldn't expect them to share it.

[meaghanchan]

My friends and I usually just put in what we think we owe... Cost of the meal, plus tax, plus tip (I put in $10 total for a $7 meal, $20 for a $14 meal, which usually works out). Usually it works out, and if it doesn't, people keep adding dollars as they think they need to. It's not perfect, but split the bill down the middle and everyone who tried to order inexpensively, and not get a drink or anything, will be up in arms, and asking for 8 seperate checks is inconvenient for the wait staff.

[DivaJen]

Originally Posted by meaghanchan

My friends and I usually just put in what we think we owe... Cost of the meal, plus tax, plus tip (I put in $10 total for a $7 meal, $20 for a $14 meal, which usually works out). Usually it works out, and if it doesn't, people keep adding dollars as they think they need to. It's not perfect, but split the bill down the middle and everyone who tried to order inexpensively, and not get a drink or anything, will be up in arms, and asking for 8 seperate checks is inconvenient for the wait staff.

This is what we do with bigger groups as well - I forgot that scenario.

[robex]

We do the same thing...just round out to a high end what we owe and throw in for a tip. My best friend and I go to lunch every week or two and we take turns paying the bill. It's not worth it to me to be picky over a few bucks. If I have a coupon, we take it off the total, so everyone shares in the savings.

[Firefly]

We always split the bill except for when it comes to one couple who really helped me out while he was overseas without me. They helped me out so much so we try to pay for the bill a couple times to help even things out.

[Bluezy]

Everyone alternates paying the entire bill. It all sorts out.

[dealsaver]

Dining out with friends seems more polite. I try not to dine out unless someone else is treating.

[Luv2shop]

We split the bill

[lrjohnson]

I do many of those variations, but the one thing that drives me nutty is just splitting a bill fourways (or whatever). If I have water and a small dish, it doesn't feel right to me to pay the same as a person who had appetizers/beer/etc. It's not so much the money; sometimes I like to pick up the whole tab, and don't care if people have gotten "more than me." I just hate the idea that people assume it's being split fairly, when it really isn't. Pet peeve, I admit. I've done rounding, and calculator, and back and forth, and separate checks, and all are fine deneding on the place, the people, etc.

[Snoopy2645]

I like to go seperate because I am the type to go cheap!!! I have friends or dh who will go all out the drink the most expensive steak & so on I cant see paying so much for something I could make a whole dinner at that price for at home.

[PRICEPLUS]

We usually alternate paying the bills with our friends. If we are with people we are not as close to we split the bill. We try to have people over for dinner so we don't have to go through this nonsense.

[StevenM]

It depends upon your friends. With most you can just informally alternate picking up the tab, but if you have some of those type of friends that never seem to remember it's their turn, then you should state separate checks up front.

[katwoman]

Originally Posted by meaghanchan

My friends and I usually just put in what we think we owe... Cost of the meal, plus tax, plus tip (I put in $10 total for a $7 meal, $20 for a $14 meal, which usually works out). Usually it works out, and if it doesn't, people keep adding dollars as they think they need to. It's not perfect, but split the bill down the middle and everyone who tried to order inexpensively, and not get a drink or anything, will be up in arms, and asking for 8 seperate checks is inconvenient for the wait staff.

I'm in a group of friends that has been going out weekly for 6 years and this is exactly the way we do it. Of course, none of us are quibblers.

Another friend of mine is the type that just can't stand the idea of even being a nickel over what she feels she owes, so she INSISTS on separate checks. I've always told her that she can't see the forest from the trees.