If you go out to dinner with other couples

[lfmb]

Do you split the bill or do you just give your share? I was just curious to know what people do.

I went out to dinner with two other couples and we just divided the total amount of the bill. What happens if someone orders alot more food or drink. It doesn't seem fair. What is the right thing to do? I heard you just have to split the bill even if you ordered much less.

It's a funny situation to be in you don't want to look cheap. Just looking for opinions on this.

thanks

 

[DISshopkeeper]

We usually just divide up the bill. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

 

[chell]

We always pay for our share, unless we are treating someone.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

Usually we just split it between everyone. I don't think it is that big of a deal. We just enjoy the evening out with our friends.

 

[binny]

depends on who were with but usually we ask for seperate bills... makes the whole thing much easier

 

[Pembo]

We ask for separate checks.

 

[Lisa F]

For us, it depends. If we are really good friends with the couple and go out with them a lot, we either split evenly or more often than not one of us will just pick up the entire bill. We figure that it evens out over time. If we are out for some reason with people that we don't spend a lot of time with, we generally figure out how much each couple owes.

 

[helenabear]

It all depends on where we are and what we are doing. Normally we get separate checks... otherwise one of us treats or we pay our share

 

[GEM]

We always pay our share. We don't drink much alcohol (not for any religious reasons or anything, just don't like it) and we hardly ever order dessert. So, we would probably always end up on the short end of the stick if we just split it. Everybody we knows seems to do it this way. I've never really been in a situation where it was just divided evenly. Come to think of it, this doesn't come up too often because we usually just get separate checks.

 

[lfmb]

We ordered one appetizer two salads and two entrees and two cappicinos. No drinks or deserts and it cost us $175 . It really hurt taking out all the cash for what we ordered.

But we don't go out much (have kids) So I just decided not to dwell on it. But that is alot of cash for what we had.

This is why I posted this question

 

[KristiKelly]

We go out with another couple every Fri. night, we usually get separate checks and take turns paying for an appetizer.

 

[Disney-Kim]

$175

that is an expensive meal. I would not have been happy about that. obviously the other couple ordered wine or something because I just can't work the numbers

even in this scenario....

appetizer $15
2 salads $20
2 entrees $60
2 cappucinos $15

that is still only $110..so a $65 tip. ????

if you go out with these people again...get sep checks. You are not cheap !!

 

[Poohbear123]

at least twice a week, and they order a dish that is always a little more than what we order. I feel sometimes my DH and I pay too much. I would rather have a seperate bill, but we have been doing it this way for 5 years, so it would seem funny if we did it different.

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

We either get separate checks of just divide the bill. Fortunately the friends we tend to go out with balance pretty well. We will all have a drink with dinner; all order salads, coffee and dessert. Occassionally you end up on the short end of the stick, but nothing like the OP described!!

 

[Dopey Sharon]

We usually just split the bill, but if the other couple went nuts ordering (it sounds like what happened to you), I think we would just pay for what we ordered, figuring in tax and tip, of course.

 

[DISshopkeeper]

At a family party once we got stiffed to the tune of $250.00!! There was a lot of wine consumed. By a certain few. I still feel ripped off by it. I made my feelings known afterwards.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

WOW! If it was that much money and a huge difference I would not split the bill. I have no problem with $20 or something along those lines.

 

[LadyAurora]

We always pay for what we ordered....or else one couple will treat, if it is a special occasion. That way we avoid difficult situations.

 

[Alice28]

We usually get separate tabs as usually someone is paying with cash, and someone a credit card, or both people want to use a credit/debit card, etc. For us, it just makes things simpler that way.

 

[Lezah]

We go out monthly with our best friends with our son and their daughter and we have always split the bill in half. It all works out in the wash, since we do it every month. One month maybe we order more, one month maybe them, but it all works out. We normally split 2 appetizers, all get entrees, and are all normally too full for dessert or we get one to share. None of us usually drink (very rarely the DH's get a beer each) so there is no problem with that. We also normally get the same type of entrees within a few dollars of each other. It does depend on who you go out with and how often. The only time we have ever asked for separate checks was once when we didn't have time to stop at the bank and we both had to use interac, but we didn't have to get them anyway because the server told us she could just charge each debit card for half the cheque. It works for us, but as I said it would depend on who it was and how often you do it.