Paying for meals out - how to split the bill

[OOnion]

Lucy - I totally get where you are coming from, I have always been a bill splitter and never minded (well ok maybe just a bit as I only ever have tap water!)

However now if I have just a main meal I take a lunch box and put half the food in the box before I start - and I will not be bullied into splitting the bill. I went out last week, everyone had 3 courses several drinks, and I had a starter as my main meal and 2 glasses of tap water - I was so angry when they expected me to split the bill, that I actually said "if you don't mind I am just going to pay for what I have had today rather than pay for everyone else's drinks" there were a few raised eyebrows but I did not care.

My little sister usually goes to the bar and asks for the bill - pays hers directly there and then and then takes the bill back to the table saying she has paid her share already. The waiter has adjusted the bill by hand so that they can see she has already paid.

Hope you get things sorted before you go and can have a lovely time xxx

 

[Yvessa]

Lol see I decided when I went out with colleagues that I was happy to split the bill but I was gonna have the most expensive thing I could find. So my meal would have come to 12.50 as it was giant tiger prawns - soooo yummy and I had extra to take home. Paid 17 in total.

 

[dellymolly]

i hadnt thought about this befor emy op but its quite a minefield! ive been out with close friends and they were totally understanding when i only paid for my starter and water... however, i recently went out with some work colleagues who i dont know quite so well and when i opted to pay for my own starter and one glass of wine there was a bit of eye rolling! everybody else had at least 2 courses and they shared 2 bottles of champagne as well as more wine - no way on gods earth was i going to pay towards that, eye rolling or not lol x

 

[lucyh]

Yes hubby always pays his share and last time we all went out just before Christmas (I said it wasn't often!) I did indeed eat and drink nothing just to avoid an argument. I'm interested in what one of you says about the States because I'm going there to stay in August with all my family (excluding mother!) in my brother's holiday home so that'll be a good time to risk trying out the separate bill strategy. Then when Dublin comes around in September I can face the situation with some moral certainty. It's not that I don't drink but I tend to have one before I go out and don't find I can eat and drink together. Also I've lost the taste for wine. One more slight distraction - my brother's wife has had a band (I've had a bypass) but she eats and drinks more than me, and they're rolling in money whereas I am not!! So it's a difficult one.
For everyone who's waiting for their op or has had it recently good luck. What I've done (in spite of the above minor problem) has been the best thing I've done in my whole life. I'm 58 now and weigh for the first time less now than I did when I was 16.

 

[sallyp43]

If you have to pay order all 3 courses and just have a few mouthfuls of each, take the rest home will last you all week lol