Should we split the restaurant bill equally when I only had a starter?
The complainant says
Went out for a birthday meal with eight people. I'm saving hard for a house deposit, so I ordered a starter as my main and tap water. Everyone else had three courses, cocktails and several bottles of wine.
When the bill came someone said 'let's just split it, it's easier' and it came to £68 each. My food came to £9. I said I'd pay for what I had plus a bit extra for the birthday person and the tip, so £20. The table went quiet and one person said it was tight to do that at a birthday.
The other side says the rest of the group, as the complainant tells it
The group says splitting equally is normal at group meals, it avoids an awkward calculation, and it evens out over time. They also say I should have mentioned I was on a budget before we booked somewhere that nice.
Jury discussion (6 comments)
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Splitting evenly only works when everyone orders roughly the same. £9 vs £68 is not evening out.
Anyone who says 'it evens out over time' is always the one it evens out in favour of.
£20 including a contribution to the birthday person is more than fair. The ones calling you tight drank the wine.
Always the ones who had the cocktails
Only thing I'd say is mention it at the start next time so it doesn't become a moment at the end.
Bill-splitting apps exist precisely for this. There's no calculation to be awkward about any more.