Is working out the bill precisely when out with friends a particularly British trait?

Question

I went out with some friends last weekend and everything was worked out to the last penny, from the sainsbury's receipt for the pizzas to the pay-per-view film we watched in the evening. I found it quite bizarre, I was happy just to divide things roughly and if I ended up paying a bit more, so what?!

Answer 1

I've got a few friends who like to pay only "Their Share". They're also the tight gits who charge you a pound petrol money for taking you to said restaurant (I kid you not)

I prefer to share the bill evenly out. Far easier than faffing about, and generally people will spend roughly the same amount anyway (Well - my friends do anyway)

I don't think its particularly a cultural thing, it depends on the person and how "careful" with money they are

Answer 2

It depends on the situation and the group and how much money people have spare. It sounds as if your group doesn't have a lot of money (supermarket pizzas, pay-per-view film) so in your case, where everyone is counting their pennies, it makes sense to be quite precise about it.

When you are older and earning a bit more you'll find that sometimes one of you will pick up the whole tab, another time someone else will, and no-one will mind about what's 'fair' or how much they personally had. Or you might agree up front that you'll 'go Dutch', ie, split the bill evenly.

Answer 3

I think a lot depends on the economic situation of your friends. When I go out with friends, we always simply divide the bill by the number of people in the party. If, however, your friends are on very tight budgets (as I once was) they probably can't afford to subsidise the one in the party who ordered a dish that cost 50% more than everyone else's, or those who drank twice as much as the majority! Even if only one of them had little money, the others would understand and go along with this ritual in order to save the other's embarrassment.

Answer 4

Often people in a certain profession are more prone to this kind of thing--such as accountants. Not only are people in some professions more prone to nitpicking over pennies but they are more inclined to stiff the waiter. Doctors, in particular, are really bad about not leaving a tip.
I hope you and your friends left a good tip for the waitress, especially because she had to put up with all your penny counting.

Answer 5

No, it's a pan-cultural thing. Here in Italy they call it going "alla romana" or as the Romans do. Eating out costs, and why shouldn't that cost be shared fairly. It also depends on how well you know the group, and how much they earn. In London it's hard to believe normal working people can afford to go out *at all*, so it's understandable that they want to pay just their fair share.

Answer 6

That would be my view as well. If someone had picked something for themselves that was considerably more than the majority had ordered I might expect them to pay for that, but otherwise life is too short to argue over pennies.
P.S. I was brought up in Scotland.

Answer 7

I'm Irish, so can't coment wither it's an English trait or not, but it's defenitly not a nice one! It reminds me of a "friend" who always managed to dodge the first round and therefore the mixers, and usually ended up paying for one less round anyhow. meanness is a horrible trait in anybody. If I'm having friend i usually supply all food ect. they might bring a bottle, but would not be expected to.

Answer 8

If you have roughly the same things, then fine, just split it each way. I do have watch my pennies, so I would say something if someone was ordering much more expensively and expecting me to contribute.

Answer 9

I usually just throw in a rough amount, but most of my friends like to work it out really precisely. They don't even give a tip in resteraunts! I end up doing that too!

Answer 10

That's not a particularly British thing. IT says more about the group in question that anything else.

I like to divide evenly.