What would be the proper way of handling a dinner bill between four friends?

Question

Would it be best to split the total amount by four regardless of what each person has ordered, even if this means that some will have to put in more than their fiar share?
or
Each person puts in for what they ordered
or
each person asks for a separate check

Answer 1

separate checks eliminates all awkwardness. Split bill by four sucks, inevitably somebody drinks more or has the more expensive entree, and the person who just had water and a salad gets screwed!

Just remember to ask for them at beginning of the meal, or you may be SOL

Answer 2

First of all, I would never split the check evenly four ways. One friend may have ordered lobster tails, filet mignon and an expensive bottle of wine, while the others ordered hamburgers and water. Totally unfair.

Each person puts in for what they ordered is better, but it still can get confusing when it's time to pay. One person has cash, and the rest have debit cards. Usually doesn't work out so well that way.

I'd say that even though it makes more work for the server, just do it the easy way (for the friends) and get separate checks.

Answer 3

If you all have similar incomes it's probably OK to split equally. If someone earns quite a bit less then split it according to what you ate - that person may have been eating water, soup and salad in the hope of keeping costs down and watching you all eat lobster with horror. Keep an eye on what others eat - if some people aren't drinking alcohol or are eating only two courses, then it would be fair to recognise this in how the bill is split.

Don't just split the bill and asusme someone will speak up, as the person who can't afford it often won't want to draw attention to their situation. They won't say anything, and you'll find that in the future they are reluctant to come out with you because of the costs.

Answer 4

It's just whatever you decide in the first place. You can each ask for a separate check, going "dutch", or you can just divide the total tab between all of you.

If you all go out many times, dividing it up four ways may be easier because you will balance it out over the numerous occasions you go out, but if it is once in a great while, and you don't want to pay for the other's wine or liquor if you didn't drink, than pay separately.

Either way is ok, just decide before you get into that restaurant.

Answer 5

When you sit down, if it already hasn't been established, then you ask your friends "Are we going on seperate checks?" If you don't, ask for it seperate but you want to pay 'what you ordered' it still turns into a hassle with everyone figuring out what they had at the end of the nite.

Not going that way generally means its understood you'll split the bill, as long as you don't have someone going overboard with "surf & turf" and order alot of extras. If he/she does, its understood that he's going to throw a little extra into the pot. If they don't, you know not to invite that person out with you the next time. Get one person to act as 'banker' and let everyone know what the tab is, INCLUDING THE TIP!

BTW, I've noticed that women will make a much bigger issue of this than guys (friends) 100% of the time. Funny that, but they'll still say GUYS are cheap!

Answer 6

I prefer to ask for separate checks before hand to lessen the possible confusion that can result in friends eating together. If you eat a low price item and the others eat lobster, maybe you can't afford lobster or didn't want it but, would you want to split a high bill? This works both ways, if you order steak and your friends order salad, they shouldn't feel they have to pay more. This should be discussed before hand and all parties should agree on how it will be handled. This could keep friend friends.

Answer 7

Unless you go somewhere that has expensive things like steak & lobster and also cheaper items like maybe burgers or chicken....I would guess that if one person's meal costed $15 alone and the other 3 people's bill cost $20 together then the person who ordered expensive stuff should pitch in more than the others. Just don't rip each other off, but otherwise it should be split 4 way.

Also I might add that when my sis and her husband go out with me and my husband, we take turns paying tips and the bill. So for example, this month we go out and she and her hubby pay the bill and I pay tip. Next month we go out again and I pay the bill and she tips. So you can switch off if they are people you go out with often.

Answer 8

My friends and me take turns picking-up the entire tab.

As a loose rule, it's usually the person who picks up the phone and invites everyone out who offers to pay.

If I'm inviting friends out, I like to make it clear that I'll be paying ahead of time by saying something like, "I'd like to take you out for dinner tonight," or, "Let's all go to dinner tonight. My treat."

This works great because if someone is invited out with the group, and for whatever reason can't afford to go out, they already know before they have to accept/decline that they are not expected to pay.

The only time this becomes a problem is when someone in the group never antes-up. And this does happen. But these people simply stop receiving invitations from the group... and I guess they go find other friends somewhere else!

Answer 9

I have a friend who gets really nuts over restaurant bills. She does not wish to pay one dime more than she spent on her own food/drink.We solve that by asking for separate checks.
Another friend and I forgot to ask for a separate check, and I said, we are college grads, surely we can figure it out. I had brought a coupon worth 5 bucks off of two dinners, so tototalled the tax and the dollars off, then said, yours was x, minus $2.50 for your half of the coupon, right? She said she did not know, she couldn't figure it out. To this day, she thinks I shorted her. So, I do not forget to ask for a separate check when I am with her.
So, if you want to keep these people as friends, go separate checks. That way, if someone wants the expensive dinner, and multiple mixed drinks, no one has to pay for it except that person. And settle the how to pay before you go.
It's funny, but those folks who advocate splitting the bill down the middle always order a bunch of stuff. When they go out separate checks, they get the cheapest thing on the menu!
Best story. My best friend had been nice to me, and a day was arranged that I would come to her town[easy driving distance] and go out to supper at Red lobster.. The whole family went, and I said, I'm buying. Everyone got what they like, and not the most expensive thing on the menu, except the adult daughter.. My friend got what she always gets, her husband salmon in a bag. The adult daughter got the biggest platter on the menu, a mixed drink, and dessert, I could feel her mother having horrors from across the table, but she was silent. They are Southern Baptist, and do not belive in drinking alcohol, but I know they do. There is a bottle of peach schnapps in their refrig.and they go to a restaurant that serves wine, and have some. And, the daughter does not like me, and makes no bones about showing me that, and managed to make fun of me at the table. Needless to say, that was 3 years ago, and I have been out several times with my friend and her husband, but no daughter!
Again, to make the night pleasant, with no hard feelinga, suggest separate checks. and explain how you know someone who gets upset at check time, and you do not want to go there.

Answer 10

If you're the host of this dinner. Before your 3 friends arrive, let the waiter/waitress know that you want separate checks so at the end it wouldn't be awkward for someone to ask for a separate bill.