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[triplestation]

I don't know about you but i hate the phrase ''i got it'' and this happens all the time with anyone i'm not close with so its whatever. It kinda calls for a ''na na don't worry I got it'' and it's such an awkward process. It'd be less of a hassle to just split the damn bill but what're you gonna do? I just accept. But when going out with actual close friends, everything is split. No need for formality or politeness. No problem.

 

[Jokab]

Always split, no matter the occasion, not even birthdays.

 

[mackattk]

Each party gets their own receipt/bill.

 

[Medalion]

 

[Trouble]

Always split, no matter the occasion, not even birthdays.

Split by N-1 on someone's birthday, birthday boy/girls doesn't pay, otherwise split by N.

 

[Sgt.Pepper]

Split, unless I've made a lot of money recently AND the occasion is special.

 

[outunderthestars]

If there are two of us we take turns getting the bill. More than two we usually just split it.

 

[shadowsdarknes]

Always split, no matter the occasion, not even birthdays.

Hahaha good on ya. I usually get pressured into paying for the birthday boy/girl by that one person who tries to pressure everyone else into doing it because its the nice thing to do. Personally, I prefer to buy birthday drinks, but I can't afford to buy both.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Until recently all my friends were broke ass grad students, so we always split.

 

[SteveWinwood]

Split by N-1 on someone's birthday, birthday boy/girls doesn't pay, otherwise split by N.

This. Always. Anything else is trouble.

 

[Anno]

We usually take turns, unless maybe one or two of us want to drop an inordinate amount of cash on expensive beer or wine.

 

[Platy]

Always split ... but sometimes I pay more for a friend who is unemployed or needing money to pay less.

Rather have a friend more to talk than "sorry, can't go .. i'm saving money"

 

[gutter_trash]

friends: split

girlfriend: together

 

[CharlieDigital]

We usually take turns, unless maybe one or two of us want to drop an inordinate amount of cash on expensive beer or wine.

This is the way to do it, especially if you go out with the same group of friends quite frequently.

Just take turns and over the long run, it evens out.

Splitting bills is some serious bullshit.

 

[Particle Physicist]

Split..

though now that I am older and married, when I go out on a double date with a good friend and his wife, I sometimes take the tab, and they sometimes take it, but it's rare and usually we split.

 

[def sim]

We always split unless there's only two of us, then we alternate.

 

[DMeisterJ]

Each party gets their own receipt/bill.

Yep. No other way than this. So easy and it's a bit of work for the waitress but you tip more (that's another thread) in order to compensate them.

 

[5amshift]

My girlfriend and I switch off paying the bill every date, as will friends, we each get our own bill.

 

[Sophia]

Split the bill/Separate Bills. Unless it's a special event.

 

[LiK]

split unless they insist on paying for me.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Split.

Unless there is some crazy occasion. Then someone will pay to make it easy on the restaurant if it is a large party. We then pay them later.

We're all poor. No freebies here usually!

 

[entremet]

Take turns. I hate splitting bills.

 

[GK86]

Friends: Split.

Girlfriend: Alternate.

 

[mackattk]

This is the way to do it, especially if you go out with the same group of friends quite frequently.

Just take turns and over the long run, it evens out.

Splitting bills is some serious bullshit.

No way I am going to pay for someones lobster/beer/wine because it isn't their turn to pay, while buying the cheapest thing on the menu when they need to..

I can maybe understand it if the group is static, but what if Bob only shows up 1/4 of the time. If money wasn't an issue for me I wouldn't care as much though.

Splitting makes sense. It adopts the KISS method.

 

[Ogni-XR21]

Maybe someone could enlighten me, but when you say 'split' you just divide by the number of people no matter what each person had?

In Germany this would never happen. The waiter will come with the bill and ask everyone individually what they had and will add that shit up right in front of you. So you usuallyonly end up paying what you actually had.

 

[see5harp]

I'm alright with splitting as long as someone isn't being and overwhelming jerk with ordering tons of drinks/wine and dessert. I mean if I eat a salad and sip water, I really shouldn't need to be paying for some dude's scotch. If it's good friends and I got a raise, I have no prlblem footing the bill (this goes for family too).

 

[Kai Dracon]

I have a system that seems to work well.

If I'm the one who suggests going out to eat somewhere, I cover the bill or chip in for more than just my share.

If someone is already going and I ask if I can tag along, I pay for myself and don't expect them to have to ask to split the bill.

The friends we go out to eat with most often think it's fine, and if they're over and really want to go somewhere and invite us along, they return the courtesy and cover the party.

Edit: one detail is that when someone else is playing host, I do not order more food, or more expensive food, than the host does unless they are specifically just getting a drink or snack for themselves.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Maybe someone could enlighten me, but when you say 'split' you just divide by the number of people no matter what each person had?

In Germany this would never happen. The waiter will come with the bill and ask everyone individually what they had and will add that shit up right in front of you. So you usuallyonly end up paying what you actually had.

No, restaurants can determine who had what so long as the server is competent and there is even a marginally ok software system in place.

Its really easy to split a check with only the items an individual ordered.

 

[deviljho]

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lowrthTqak1qbxaj6o1_500.jpg[IMG][/QUOTE]

[IMG]http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdpk3kdQmb1qdvgbfo3_500.gif

 

[MikeE21286]

always always split.

never awkward, you know what to expect.

edit: by split I'm saying you pay for what you ordered.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Maybe someone could enlighten me, but when you say 'split' you just divide by the number of people no matter what each person had?

In Germany this would never happen. The waiter will come with the bill and ask everyone individually what they had and will add that shit up right in front of you. So you usuallyonly end up paying what you actually had.

No, we usually tell the waitstaff how much to put on each card.

 

[shadowsdarknes]

Maybe someone could enlighten me, but when you say 'split' you just divide by the number of people no matter what each person had?

In Germany this would never happen. The waiter will come with the bill and ask everyone individually what they had and will add that shit up right in front of you. So you usuallyonly end up paying what you actually had.

Speaking from personal experiences, when my party and I are finished with dinner and ready for the tab it means we want to get the fuck out of the restaurant as soon as possible to move on to the next fun part of the night. The extra 10 minutes that process would take isn't worth the $5 give or take added or subtracted to the total amount of each persons bill, IMO.

 

[triplestation]

Maybe someone could enlighten me, but when you say 'split' you just divide by the number of people no matter what each person had?

In Germany this would never happen. The waiter will come with the bill and ask everyone individually what they had and will add that shit up right in front of you. So you usuallyonly end up paying what you actually had.

oooooooooooooooooooooooh no, hell no

what i should have said is that everyone pays for whatever they got

what you're saying is of course imbalanced and not at all ideal lol

 

[Sophia]

Maybe someone could enlighten me, but when you say 'split' you just divide by the number of people no matter what each person had?

In Germany this would never happen. The waiter will come with the bill and ask everyone individually what they had and will add that shit up right in front of you. So you usuallyonly end up paying what you actually had.

Restaurants here can usually separate the bill based on who ordered what. I've never actually split the bill down even unless someone was having money issues. :\

 

[TurbulentTurtle]

The wait staff usually asks if we want to pay separately, so more often than not we just pay for what we ordered.
Sometimes I'll treat friends and sometimes they'll do the same. It all evens out eventually.

 

[CharlieDigital]

No way I am going to pay for someones lobster/beer/wine because it isn't their turn to pay.

Splitting makes sense. It adopts the KISS method.

How are you "keeping it simple" if you end up splitting the bill? That's just making things more complicated.

If your friend is dick enough to always go crazy when it's your turn to cover, then I dunno, not a friend you should eat out with very often.

When I go out with my friends, it's just "I got this, you get the next one" and it doesn't really matter if I paid $10 more or $20 more for this meal because over the long run, dozens of meals, it about evens out.

Splitting feels so petty and in poor taste. Covering the bill also creates an incentive and a reason to get together again. Like "Hey man, let's go out tonight -- pay you back for that other night at the restaurant/bar/whatever"

 

[dripdripsplash]

This is the way to do it, especially if you go out with the same group of friends quite frequently.

Just take turns and over the long run, it evens out.

Splitting bills is some serious bullshit.

So much this. I'm arab and it's a sign of disrespect to your friends to ask to split. We definetly take turns though.

 

[Phire Phox]

Everyone gets separate bills.

 

[Slavik81]

Maybe someone could enlighten me, but when you say 'split' you just divide by the number of people no matter what each person had?

In Germany this would never happen. The waiter will come with the bill and ask everyone individually what they had and will add that shit up right in front of you. So you usuallyonly end up paying what you actually had.

It sounds annoying to have to recite your meal selection twice. Can't they just record it when you order?

That's what they do in North America.

 

[MikeE21286]

Does anyone in here differ when it comes to drinks?

I'll always split with food, but with drinks it's just everyone taking turns buying rounds mostly.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

How are you "keeping it simple" if you end up splitting the bill? That's just making things more complicated.

If your friend is dick enough to always go crazy when it's your turn to cover, then I dunno, not a friend you should eat out with very often.

When I go out with my friends, it's just "I got this, you get the next one" and it doesn't really matter if I paid $10 more or $20 more for this meal because over the long run, dozens of meals, it about evens out.

Splitting feels so petty and in poor taste.

lol your hostility towards splitting is... Interesting.

Its so simple and quick to do.

 

[Fezzan]

Split unless it's their birthday or something.
I wouldn't make them pay on their birthday, unless they wanted too.

 

[theepicoftyler]

Everyone gets separate bills.

Ding ding. Say that right up front to your server and there's no confusion.

 

[StriKeVillain]

We all just throw our cards in at the end and tell the waiter to split it however different ways. Nothing fancy.

 

[Alebrije]

Always split, no matter the occasion, not even birthdays.

 

[CharlieDigital]

lol your hostility towards splitting is... Interesting.

Its so simple and quick to do.

Food and meals are very important in Asian (and other) cultures.

It's a sign of love and friendship. A meal together is a moment of bonding.

IMO, you inject some seriously bad vibes when you ask to split the bill.

Like, "Yeah, I like you and all, but I'm too cheap to cover you for your $20 meal and I don't trust you to pay it back next time we go out."

It's kind of insulting.

 

[Kite]

My friends and I do a rotating system where one person pays for the entire group each time we eat out for lunch. I don't know if it is an asian thing, but we aren't pricks and try to screw each other over. It always comes out to around $10-12 per person. Of course if we go somewhere more expensive like Korean bbq no limit meat at $22 per then we will usually split the bill. But often someone will still try to pay for everyone. It is what friends do, and I always find a way to pay them back by covering their next coffee, energy drink or pack of cigarettes.

tl;dr split the bill when I'm with my non-asian friends, rotating system when I'm with my asian buddies.

 

[Beardz]

What about the tip?

 

[KillGore]

Split by N-1 on someone's birthday, birthday boy/girls doesn't pay, otherwise split by N.

Yup, this

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Food and meals are very important in Asian (and other) cultures.

It's a sign of love and friendship. A meal together is a moment of bonding.

IMO, you inject some seriously bad vibes when you ask to split the bill.

Like, "Yeah, I like you and all, but I'm too cheap to cover you for your $20 meal and I don't trust you to pay it back next time we go out."

It's kind of insulting.

Well speaking from the US perspective, it is very normal and widely accepted. I don't think any of the above enters into the common thought process here.