Another bill issue

We went out to dinner Friday night for a friends bday. It was bday boy and his fiance, dh and I, a friend and his girlfriend, and one single guy. Everyone ate entrees and had drinks. Bday boy also had dessert. Friend's girlfriend only had soup and didn't drink, so we werent going to count her in the total. So that left 6 people eating and drinking. The bill gets figured out and divided by 5 people for us to cover the bday boy. So boyfriend, single friend and fiancé kick in $80 each, but DH got stuck putting in $160. I am the least cheap person in the world, but how the heck is that fair?! I think the bill should have been split by 6 and the fiancé should have covered the bday boys portion, the same way DH and I payed for both of us. We certainly weren't counted as one entity.
What say you?

Re: Another bill issue

So you covered the birthday boy and his fw? Weird.

The fw should have kicked something in. Imo

Re: Another bill issue

I am confused.

7 people were there, 1 didn't eat so you didn't count her, 1 was birthday boy so you decided to cover his bill and split if by the 5 people left right?
so that came to $80 per person. so your DH gave $160 to cover the 2 of you.


are you saying you think you shouldn't split the bill by 6 and the fiancee should have paid for birthday boy plus herself?

Re: Another bill issue

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I think that's fair. That's how it would have been split if it were my friends. The only thing that we may have done differently, is have the girlfriend who only had soup still throw some cash in.

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I think that is fair, in essence you split the bday boy's portion, correct?

You each put in $80. Idk why the fiancee should totally cover the bday boy? You all went out. If she took him out alone then I'd assume "she" would pay.

Unless I am missing something.

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Wait so you are saying that instead of splitting it by 5 it should have been split 4 ways so you wouldn't have owed $160? Or that the girlfriend should have paid completely for her boyfriend?

Another bill issue

You aren't one entity when you have 2 meals, IMO...

Re: Another bill issue

We would have split the same way.. Since the bday boys meal was essentially divided into 5 parts, his fw did contribute her share

Although the friend with soup should have thrown in her share of the bday boy also, plus her soup

So let's say the bill and tip was 350

Take 25 off the top say for the soup and contribution that she pays for bday boy

That leaves 325 divided by 5 remaining people, which is 65 a person

Bday boy.. Nothing
Bday boy fw... 65
You.. 65
Husband .. 65
Friend.. 65
Friends gf... 25
Single friend .. 65

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You are two separate people, not one entity therefore, you were billed correctly IMO. I think the person with the soup still should've chipped in though for her soup, drinks, and the bday boy.

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You have been annoyed with this get together from the get-go, so perhaps there is more to this posting/vent.

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Re: Another bill issue

I think it's totally fair, but technically the one only eating soup should have kicked in something. As soon as you guys decided not to count her, the math was going to be weird because now you have 1 less person kicking in for b-day boy.

Regarding the $80 versus $160 - you are two people eating, every other "person" was a single since the birthday boy didn't count, and the soup-eating girlfriend didn't count (which I think was a mistake, IMO).

ETA: Dividing by 6 means the fiancee picks up the entire cost for the bday boy meal, which seems weird to me. Usually we treat the bday person to their meal and divide by the remainder.

Message edited 10/14/2012 3:17:10 PM.

Re: Another bill issue

Another bill issue

Yeah I agree the one with soup should have contributed to the birthday boy's portion, but that doesn't seem to be your issue here. You seem annoyed that everyone paid for themselves (with your DH putting in the money for you and him instead of you each putting in money) and splitting the birthday boys share.

Is that right, or are we missing something here? Because otherwise it seems that you are annoyed that you contributed towards his dinner, which doesn't seem odd to me, since you went out in order to celebrate his birthday.

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Another bill issue

I don't see the problem, you guys agreed to split it that way so each "person" paid the $80. if everyone agreed that the extra person who just and soup and water didn't have to put in, then that's the agreement. Although I think she should have thrown in a few bucks towards the birthday boy/tip..

Re: Another bill issue

This is what we do when we go out. The bill get split by the number of people minus the birthday friend. You and DH are two people. you SHOULD have paid $80 each for $160 for the both of you. Just like if the friend and girlfriend would have done if she ate something other than soup (THAT would have annoyed me and wouldnt have given her a completely free pass).

Message edited 10/14/2012 5:10:42 PM.

Re: Another bill issue

Re: Another bill issue

Posted by BunnyWife

Posted by Hofstra26

You are two separate people, not one entity therefore, you were billed correctly IMO. I think the person with the soup still should've chipped in though for her soup, drinks, and the bday boy.

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I have never, nor would I ever, expect people to pay for my DH. I would pay his portion. That's my bottom line.
I think it is different if you are taking a friend out for their bday and you did the inviting. But we were invited to go out for his bday. They have never been asked or expected to pay for either DH or my bday dinners. I thought it was kind of shady that all of a sudden we were expected to cover the bday boy, when that has never been done in the past.

Re: Another bill issue