I just moved to a new town. People here split checks at restaurants evenly instead of by item. Is this normal?

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leftist coast

1 year ago 02/25/2019 8:44pm CST
re: you must be trolling

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you must be trolling wrote:

never seen this wrote:

I feel like almost everyone here is trolling. I’ve lived everywhere from small college towns to NYC on everything from a student’s budget to an attending physician’s salary. Asking for separate checks always and everywhere means that each person gets a bill for the items they ordered.

It wouldn’t bother me to split a check down the middle if local custom dictated, but I’ve just never seen it done that way.

You've ever seen checks split equally? huh?

I don't think any of these posts are troll posts, they line up with my experience.

'Separate checks' means to bill items to the person that ordered them, 'split checks' usually means to divide evenly.

There is a bit of inherent rudeness when asking for separate checks among friends. It is not slap-in-the-face rude, but it's a bit awkward. It quietly implies 'I care more about the 8 dollar difference in our bills than about our friendship.'

Is this a West coast thing? I always assumed it was universal.

I live in CA and have lived in the midwest. Splitting is the norm on the west coast but separate checks seems to be the default practice in the midwest. At least that's my experience.
uop'u

1 year ago 02/25/2019 10:10pm CST
re: equal split

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I'll you what, in my experience people who regularly pay for other's dinners or pay by splitting the check usually have poor finances. It doesn't matter how much you earn or have. It's a fundamental principle that smart people abide by. The next time sometimes wants to split the check say "I prefer to get separate checks".
track chick

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1 year ago 02/26/2019 2:47am CST
re: uop'u

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This reminds me of my work meal years ago, it was horrible. Some people drank water, some drank two bottles of (expensive) wine. Some had starters, some didn't. Some had deserts, some didn't. Some had sides, some didn't. The restaurant put the entire lot (for 40 people) on one bill. I offered to calculate it. Never again.
track chick

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1 year ago 02/26/2019 2:48am CST
re: track chick

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Desserts. They weren't eating sand.
math it out

1 year ago 02/26/2019 3:22am CST
re: Self--Righteous A-Hole

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Self--Righteous A-Hole wrote:

Oldcrowbar13 wrote:

Definitely times it inappropriate. Went out w a large group recently and some younger nieces and nephews decided to grab a 70 dollar bottle of wine and 20 dollar appetizers only shared down at their end of the table. When first dividing the check evenly everyone was startled by the high cost. Fifty bucks each when most had a twenty buck steak and a beer. Realized what happened and then awkward adjustments had to b made. Always someone who eats and drinks heavy or light.

But don't you make more money than your young niece and nephews? Isn't family bonding more important that 30 bucks difference? Why don't you be an adult and stop behaving like a poor college student?

it's not a $30 price difference. $20 steak PLUS beer...so thats $26 then you add on tax and it's close to $30. This geezr is complaining about an extra $20 spent on a good time spent with family.

and if it's a large group, how does an extra $90 increase the group's bill by $20 each? A large group is 4.5 people? Seems like people were probably suprised by the bill because their math skills are poor as yours.

Also, what kind of place has appetizers that cost as much as a steak? I'm guessing it was a $15 appetizer $22 steaks and you are just rounding numbers to justify your grumpiness.

You just wasted a good 8-9 extra bucks on family, I sure hope you can find a way to recover that loss from them someday. Maybe try extracting fillings.

Another solution....don't go. They won't have Uncle Ed to kick around anymore and economically exploit. Won't those kids be shocked when their bill comes back $3.44 higher than normal!

I doubt your presence will be missed.
Let me get my calculator.....ghughagughugh

1 year ago 02/26/2019 3:25am CST
re: track chick

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you expected separate checks for FORTY people?

Cheapskate Dan says..

1 year ago 02/26/2019 3:33am CST
re: uop'u

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uop'u wrote:

I'll you what, in my experience people who regularly pay for other's dinners or pay by splitting the check usually have poor finances. It doesn't matter how much you earn or have. It's a fundamental principle that smart people abide by. The next time sometimes wants to split the check say "I prefer to get separate checks".

Well you must have great finances.....and poor friendships.

"It's doesn't matter how much your earn or have......"

so if you are a millionaire boss you wouldn't cover employees drinks on a night out? "Sorry, guys....thanks for the hard work but I'm not paying based on fundamental principle..."

The successful rich people that I know hardly let a person in the room pay for anything. They are cheap and frugal as hell everywhere else, drive used cars, live in modest houses, but they pick up thousand dollar tabs routinely.
Cheapskater

1 year ago 02/26/2019 4:49am CST
re: Suck the TRUTH through a garden hose

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Suck the TRUTH through a garden hose wrote:

this completely normal if you are over 21, not busted-ass broke, and not a cheapskate.

since you are complaining about it, you must fail at least one of these criteria.

I’m a cheapskate. Bugs me to pay for someone’s $8 drink while I had water.
Suck the TRUTH through a garden hose

1 year ago 02/26/2019 5:01am CST
re: Cheapskater

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Cheapskater wrote:

Suck the TRUTH through a garden hose wrote:

this completely normal if you are over 21, not busted-ass broke, and not a cheapskate.

since you are complaining about it, you must fail at least one of these criteria.

I’m a cheapskate. Bugs me to pay for someone’s $8 drink while I had water.

Then stay home, it's FREE!

Going out to eat with friends usually means drinks, you're the outlier here. You can not drink and not complain. You can drink and not complain. But not drinking, then complaining is not a good look. It causes you to appear to be a hater of fun.

think of it like this...you all went to Disneyland as group.....you are the guy who wants some money back at the end because he didn't go on Space Mountain and grumbles that he saw others in the group go 'several times.'

When you go out as a group, be focused on people, not a few dollars difference in your planned budget. View it like Disneyland, a sunk cost. Go on enough rides to make it worth your while or don't go at all.

I'm sure your friends would have just as much fun coming over to your place for some Stove Top.
its stupid but normal

1 year ago 02/26/2019 5:02am CST
re: equal split

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This is what makes me happy I don't do these kind of things with friends. It's stupid and separate bills should be given out. Regardless, splitting the bill evenly.. regardless of what you ordered is pretty normal.
its stupid but normal

1 year ago 02/26/2019 5:03am CST
re: its stupid but normal

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its stupid but normal wrote:

This is what makes me happy I don't do these kind of things with friends. It's stupid and separate bills should be given out. Regardless, splitting the bill evenly.. regardless of what you ordered is pretty normal.

damnit, i did not mean to say regardless twice
LATABOM

1 year ago 02/26/2019 6:34am CST
re: track chick

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If we're out to dinner with a few other couples, usually one person will say, "I'll put it on my card, throw in what you think you owe." (I'm older, we still carry around cash, unlike today's youth.) People are usually pretty good about covering their meal and appropriate amount of tip, often over compensating. Doing it this way avoids the hassle of splitting checks, or the wait staff having to run 3 or 4 cards through. As a bonus, if the person paying has an appropriate job that warrants it, he or she can deduct the entire meal as a business expense.

blood orange

1 year ago 02/26/2019 7:12am CST
re: check splitter

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check splitter wrote:

Are people here posting from 1994? Now that restaurants are all computerized, all that happens is you say “separate checks please,” and the server hits a different button on the computer that prints a check for each seat (which is how the order is already in the computer). This seems like the fastest, easiest, most convenient way to do it.

Just to clarify: this is not entirely true.

I work at a popular, modern restaurant with a current point of sale system for ordering. Our system does not input by seat and it becomes a slight hassle to break up a bill after the fact. Maybe that's a rarity nowadays, but it's not always set-to-go as you might think.

All that said... as a server, please just split your bill in 1/2, 1/3 or normal amounts. None of the childish, to-the-cent crap that the OP is used to. I'm happy to see that most posters responding "get" that it's only a few bucks that may be sliding each way. Keep things easy, for everyone!
Meat Tornado

1 year ago 02/26/2019 7:27am CST
re: blood orange

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I mean, I try to be conscientious and throw in more money if I ordered something more expensive than everyone else.
notnormalhere

1 year ago 02/26/2019 7:40am CST
re: compressed

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compressed wrote:
In my mind, the 'even split' (as you describe) is more a function of age than region. I.e. as you get older (past the mid 20s), this becomes the norm.

I've never seen this (in the deep south). The few times anyone has suggested it, it's been as a joke. Here, we either have one person pick up the whole check (because they want to treat you to a meal) or split it by order.

Realistically I don't eat at restaurants enough to have a whole vote in the matter, but, as a frugal guy, this wouldn't go over well with me at all. I'm not buying your $14 salad and $12 mixed drink when I'm having water and the $7 lunch special (unless I invited you out to lunch and intend to pay for your meal, as previously discussed above).

I hypothesize a person would rationalize things like ordering a pricey drink instead of free water since the individual decision no longer saves an appreciable amount of money. My suspicion is this method of "even" splitting checks is a good thing for the waiter's tip as bills would tend to creep if my hypothesis is correct.
wineturtle

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1 year ago 02/26/2019 7:57am CST
re: blood orange

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blood orange wrote:

check splitter wrote:

Are people here posting from 1994? Now that restaurants are all computerized, all that happens is you say “separate checks please,” and the server hits a different button on the computer that prints a check for each seat (which is how the order is already in the computer). This seems like the fastest, easiest, most convenient way to do it.

Just to clarify: this is not entirely true.

I work at a popular, modern restaurant with a current point of sale system for ordering. Our system does not input by seat and it becomes a slight hassle to break up a bill after the fact. Maybe that's a rarity nowadays, but it's not always set-to-go as you might think.

I'm no longer uptodate on current electronic ordering systems but by the amount of Who is having the Flambe Beaglenose a la minute I hear doubt the- by the seat- sort is common..
Sure thing bro

1 year ago 02/26/2019 8:00am CST
re: blood orange

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blood orange wrote:

check splitter wrote:

Are people here posting from 1994? Now that restaurants are all computerized, all that happens is you say “separate checks please,” and the server hits a different button on the computer that prints a check for each seat (which is how the order is already in the computer). This seems like the fastest, easiest, most convenient way to do it.

Just to clarify: this is not entirely true.

I work at a popular, modern restaurant with a current point of sale system for ordering. Our system does not input by seat and it becomes a slight hassle to break up a bill after the fact. Maybe that's a rarity nowadays, but it's not always set-to-go as you might think.

All that said... as a server, please just split your bill in 1/2, 1/3 or normal amounts. None of the childish, to-the-cent crap that the OP is used to. I'm happy to see that most posters responding "get" that it's only a few bucks that may be sliding each way. Keep things easy, for everyone!

I’ll trade you a normal split for an 8% tip
Another NYCer

1 year ago 02/26/2019 8:24am CST
re: Dwight r

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Dwight r wrote:

never seen this wrote:

I feel like almost everyone here is trolling. I’ve lived everywhere from small college towns to NYC on everything from a student’s budget to an attending physician’s salary. Asking for separate checks always and everywhere means that each person gets a bill for the items they ordered.

Weird. I live in NYC. Ive NEVER in the last 13 years here (except one woman) asked for separate itemized checks. And my circle of friends and I eat out very frequently.

Same. Been here 15 years, not once have I been to a restaurant with a group of people and gotten itemized checks after graduating college. We either all throw credit cards in and have it split evenly, or one person grabs the bill and the rest pay on Venmo.
HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

1 year ago 02/26/2019 8:38am CST
re: equal split

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Splitting the check evenly is normal - dividing it up by what each person ate is the sign of a true cheapskate. I will not go out to eat with people who don't split it evenly.
never seen this

1 year ago 02/26/2019 8:50am CST
re: Another NYCer

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Another NYCer wrote:

Dwight r wrote:

never seen this wrote:

I feel like almost everyone here is trolling. I’ve lived everywhere from small college towns to NYC on everything from a student’s budget to an attending physician’s salary. Asking for separate checks always and everywhere means that each person gets a bill for the items they ordered.

Weird. I live in NYC. Ive NEVER in the last 13 years here (except one woman) asked for separate itemized checks. And my circle of friends and I eat out very frequently.

Same. Been here 15 years, not once have I been to a restaurant with a group of people and gotten itemized checks after graduating college. We either all throw credit cards in and have it split evenly, or one person grabs the bill and the rest pay on Venmo.

Interesting. I’m going to do an experiment today and just ask for “separate checks” without specifying how I would like the checks split up. My hunch is that the checks will be itemized rather than equal and that the server will take this as given without even asking me to clarify how I would like the checks divided, but I could be wrong.