So what do you do when a bunch of people go out for dinner? The easiest thing to do is split the bill, of course, & I don't mind that, since unless one person eats 3 entries & a dessert, & the others only have an appetizer, it comes out about the same.
But then you add in drinks.
A couple of cocktails or glasses of wine cost as much or more than an entree, which means that the drinkers are often spending half again as much as the non-drinkers. If it came out even over time, I would be fine with it, the way I am with food: Sometimes my bill is a little more, sometimes yours is. The problem is that it always works out in favor of the drinkers. I once went to a birthday dinner, where my actual share of the bill was $20 (this was a while ago & there was a prix fixe) & I ended up owing $50 because I had to buy drinks for rich people I didn't even know. The drinkers should step up but I suppose they don't pay attention to whether or not others are drinking, & I can't say as I expect them to.
I've tried to solve this for years. If I can, I ask that the drinks go on a separate bill, or else I show up to say hello but don't order anything at all. Workable solutions but not ideal. How do other people handle this without being jerks or taken advantage of?
But then you add in drinks.
A couple of cocktails or glasses of wine cost as much or more than an entree, which means that the drinkers are often spending half again as much as the non-drinkers. If it came out even over time, I would be fine with it, the way I am with food: Sometimes my bill is a little more, sometimes yours is. The problem is that it always works out in favor of the drinkers. I once went to a birthday dinner, where my actual share of the bill was $20 (this was a while ago & there was a prix fixe) & I ended up owing $50 because I had to buy drinks for rich people I didn't even know. The drinkers should step up but I suppose they don't pay attention to whether or not others are drinking, & I can't say as I expect them to.
I've tried to solve this for years. If I can, I ask that the drinks go on a separate bill, or else I show up to say hello but don't order anything at all. Workable solutions but not ideal. How do other people handle this without being jerks or taken advantage of?