He Suspects His Friends Have Extravagant Eating Habits Because They Expect Him To Split The Bill, So He Wins By Asking For Separate Checks

Ryan McCarthy

9 months ago

Everyone knows someone that likes to ball out when they’re out to eat. Expensive liquor, prime cut steaks, you name it.

The problem comes when that friend is the same person who wants to split the check evenly, especially when all you’ve had is a burger and fries!

Unfortunately for this user, two couples in his friend group were exactly that type. But when he avoided the problem altogether by requesting separate checks, his friends accused him of being rude.

Decide for yourself if he was in the wrong!

AITA for Preemptively Striking Against Splitting the Bill at a Group Dinner?

I was invited to a group dinner and decided to go. I usually decline because two couples in this group are freeloaders and the split the check type.

They order expensive items on the menu, appetizers and cocktails while I get a moderately priced dish and a coke.

I was told they wouldn’t be there this time, and that’s why I decided to go.

But much to the chagrin of OP, they decided to make a special appearance!

Well, they were there. I knew what was gonna happen come check time.

So I excused myself, went to flag down my server and asked if he would please separate my bill from the others.

When time came to pay the bill, I handed the server my credit card, and paid my bill, tipping the guy 25%.

Unsurprisingly, this decision came as a shock to the high-rolling couples.

The freeloaders went “Oh, I thought we were splitting like we always do.”

To which I said “Oh, well your bad.”

But this prompted two other people in the group to ask for separate checks too, which the server happily did.

After I paid, I told everyone good night and went on my way.

But this simple request for separate checks would come back to haunt him.

The next day I got a text from another person in the group that I was an AH for doing that.

She said they do normally split the bill, as it gives everyone a chance to have a nice meal they couldn’t otherwise afford. And it also makes splitting the 20% group gratuity easier.

I told her I would not be guilted to staying within my means and not paying for moochers.

Then I said the only reason why I came was because I thought the mooch couples wouldn’t be there because they’ve been doing this for years.

Still I’m being accused of disrupting the group vibe.

Did I?

I would think not because of the two that also asked for separate bills.

A nice meal they couldn’t otherwise afford, but paid for by people who ordered an average meal! Luckily for OP, the other group members backed him up.

I forwarded the text to the two people who also asked for separate bills. They both were upset by the text and reassured me that I was not the AH.

They said they too were growing tired of the moochers and wish they stood up for themselves sooner.

Then one of them said that the group vibe was disrupted when I first stopped coming.

Everyone knew why, so it made the mooching the elephant in the room, and his bad for not addressing it out of his need to go along to get along.

And this newfound group consensus led to the establishing of a new tradition!

The three of us then reached out to the solo member who didn’t ask for a separate check. This person is also the organizer.

She said she was tired of the mooching too but was too much of a coward to say something, which only fueled their “we always do it this way” ammo.

She then filled us in on what happened after we left (turns out the other two separate bills left shortly after I did.)

Everyone ended up getting separate checks, which made the two mooch couples angry. They justified their mooching the same way the chick in the text did.

The four of us are going to start having a new group dinner at a different restaurant.

Hopefully the two mooching couples can rely on the generosity of that woman to “enjoy a nice meal they couldn’t otherwise afford.”

And is it just me, or would anyone else be super uncomfortable ordering expensive food knowing that other people would have to pay for it?

Reddit was just as outraged as OP was, with many pointing out if the group vibe was to pay for someone else’s splurge, than OP needed to find a new group!