Dining out as a group can quickly get awkward when no one can agree on how to split the bill.

So when his friend splurged on expensive items, then expected him to help pick up the tab, a casual outing turned into a big conflict.

Read on for the full story.

AITA for refusing to pay my friends back for dinner

Me, two other guys, and three girls went out to eat at a steakhouse today. Not a date type of thing at all—simply grabbing food after hanging out.

The group all had very different ordering habits.

The two guys both got 16-ounce steaks while I opted for a more modest 8-ounce.

The girls all got food as well as alcohol, which we all know runs pretty expensive at restaurants.

When we were finished eating, the waiter came over and asked if we wanted split checks.

But here’s where things got messy.

Before anyone could think about it or consult, my one friend immediately said, “Nah, just one check.”

The girls looked pretty shocked, and I just looked over with a “What the heck, dude” kinda face.

The other friend is kinda shy and just went along with what the first guy said.

Once the bill came, the friend who volunteered ran into trouble with his payment method.

The tab came out to be $164, and the guy who opted for one check didn’t even have enough funds on his card to pay for it.

So the other guy paid, and we would Venmo him back.

Even after this, the girls insisted on paying us back for the food and were pretty firm about it.

Still, this friend was determined for the guys to cover the bill.

But guy #1 continued to shut them down and kept saying, “Nah, WE got it.”

It’s nighttime now, and he’s demanding me to Venmo $55 to cover “my share” of the tab.

But this didn’t seem fair at all to him.

I explained how it wasn’t fair that he essentially volunteered me to pay for their food. I got the least expensive meal out of the six of us, and yet I’m paying as if I ordered half the menu.

Now I’m getting crap for it and being told to just suck it up and pay.

Oh, and by the way, we’re all college students.

This goes directly against his own financial comfort level.

Personally, I’m paying back loans as we speak and working part-time. I intentionally order smaller meals at restaurants and rarely go out.

Now I’m expected to just throw $55 out the window for no reason.

AITA?

Sometimes, if you don’t want to get taken advantage of, you have to stand up for yourself and your best interests.

What did Reddit think?

$164 sounds like a steal to this user.

He should only pay exactly what he owes — nothing more.

This commenter thinks a boundary should have been set right away.

You can’t volunteer to spend someone else’s money.

Redditors were in agreement: He needs to stand up and demand he only pay his fair share.

A small meal shouldn’t lead to a large debt.

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