On Tue, 17 Jan 2006, jake wrote:

>
> > am I the only one who has no problem dividing a bill properly? If no one
> > is treating me to a dinner, I order whatever I want, and pay for it.
> > There is no way that I would split a bill evenly. Why do you guys do it
> > that way?
> >
> I do it because of group pressure from people who have already entered
> the stadium of semi-drunkenness (when the bill arrives) and who don't
> give nearly as much thought to budgets as I do. Or who may simply never
> have been as poor as I have been and thus have a different understanding
> of money. I feel very uncomfortable bringing the subject up (it 5:1).
>

I agree that you could keep a running total of your part and put that in
and let them make up the rest.

The easiest thing to do is: when the waitperson approaches the table, say,
"I'd like a separate ticket, please".

If you're sharing a pizza, announce: I'll toss in my share of the pizza.
Do the math and toss your share of the pizza into the center of the table.

If they rib you about it, announce, jovially, when I start drinking as
much as you do, I'll pay as much as you do.

or

"Gee, do I look like the booze subsidy? ha ha.

or

haha. I'm only trying to help you guys out. I feel guilty helping to get
you drunk everytime we come here by subsidizing your booze bill.

Or (As we say in the South), I didn't take you to raise (haha). If you're
gonna drink so much, you're going to have to pay for it yourself.

Blow it off and move on - insisting on your own ticket.
If they can't deal with it, but you feel put upon by paying extra, find
some new friends.

I'm old and blunt. Life is too short to feel "buyer's remorse" when you've
let yourself be put in a situation that isn't right by people who are
doing the wrong thing. Stand up for what is fair here. If they have a
problem with it, then they aren't "friends" worth having. If you value
their brand of friendship more than the money it costs you, then accept
that as the price of the friendship and don't allow any buyer's remorse.

Elaine, too