If you are a social butterfly and you love hanging out with groups, but don’t know how to contribute a fair share when it comes to the bill, it means your pocket remains at constant threat of being hijacked. Social hacks of splitting bills can be your life saviour.
Chilling out and trying new foods with friends in some fancy restaurants is a source of great fun in people’s lives as long as they don’t have to pay the entire bill, otherwise, it turns out to be a nightmare. Especially, for the over-enthusiastic teens with a negative flow of cash.
In the old-time, it was customary that the eldest man of the group will pay the entire bill. It was an honour for the guy to do such. Today, however, if you dare to follow that ritual, it will only leave you broke. Because social hangouts have become dynamic and sophisticated in recent times. People are very open to meet and eat with strangers, acquaintances, and even juniors too. You can’t be the payer always.
“I am always eager to hang out with my friends but the bill part scares me. With close friends, it’s all cool but when I hang out with big circles that include some juniors from my school, I often struggle with the right thing to do,” shares Arham Ibtesham, an 11th grader from S.F.X. Green Herald International School and College.
Although the bill becomes burdensome for him, he doesn’t know how to let others know about this, and it becomes quite a problem financially if happens regularly.
Go Dutch
Technically, going Dutch means separate tabs; each person pays for himself or herself. Going Dutch or 'splitting the tab' is a very common practice of splitting bills in the western world.
It can be done in two ways. First, the entire amount is divided by the number of people at the party, regardless of what or how much each person has eaten. And second, each person pays only for what they have ordered.
“I barely eat half the amount the least eater of the party consumes. Why should I accept a uniform division of bill and pay twice, thrice the price than what I ordered?, asks Suraiya Srity, a 2nd-year-student of Banking at Eden College.
Dutch method is still the fairest way to split the bill into a large group keeping in mind Srity’s concerns. All you have to do is utter “Let’s go Dutch” or “Dutch the bill” without any hesitation.
Ask for separate checks
Asking for separate checks is not feasible when you go out with a big group. It might create an extra hassle. But if you are out with three or four people, you can simply ask for individual checks. This method is very convenient and equitable.
If you find it difficult to initiate a separate billing, you can do it humbly by saying, “I think I have ordered too much food. Let's ask for separate checks.” Not to mention, this sentence has a high success rate for formal hangouts.
Contribute a big portion and leave the rest to others
This might not be the most reasonable method of splitting the bill, but it can save you from bearing the entire bill. If you are in a group where you are the most responsible one or eldest one, or you just feel that you should pay the bigger portion, check your wallet and find out how much it can bear.
Before anyone calls the shot on you (the seniormost), if you put a significant amount on the table, say 50/60 per cent and ask others to take care of the rest, it might sound reasonable to all.
