Well, taking turns paying for meals is what I prefer, but then there are those people that just never get around to treat you to dinner or something and it just makes me kinda bummed out sometimes...
Ive had too many fiddly experiences trying to split a total bill, especially when its not itemised on the reciept, and one person has a super expensive meal. I always prefer to pay individually, but most places would prefer not to do that - especially if youre in a huge group...
I prefer to split the bill...easier that way.
For me, it's a variable. I have paid separately before. I like doing that as it relieves guilt from all involved. Not that taking turns paying doesn't, but I've been on the "paid for" side of things, my guilt complex is enormous.
i dont really know myself umm i tend to pay for the whole party everytime i go anywhere (im extremely gullible and well just have a tendancy to do this type of thing almost habit lol) :P i usually am the first to pay for the bill and then everyone else starts to be nice all of a sudden and i end up getting all free meals from then on out... weird but then again i do alot of nice things and then people do alot of nice things for me.... i have this habit of opening doors for people (lots and lots of people like spend 10 min holding a door for an amazingly long line) anyway now i walk around.... dontgit i got off topic again lol i have a horrible habit of starting to ramble and well yu get the idea
Normally, we pay our own unless it is a special occasion like a birthday (where the birthday-ee pays for everything =P )
I go to dinner with my friends all the time, and I much prefer everyone chipping in for one bill. I find it easier that way.
hmmm....It is a norm here for those ppl that go out with frens especially student to paid their own bill! Onli if u bring ur GirlFriend or ur discussing a business with some ppl! Then onli we paid all!
Me and my friends pay separately when we go out to eat. We do that for everything ^^.
There isn't a rule or norm about that here in Brazil... but usually, when you go out with friends, people pay separately. Sometimes when you get invited by someone's family, and you're the only person not from the family, they'll pay the tab for you. On someone's birthday, it's on his/her bill, though this is not that much common anymore. Sometimes people will also add everything up and split equally, just to make things easier.
it depends on the occasion and to the group but most of the time we pay separately ^__^
when me and my friends go out one of us foots the bill but we will pay for what we had to that person later.
Here, everyone goes dutch, unless you're with really close friends or relatives.
Normally it's 'betsu betsu ni' over here, to sit around and wait for someone to pay for your meal would be considered rude. Unless if a guy or gal insist to pay for everyone.
with my friends, we usually take turns to pick the tab
I prefer everyone to pay separately. Of course when every person has to pay for his/her part, it makes it a bit less convivial and more on the money-conscious side (I pay this, you pay that... This is mine, this is yours, etc.)? Separate bills seem to be the ideal to me. Thus I like it much better than sharing the bill. Why is that? Because if you have inconsiderate guests, they may eat in excess and you practically end paying more of their part. This unless you have foreign family or friends and that it's a really formal event (like them visiting you, etc.) Cold and rational I am, as always.
*Seem ideal to me And I forgot to say it depends on culture too. It is funny to see that in the Chinese culture, guests tend to fight to pay the bill. This is something that still surprises me each time I see it. Anyway, I don't eat outside except on rare occasions, so it's not really something I should be worried about (still I am aware of those concepts)
Betsu betsu for me
Seperately ftw! Unless of course you're on a date.
I guess since I make money from my own company instead of begging for it from a boss, I tend to pay the bill ~_~
When with my family, we pay the whole thing. With my friends, it's separate. Guess it's cause our family "shares" the money, and my friends and I obviously don't.
At one time I always liked everyone paying for their own. Unless it was a special occasion or such, then I take care of the bill. Now, it depends on who I'm with. I have a couple of colleagues that I often go out with and we take turns picking up the bill. I usually pay for my boss and I, even thought she makes more than I do. ^^; Of course I still pay for special occasions and such. Thinking about it now, I still like the everyone pay for their own meal. Usually it's more fun since the group loses the free loaders and boring people. Interesting how the boring people never want to pay the bill...
depends on where my friends and i dine. if we dine in a restaurant, one of us (usually the host) will pay first. after we left, we will divide the bill among ourselves and pay back the host. if we dine at a food court, we will buy our food individually ourselves.
See, I really dont care. If I am out with friends, I will just pick up the bill and start to pay. People generally throw some money in if they think they should, and sometimes I accept that. Now, if you are out with a woman, I was raised (Grandfather) that you ALWAYS pay for the bill. My girlfriend fights me all the time on this, so we came up with a cool game for it. It was that or throw money at the waiters when they got into range.
Paying separately is more convenient, but is a nice feeling when you're treated, or you treat someone, you know? For Chinese, its considered rude if you're not verbally and physically fighting to pay the bill and attempting to stuff bank notes into the other person's pockets-- or forcing it into their children's hands.
If I got out eating with friends, I'll always prefer paying separately when ever possible. I just dislike the process of sorting out who is paying who, how much is each person going to have to pay, and etc....
I'm that freeloader that everyone hates. :P
CyruzDraxs, I hate you. Lol... no, seriously.... maybe.
When i got out to dinner with my friends, we actually fight over the bill. Fight over who gets to pay it...because all of us want to pay. ^_^ I only go to dinner with my best friends, so i don't mind paying for them and vice versa
As people have said before, Chinese people fight to pay the bill quite often. One time one of my aunts secretly when up and told a waitress that another guest (forget who) often paid with counterfeit money. The guest was wondering why the waiter insisted on the aunt paying for it. He wasn't too happy about the explanation lol. A couple times people go up to pay for the group before they come with the bill. I think it is just considered polite to offer to pay for the bill, and when like old friends meet again they feel better if they pay. Never seen people fight so much over paying the bill in the US.
I usually split the bill(I eat to much). Unless its a date, then i pay all.
Me and my friends pay separately. I pay for my meal, its tax, plus tip and we always end up short...
usually pay seperately, except on my birthday, i rarely eat with my friend. kinda find alone is more convenient when walking outside. weird me -_-
i prefer party paying rotation when i got the money..but sometime if ur frens want to pay for it..it is more than welcome.. ;-P but its better with party paying, as long as the same party members are in it...
Yeah "Betsu betsu ni onegaishimasu" was one of the few first phrases I learnt when I was taking Japanese classes. During that time I was like this is really interesting that when paying you can ask for separate bills
One lesson I learned from paying for everyone, it may burn a huge hole in your wallet. It'll have to depend on the kind occasion tho.
same as 0shift, I split the bill with my mates when we go out. If it's a date, then etiquette dictates that I will pay for the lot.
Usually separate. If it's a special occasion or something small, like coffee, I prefer a single bill. For me, it doesn't make sense to fight over the small things.
i like the idea... in singapore esp .. when we are still students. we will split it up but after 1 person pays the full bill and the rest return it to him... there are many problems this way like the person paying first lose money as the price in the menu does not include GST and sevice charge. which will go up to 17%.
When me and my friends go out we usually just pay together by splitting up the total between us, but thats aslong as we are having buffet. If someone wants to eat seperately then they can but they will have to pay for their own food. It works out fairly in the end.
Always pay seperately.... but sometime... which happens quite often with some of my coworker, when we go to lunch, ALWAYS short on the amount... ALWAYS paid their meal without including the tax and tips... grrrr..... @_@
Here it's usually just one bill for the entire table but we always pay for what we had separately and someone just collects it. Troublesome for the one who collects our payment though since he/she will be dealing with the problem of giving change to each one of us. ^^
In here, we stay in flats. I always go eat with my flat friends every time, so we split the bill, and the restaurant usually wont mind if we pay the bill separately and give change to each person ^^
If its a daily thing like lunch with colleagues, usually we'd split the bill equally regardless of what we eat. If its an evening out with friends, usually we "go Dutch" that is to pay for what you eat with added tax/tips to the amount. If its a date with a hot girl, then of course you'd treat her. ;)
Here in Dublin, it's exactly the same. Most places ask you "Pay together or separate?" Some restaurants don't do that with larger parties, say more than 4 people or something. If they do, it's generally written somewhere visible on the menu.
I've been in the states for over 15 years. It is most definitely more common for friends to split the bill instead of having a person to pay for the whole thing and expect the others to pick up the bill the next time. So, I'm not sure the "in the UK or US" thing came from.
i would normally pay in just one bill to avoid the mess it might caused during the process..
