My Friends Always Order Expensive Food and Expect Everyone to Split the Bill, Here’s What I Did

You're out to dinner with friends and having a great time when the bill finally hits the table. Suddenly, things get a little tense—awkward glances, nervous laughs. Do you split the bill evenly, even if everyone ordered differently, or does each person pay for their own? It's a question we've all had to deal with, but one Reddit user did something so unexpected that it shocked everyone at the table.

Here's the full story:

Everyone was pretty much on the same side:

• Is it not possible to ask the waiter for separate checks—i.e., everyone gets their own check for what they ordered—ahead of time? While some people think this is a little tacky, it's not anywhere near as tacky as ordering a meal that costs five times as much as anyone else's and expecting them to cover it. SamSpayedPI / Reddit
• They clearly premeditated this whole event and expected others to take the financial fall for their lifestyle. Hope Dan opens his eyes, but right now, they seem superglued shut. Good for you, though. Pale_Needleworker924 / Reddit
• I thought what you did was brilliant. You started by saying you would not attend if the leeches were there, your friend Dan wanted you to come anyway, so you did, but on your own terms. The moment you ordered only a drink, that was a signal that every adult at the restaurant should have recognized—especially because the bar bill is separate from the food—that you were not eating, two others were not eating, thus obviously not splitting a bill for dinner. I bet Dan will not be so quick to include Susan and Greg again. Auntie-Mam69 / Reddit

• Dan was the one who told you to put your opinions aside & just come, right? Well handled. Your friends must've thought so too, because they followed suit. Dan got caught out. What I'm wondering, though, is why any of you continue socializing/being friends with people who not only constantly leech off you, but openly admit to doing so. Apart-Ad-6518 / Reddit
• People saying you stuck Dan with a big bill are probably just like these two users, ordering outside their means. I had friends who did this when I was in college, working 2 jobs, technically 3, just to scrape by. I was living on ramen, but they would insist I go out.
  I’d get a free glass of water and nothing else. I sometimes could’ve ordered the cheapest thing, but they always split the check for both food and drinks and tip (America, so asking to separate the checks is normal and done at many places here). So I just refused to partake.
  They complained after a couple times, and I was like hey you all know I’m broke, so is it my company you’re wanting or what little money I have?? I no longer talk to any of them. If you go to the next outing, call them out. Ask if they have enough to fully cover what they’re gonna order and if not please order something else. Bullfrog323 / Reddit
• I'd say you were clever and creative in finding a solution to the well-known leech problem. You didn't force anyone to do anything, they made their decisions and faced the consequences. If anything, Greg and Susan have only themselves to blame for ordering pricey dishes and expecting everyone else to foot their bill. Dan's reaction is somewhat understandable, but he knew the risks when he asked you to come. I think a lesson was learned that day, albeit a rather expensive one. AddisonN****Nymph / Reddit

In a similar story, at a family dinner, someone told this Reddit user to pay for everyone.