My Friends Ordered Expensive Meals and Expected Me to Pay, But This Time I Had a Plan

We usually choose our friends carefully, so splitting the bill is often no big deal. But when dining with a group, things can get tricky. Should the bill be split evenly, even if everyone ordered different things, or should each person pay their share? There’s no right answer, but one Reddit user made a surprising move that caught everyone off guard.

This Reddit user shared the full story:

When people shared their thoughts on this situation, it quickly became clear that most of them were all on the same page.

• “Even if you were not hungry, I would still say NTA. They 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
• "Dan needs to make up his mind lol. What he means is, that you should have come and paid for Susan and Greg’s food even though you were clear from the jump that you wouldn’t. NTA but time to stop hanging out with these people. “Brainjacker / Reddit
• “People saying YOU stuck Dan with a big bill are probably just like these two users ordering outside of 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. So I just refused to partake. They complained a couple of 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

• “Dan didn’t want to listen when you told him the problem, so you had to show him. Some people learn that way and Dan certainly learned at that dinner! In the future immediately ask for a separate check. This was Susan and Greg can’t claim to be blind-sighted. Or, maybe run up the bill and stiff it on them.” Constant_Increase_17 / Reddit
• “I ALWAYS ask for a separate check when I go out. I am not paying for your food! The fact that they ADMITTED that they didn’t intend to pay for their food would make me NEVER go out with them again. You did nothing wrong. I would send their text admitting that they didn’t intend to pay for their food to ANYONE who is complaining.” SheiB123 / Reddit
• “I had a co-worker like that. If the company was picking up the tab or if he knew it was a ‘split the bill’ meal, he took full advantage plus ensured he could take a doggie bag of at least half his food home. Once, he only ate the appetizers they ordered at a company lunch and took his whole meal home. I can’t stand people like that.
  I did, however, have a friend group for a while where we took turns picking up the entire tab. No one took advantage of the situation and if one person had significantly more than the others, that person chipped in. We even discussed who was picking up the tab before we sat down so it was clear. That was a good group.
  Greg and Susan are not friends. Never were. You used the word ‘leeches’ accurately. And, Dan? Dan is an enabler. He pushed you into going while knowing how Greg and Susan would act and how you felt about it. Dan is not a friend either. There are times in our lives when we have to leave ’friends’ behind. It’s not always easy but it needs to happen. I know I’ve had a hard time with that in my life.” theothermeisnothere / Reddit

In a similar story, a woman told us how she made a bold move to finally put an end to her sister-in-law’s habit of taking advantage of her generosity and dodging the bill at pricey dinners.