The dilemma between Friends & Restaurant bills
To pay or not to pay…
Dealing with money can be awkward especially around people you know. Remember the last time you were on a tight budget but you still wanted to go out and grab a bite with your friends. You ordered one beer & an appetizer while others were enjoying the expensive wine & scrumptious food. Everyone was having a gala time & it was the time to call the evening. Someone asked for the bill. The bill came, the amount looked big & you already started the calculation in your mind. Suddenly, one of your friends suggested, “Guys, let’s split. It’s simple”. “Yes, that’s right,” said most of your friends in support. Your heart skipped a beat. You told your friend to settle later.
On your way back home, hundreds of thoughts were racing through your mind. You analyzed & reanalyzed the scenario & started mumbling the counter statements against ‘let’s split’.
“I should have been upfront & told them I just had a beer & would like to pay for it. But would I looked like a prick?”
“I should have asked Ajay & Vikas to support individual split since they also had one or two beer & were not looking very happy”
“I should have taken the task to divide the money but I suck at calculation. It would have consumed a lot of time”
“It’s ok, I didn’t say anything. Will settle when my salary comes”
You somehow convinced yourself that you did the right thing but the back of the mind you knew the budget has already taken a hit.
We all have been in this scenario. To avoid hurting someone or our relationship or to protect our image, we take unnecessary strain but is it worth it?
You can avoid the strain by:
• Speaking what’s in your mind. They are your friend(s) & will definitely understand. A polite ‘NO’ works wonder at times!
• Calculate if it's worth going for the party when you are on tight budget.
• Offer to calculate & divide the expenses. If you feel you are not good with numbers, use the bill splitting apps. There are a lot of apps on iOS & Android. You will get all kind of apps- free or paid version, bill splitter function, tips calculator etc.
One of the new app on iOS & Android is “WESPLIT”. It’s fast & super lite app. You can split the bill in 1 easy step either equally or as per individual item. No limit to party size. Ads free. You can set the tax & tip amount too. It’s in the early phase but very helpful. The team will add new features in coming versions.
So next time your friend asks how we pay, just say “WESPLIT”.
