Woman Fuming Over How Friend Splits $210 Dinner Check Backed: 'Unfair'

Splitting the check after a meal at a restaurant is often a tricky situation to navigate, and one frustrated woman has turned to the internet for advice after feeling she paid more than her fair share of the total.

User NazMedusa sought advice on Mumsnet on January 16 after going out for dinner to celebrate a friend's birthday with three former work colleagues. One of the guests brought along his wife, much to the annoyance of the rest of the group.

While NazMedusa and the two other guests didn't drink alcohol during the dinner, the male guest and his wife ordered alcoholic drinks, starters and extra side dishes.

Unfortunately, by the end of the evening the poster was left thinking she had paid far more than she should have, while the male guest underpaid. Despite feeling aggrieved, the other guests didn't confront the matter at the time and felt they had no choice but to pay up.

A 2019 poll of 2,500 U.S. adults by eMoney Advisor found that 57 percent of Americans avoid talking about personal finances with their friends, showing that people still find it extremely difficult and awkward to discuss money.

The survey also found that 43 percent of people experienced negative feelings, including stress, confusion or embarrassment, when they do talk about finances.

That was certainly true when the check arrived for NazMedusa's dinner.

"The bill came to £170 ($210). Our food and drinks came to around £25 ($30) each for the non-drinkers. The couple spent the rest," the Mumsnet user shared.

The male guest and his wife then calculated who owed what, telling their friends they owed far more than they thought. "As the birthday girl is close friends with the three of us, I expected him to split her part between the three of us, and then split the rest of the bill according to what we roughly ordered.

"Instead, he said that myself and the other non-drinking friend owed £48 each, and he paid £74. So, he only paid £26 extra when he was supposed to be paying for two adults (himself and his wife) plus the non-drinking birthday girl."

Rubbing salt in the wound, the poster said she was on an extended maternity leave, and so had no income, whereas the man and his wife were "top earners."

Hoping to find consolation and advice online, she ended the post by saying: "We paid it without saying anything as didn't want to make things awkward, especially in front of birthday girl. But how should I deal with things next time this happens?"

Many of the people who commented on the post were quick to support the woman, but they also noted that she should have spoken up at the time.

One person wrote: "Totally unfair, but you should have said something at the time. Either email him, point out the numbers and be blunt that you feel he ripped you off, or don't invite him along in the future."

Another supportive person commented: "Next time it happens, you offer to work the bill out. Or once he's worked it out say, sorry that sounds a bit high, do you mind if I just check myself? It might have been a bit awkward for five minutes but if you're all good friends I'm sure the others would understand."

Newsweek was not able to verify the details of the case.

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