I refused to split the check evenly: am I being cheap?
Editors' DilemmaOctober 28, 2026· Be the first to vote
A story made up by our editors to get the debate going, not a real account.
My side
There were eight of us at a restaurant for a friend’s birthday. I ordered a salad and tap water: tight end of the month, and I’d said so when I arrived. Next to me, a friend of a friend ordered a seafood tower “for two,” ate it by himself, then had dessert. When the check came, someone said: “Let’s just split it eight ways, it’s easier!” That came to $48 each. My salad was $16. I said, politely, that I’d rather pay for what I had, plus my share of the birthday cake. A little chill around the table. The friend of a friend sighed: “Oh, so we’re pulling out the calculator now?”
Their side
According to the friend of a friend, splitting evenly is an unwritten rule among friends: sometimes you eat more, sometimes less, and it all evens out in the end. Doing the math down to the cent at the table ruins the party and makes everyone uncomfortable. He adds that he would gladly have covered my share if I’d asked him quietly.
So, who's wrong?
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