Friend group goes out for birthday dinner, spends $340, wants to split it all evenly, and calls another friend ‘cheap’ for refusing to pay $57 when she only ordered $14 worth of food: ‘Money is tight at the moment’

Giuliana Tiscioni • Writer

Aug 17, 2026 8:00 AM EDT

How do you split the restaurant bill with your friends?

Some people split everything equally, and some others just prefer to pay only for what they ordered. Both options are fine, as long as everyone agrees. The goal is for everyone to have a good time and for no one to overspend what they can't afford.

However, if someone doesn't want to split everything equally and pay for something they didn't order, they have the right to say so and pay only for what they are eating. That was what a woman thought about the matter, especially since she was on a budget. She and her friend group went out for a birthday dinner, and she let them know beforehand that she would eat light because the money was tight for her. She ordered a $14 salad and water. The rest started ordering steak, expensive drinks, desserts, and whatnot. The bill ended up being $340, and they wanted to split it evenly, so everyone would pay $57. She refused, since that was three times what she had spent, and she was going to end up paying for things she hadn't even tried. She said she would pay for her meal, a decent tip, and her share for the birthday girl, but nothing more. The rest started accusing her of being cheap, making a fuss about it, and accusing her of ruining the celebration.

The thing is, those friends who accused her of being cheap are the ones who are actually being cheap. Otherwise, how do you call it to order expensive things and then expect someone else to pay for it? Besides, she had already told them that money was short and she was on a budget. The friends not only seem to be cheap but also quite inconsiderate. Not everyone makes as much money as everyone else, and asking them to pay for something they can't afford shows a tremendous lack of empathy for others.

What would you have done? Would you have paid what they were asking, or just your share, as she did?

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AITAH for refusing to pay an equal share of a group dinner bill when I only ordered a salad and water?

It was last week, and me (26 F) went to a restaurant with six of my friends to celebrate the birthday of one of them. It was a fancy restaurant, and everyone kept ordering steaks,

Friends at a restaurant

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cocktails, and different appetizers for sharing. I am currently saving up money to relocate to another city and informed them about it in advance, in the group chat, as I was going to attend the dinner but eat light because money is tight at the moment.

I ordered salad worth of $14 and water. Others got their full meals, wine, and desserts. The check summed up to around $340 for the entire table. However, when we got to the payment

Young woman worried about money

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part, one of my friends suggested we split the bill evenly in the amount of $57 per person and started sending payment requests before anyone could object.

I responded that I feel uncomfortable paying $57 for the $14 order and will gladly pay for what I ate along with a reasonable tip for it and my share in the cost of food for our friend

celebrating her birthday. A couple of people rolled their eyes but did not say anything, while one of my friends got very vocal about the matter in front of everyone and started — See what we mean? Inconsiderate friends with little empathy.

accusing me of "being that person" and creating an uncomfortable situation "for some money," since friends do not play the cheap game with each other. — Excuse you, but the only person creating an uncomfortable environment is you by trying to embarrass your friend.

Anyway, I paid for my food, for my tip, and for the part of the birthday girl's food as I promised, which cost me around $30. I did not pay $57. The mentioned friend later posted — If she were the cheap one, she wouldn't have paid for the birthday girl or left a tip… Did her friends think about that? Doesn't seem like it…

some vague stories on her account regarding "cheap friends who ruin the atmosphere of the joint party" and two other members of the company stopped answering to my messages. — Darling, let them go. If they treat you like that, they're not really your friends.

I do not get much, but I am on a tight budget at the moment, and I have already told everybody that before the dinner started. I

think it is not reasonable to be pressured to pay three times more than what I ordered because some others ordered a steak and a glass of wine.

AITAH for not splitting the bill evenly and for being honest about paying only for what I actually ordered?

Woman worried about her friends not answering her texts

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rainiest-island It's not you who's being cheap here, it's your friend.... The very definition of being cheap is ordering steak and cocktails at an expensive restaurant and expecting everyone else to pay extra to cover your share - — Our thoughts exactly.

You have every right to attend group functions like this and pay for yourself only - you also included a tip and money towards the birthday girls dinner...

Do not let this go - you need to text this friend directly and ask her why she thinks it's ok for her to order steak and cocktails and expect you to pay for it?

Do not dance around the issue, she clearly has no problem calling you out and embarrassing you on social media - she's the one that should be embarrassed here

OrangeMustangGal Entitled "friends," who expect you to subsidize their meals and booze, aren't really your friends. You made it clear from the outset that you were happy to pay for your own meal, tip, and pay your share of the birthday dinner. They accused you of being "cheap," but truly cheap.is expecting others to carry you.

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