February 5, 2010
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Does Splitting the Check Make You a Cheapskate?
A lot of etiquette tips tend to raise my hackles. It’s not because I like being rude or anything, but I feel like so much of the advice given is completely outdated and irrelevant to my life. For example, I suppose hostess gifts are a nice thing for older people who actually host dinner parties, but they don’t fit in at all with the ways I hang out with my friends.
One topic in particular always seems to elicit tips that are particularly unhelpful: dining out. Most of the etiquette classics recommend either rotating who picks up the check among friends, or, if you must split the check, split it evenly among the all the parties. I’ve always been careful about what I order and don’t drink alcohol, so my portion of bills is always significantly less than everyone else’s. Following the classic rules would just negate my attempts to watch my budget. Not to mention it doesn’t seem fair to make me pay for someone else’s meal unless I want to, friend or not.
I’m lucky in that all my friends are in similar positions, so no one thinks it’s rude for me to suggest we only pay for what we actually order. But it’s made me wonder two things: Does anyone actually think it’s bad form these days to split a check? And would someone sacrifice their budget just to abide by rules of etiquette and avoid looking gauche?
My guess was that most people would answer “No” to both of these questions these days, but I found some quotes online that have proven me wrong.
