My Friends Always Order Pricey Meals and Expect Everyone to Split the Bill, So I Decided to Teach Them a Lesson –

You’re enjoying a fun dinner with friends when the bill finally arrives. Suddenly, the atmosphere shifts — awkward glances, nervous chuckles. Should you split the bill evenly, even if everyone ordered differently, or should each person cover their own meal? It’s a dilemma we’ve all faced, but one Reddit user handled it in a way that left everyone at the table completely stunned.

I’ve been part of a small friend group of about 8 people since college. Two people in the group, Susan and Greg, are absolute leeches. When we go out to eat, they always order the most expensive thing on the menu, complain about their finances, and then try to get you to pay half the bill.

Last weekend, Dan invited me to a casual dinner. I told him I wouldn’t go if Susan or Greg were there. He insisted that they would be there but I should put my opinions aside and just go once.

I agreed and showed up at the dinner. Everyone started placing their orders, and most people spent around $40. When it was Susan and Greg’s turn, they both ordered expensive dishes, costing about $200 each. When it was my turn, everyone looked at me, but I just ordered a $4 drink and sent the waiter away. Dan asked why I hadn’t ordered anything, and I said I lost my appetite. Two other friends also decided to cancel their orders and just have drinks.

After the main courses came out, I saw Susan and Greg picking at their food. The waiter then brought over the check. Greg grabbed the waiter and asked him to split the check 6 ways. I stood up and corrected him, saying the check should be split 3 ways. Greg looked confused and asked why, since we “always” split the bill. I reminded him that the 3 of us hadn’t eaten any food, so we would only be paying for our drinks. In the end, Dan, who probably only ate about $50 worth of food, was stuck with a $146.98 check. I swear I saw his jaw drop when he picked up the receipt.

I slid a $10 towards the check, said goodbye to everyone, and walked out. The next morning, I found my phone full of texts from Greg and Susan saying I was a bad guy for not ordering any food and forcing them to pay more than they had accounted for. I laughed because the steaks alone were more than what they had paid.

I also got a lot of messages from Dan saying that I could have just not come instead of pulling that stunt and getting him stuck with an outrageous bill.