Split the bill by what people can actually pay
Dividing equally is simple and quietly excludes whoever ordered the cheapest thing for a reason.
The BeingKind editorsPublished How this is written
Why it lands
An even split is fair arithmetic and often unfair in effect: the person who had tap water and a starter subsidises everyone else, and they chose that way because money is tight. They will not say so. Over time they stop coming, and the group decides they have gone off them. Handling the bill differently is the single most effective way to keep a mixed-income group together.
How
Suggest paying for what you each had, which sounds fussier and is kinder. Or have whoever is doing well quietly cover the difference without announcing it. Never make someone explain in front of the table why they would rather not split evenly.
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