I'm convinced my friend group is secretly making me subsidize their dates.
By @owenlol · Friends
We always go out for big group dinners, and the rule is one person puts the whole bill on their card and everyone else Venmos them back. It seemed fair at first, but I'm starting to notice a very shady pattern.
The full story
So there's about 8 of us who go out to eat maybe twice a month. The system is simple, right? You calculate what you owe for your food and drinks, add tax and a generous tip (I always do 25%), and send it over. But last night I happened to see the Venmo request my buddy sent to his girlfriend, who was sitting next to me. He requested $50. I knew for a fact she had ordered two appetizers for herself, the salmon entree, and at least three cocktails that were like $18 each. Her share had to be closer to $100, easily. But he requested $50. And then I started thinking about it. The person who pays the bill is always one of two guys in the group. And the people who seem to get these weirdly low, rounded-down Venmo requests are always their girlfriends. Meanwhile, I'm doing meticulous math to pay my exact $67.50 share, and so are a few of the other single people in the group. We are absolutely the ones making up the difference for their discounted date nights. It's been happening for months and now I can't unsee it. How do you even call that out without seeming like a cheap, petty jerk? It feels like a full-blown conspiracy at this point.
How people voted
- OP Is Right — 30% (30 votes)
- Both Messy — 41% (41 votes)
- OP Is Wrong — 29% (29 votes)
Readers say “Both Messy” (41%) — 100 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@ren — nahhh
@didntaskbut — Is it possible they just pay each other back for the rest of it privately?
@ashkinda — The next time you go out, just announce you're getting a separate check because it's easier. See what happens.
@oscarmaybe — oh it's a date night subsidy program.
@sagetbh — That's so incredibly awkward, I'm sorry you're in that position. It's not petty to expect friends to pay their fair share.
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