I’m part of a small friend group of about eight people, but two members, Susan and Greg, are notorious for ordering extremely expensive meals and then trying to pass the cost onto everyone else. Last weekend, Dan invited me to a casual dinner, and I told him I wouldn’t attend if Susan or Greg were there. He said they’d be present but urged me to come anyway, so I agreed.
At the dinner, Susan and Greg each ordered meals totaling around $200, while the rest of us spent about $40. When it was my turn, I just ordered a $4 drink. Other friends downgraded their meals to drinks as well. When the check arrived, Greg tried to split it six ways, but I explained that only those who actually ordered food should pay. As a result, Dan ended up with a bill of about $147.
The next day, Susan and Greg accused me of being nasty for not ordering food and making the bill higher for Dan. While I understand why Dan was frustrated, I believe I acted fairly—I only paid for what I consumed and didn’t cover the cost of their extravagant meals.