My Friends Want Me To Pay For His Meals 🥺💔 Reddit Stories

[RedditBook]

... so, AITA?
👀 Full Story ( Details + UPDATES ) 👇

I(27M) have been a part of a small friend group, around 8 people total, basically since college.

For some background, 2 people from the group, Susan and Greg, are just absolute leeches. Going out for lunch? Expect them to order the most expensive on the menu then feed you some story about their finances and then dumb half the bill on you.

Last weekend, Dan, one of the people from the group, told me about a casual dinner . I told him how if Susan or Greg were there I wouldn't be able to come. He tells me that they would be there but I should just put my opinions aside and come just once.

This is kind of where I might be an AH. I agreed with him and told him I would be there. I show up and we all get to talking.

Everyone began putting in their orders, most of them spent about $40. There were only about 6 people there. When it gets to Susan and Greg, they both order expensive dishes, around $200. When it was my turn to order, everyone looked at me, but I just pick up the menu and point to the $4 Miller Lite and sent the waiter away. Dan asked why I hadn't ordered anything and all I said was that I lost my appetite. The other 2 friends got up as well 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 brings over the check. Greg then grabs the waiter and asks him to split the check 6 ways. I stand up and correct him saying the check was to be split 3 ways. Greg looks at me confused and asks why since we "always" split the bill. I reminded him that 3 of us had not eaten any food so we would just be paying for our drinks. So basically at the end of the night, Dan, who probably only ate around $50 worth of food, was stuck with a $146.98 check at the end. (Yes, I remember the exact number.) I swear I saw his jaw drop when he picked that receipt up.

I slid a $10 towards the check, said goodbye everyone, and walked out.

The next morning, I found my phone full of texts from Greg and Susan telling me I was an AH for not ordering any food and forcing them to pay more than they had accounted for. I honestly laughed because the steaks alone were more than what they had paid but to each their own right?

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

Edit: At this restaurant, the bar is separate so drinks are on a separate bill if that makes sense. And if anyone is concerned about leaving a tip, I live in Australia.

Edit 2: Hey guys just wanted to clarify some things:

1. 90% of restaurants where I live they don't do separate checks and might separate the bill for you if you're lucky. BTW. This post is in AUD, so if you want the amounts in USD, you have to convert it.
2. Dan could have easily asked Greg and Susan to transfer him the money if he wanted but he's always been about helping them through their "financial hardship" even though they're just using him and keeps dragging me into it. I admit what I did was immature but I'm tired of being forced to play along. It's his money and if he wants to spend it on them, that's fine, but I'm not paying for them.
3. Also Dan's a really good friend of mine, albeit blind AF. I was just trying to get him to see what kind of people he was "helping". I will admit it was a tad bit petty.
4. Thank you for the gold.

... so, AITA?

[JeriStults]

$200 narcissists are not friends. You knew better but let your self in for another lesson. Yep confirmed. Your free now. Stay that way.

[judybabcock]

There comes a time when it’s enough paying for food you didn’t order. They were shameless expecting all of you to help pay their expensive dinner. Good for you speaking up! After awhile I’ll get resentful so it’s time the issue was addressed!

[niteloon]

I was raised (60' & 70's). If you ask someone out you pay since you asked. The only exception is if you both agree to go Dutch(aka 50/50). If you are asked out you look at the menu and ask them what they are thinking of ordering, that gives you a price range of what you can get.
Had a friend who was down in the dump and I told her I would buy LUNCH at the Peking Inn. Told her they had a great lunch special (3.95) egg drop soup, fried wontons, one egg roll, egg fried rice or steamed and one meat(sweet 'n sour, almond chicken, pork etc, ). So we went in and I asked for lunch menus then my daughter needed to use the bathroom. Told her to go ahead and order while we were gone. Got back and she had a sweet 'n sour dinner(6.95) 4 egg rolls(4.00), egg fried rice AND steamed(1.75 each), as well as sweet and sour soup(1.5). I figured the prices up in my head. Didn't have enough $ for all that needed to be done that day. So I didn't get anything and just got ONE egg roll and egg fried rice for my daughter ( she was 4 so it was enough to fill her up). When the waitress brought the check she also brought out a box seems Danetta had also ordered the same amount of food 2 times more. So she could take supper home for her daughter and husband! Just what she got was $51.56 After that we caught the bus to the grocery store. I bought 1/2 gallon of milk 1 pound of hamburger, bag of frozen peas and carrots, and 15 dry ramen noodle packages(5 for a Dollar). All that I had $$ for. When Danetta got off the bus at her house her husband Tobey got on the bus to ride 4 blocks to my house to help me unload my groceries. Told him I only had 2 bags and I could handle them alright. He looked at me like I was nuts. Asked why I hadn't gotten my usual groceries. I told him I didn't have $$ for groceries today. He asked why not. I hemmed and hawed and then finally let it out. He blew up at Danetta and told her to give me the food. Told him they could keep it because she had been picking at it on the way home. Stayed friends with Toby but not Danetta or her daughter( just like her mom). Toby told me later he gave her what for and told her she was not going shopping for the next 3 months and she was paying me back FOUR TIMES what it had cost me out of her disability checks. Seems that was not the first time she had done that to people!

[pg]

That's not a friend, you did the right thing there.

[littlemschat]

Why is Dan calling out the friend who did not order food n also convinced to come? If those 2 r broke, they dont have to order $200 each

[Skiing]

Feel bad for that one bro that only ordered 40 bucks

[Michellef]

Facts! Stop allowing people to use you, including so-called friends.

[KimberlyDallas-js]

You let that slide once and I guarantee you they'll try it EVERY chance they get

[Rasheens-Story]

Yup I have done the same. I’m not paying for anyone’s food

[williamdennis]

That's not a friend. That's a freeloader masquerading as a friend

[TyTrell]

These friends were using OP for money and the “friend” who invited OP tried to set up OP by making OP pay for their meals again, but it backfired terribly. OP, run far away from these people and don’t look back.

[megthe_misunderstood_rebel]

They’re not friends, they’re pretentious moochers

[awkwardseal]

If you have financial hardships you dont go out and eat or u keep it cheap

[philippbassauer]

Never understood splitting in xfold just pay what u owe and be safe from leeches

[Lady_Blade_WarAngel]

What kills me, I live in the UK, and was born with a disability (registered blind, as I only have 15% sight in one eye, so 85% blind). So, due to that, I'm on what Americans would call welfare. I'm not wealthy by any means. But when I go out with friends for dinner, I pay for what I order. If a friend offers to pay for me, I'm super grateful, and I NEVER go for the most expensive dish on the menu. In fact, if a friend offers, or even my partner offers to pay, I go out of my way to make sure I go for the cheapest option.

People like Susan and Greg piss me off. I have cousins like them. If you can't afford to go out to eat, stay home. If I know I can't afford something, I 100% don't do it. It's really wrong to mooch off of people. And Dan is an AH for expecting everyone to help pay for Susan and Greg, just because he wants to 'help them through their poverty". Like, if he wants to do that, good for him, but he needs to put his money where hus mouth is. Not other people's money. He has no right to be angry that everyone ordered drinks, and didn't want to pay for Greg and Susan. That is on him. If he wants to help them, that's on him.

[arrireadytoparty]

the fact that it’s multiple people tells me they’re tired of the antics too

[barbaraannbaez]

What would happen if everyone ordered very expensive food? Susan and Greg would b screwed.😂

[kshsxlr]

Good Lad, stand your Ground. Scroungers.

[maryrutledge]

When I was on a band trip in high school we stopped at a restaurant for lunch. There were 4 of us at the table. I had a side salad and just water, two others had soup and waters. One girl ordered a double burger, onion rings, a milk shake AND a slice of pie. When the server came with the check the girl who ordered the four owns tried to tell her to just split it 4 ways! We all spoke up and Saira no way were we subsidizing her feast when we were eating light so we wouldn't be sluggish performing. She got really upset that we wouldn't fall for paying for most of her meal