Going Dutch, Simple Math

This happens to me a lot. Since I usually do not go out to eat, I have not ranted about this in the past. But today, I went out and had lunch with five other people, a total of six of us. That is not the math part.

First of all, let me say that going out to eat is expensive. A sandwich (tuna melt) can set you back $8. Yet, a loaf of bread, pack of cheese, can of tuna, head of lettuce, and anything else you may need to make a tuna melt, will cost you the same $8. And, you still have food left over to make more sandwiches.

Here is a tip that will make paying the bill a lot easier. When you order...remember how much your food and drink is. Example: Tuna melt - $8, Drink $3. Total $11. When it comes time to play, remember that number (11). Then, add about 20% for tax and tip. For my example here, it comes to about $13-14. Hey, you are in a large group and (if) your server was half way decent, give them $15. Very simple.

So many times I have seen people think, "Hmm, I had a sandwich, drink...that is like $10. WRONG!

Now, this is were I get to the point of all this. This happened today. I usually order things that are relatively cheap (remember, I am too cheap to eat out most of the time), and I rarely drink soda...just plain ice water.

Okay, here is the math part. If you are the person doing the "math" for the table, you have to make sure that the total amount of money you collect is enough to cover the tip as well. Everyone else should remember the price of their items and pay accordingly.

The food I order is usually around $10 (including tax and tip). Most people average around $15 (including tax and tip). So, why is it that everyone at the table 'owes' $18? WRONG! I ordered the $10 (including tax and tip) sandwich with no drink. Meanwhile, everyone else orders the fillet mignon with lobster. Really? I have to chip in for that? You DO NOT split the bill evenly when members of the group order different things.