The Art of Going Dutch

We all love those dinner dates whether it's a couples night or a bunch of girlfriends, these are the evenings that make the long week bearable.  Who doesn't look forward to spending memorable moments at a fabulous restaurant and having a wonderful time of food, friends and of course drinks!  But let's be real, there's always a bit of tension and possible animosity when the waiter arrives with the bill.  Who's going to pay what amount?  Do we pull out a calculator and individually tell each person what they owe down to the penny?  Do we allow each person to calculate their amount and add in a tip?  Or do we just make the whole process easier and split the bill evenly by the number of people?

Me and the hubby at a fundraising dinner.

1950's style.

Chances are most people won't have enough cash on them to cover their share of the bill and of course that means we are giving 4-5 credit cards to the waiter.  Just envision that annoyed look of the waiter while they swipe each card...and then the other question...how much do we tip?

Whoever would have thought paying a restaurant bill would be so confusing?  Well, unfortunately people make this  more difficult than it needs to be.  So here are a few tips to help your dinning experience be more pleasant and less stressful.

1.  Be generous with yourself and others.  It is always better to over-tip the waiter, so never try to calculate it down to the penny.  Round up!  20% tip is about average amount.  However, if the service is bad then it is understandable that your level of generosity may have decreased....by a lot!

2. If everyone at the table at eaten relatively the same amount of food and ordered about the same number of drinks, then it might be easiest to split the bill down the middle based on the number of people.  Sauce of Life Tip:  If you do this, make sure to add in the tip because telling the amount owed by each person.

3. Always bring cash!  No, $20.00 is not enough to cover appetizers, an entree, dessert and drinks for one person.  Plan ahead.

4. Never expect someone else to pay for your meal.  That is presumptuous  and extremely rude!  Pay for what you eat: be responsible.

5. If you don't have the money budgeted to go out to dinner, then you need to pass on the invitation.  Yes, it would be nice to have a night out with the girls, but arriving without the necessary funds and then expecting other people to cover your portion may result in no future invitations.

6.  Let's repeat #1.  Be Generous!  Tip the waiter well, this may be their only table for the night.  Good work deserves good pay.  If by the off chance a close friends forgot to bring cash, then it may be best for you to offer them money to stop any form of embarrassment.  Always think of others first.

7. Enjoy the night!  Have a fabulous evening and leave the stress at work!