Splitting the check can be so damn awkward. Sure, with some friends you may have an easy-breezy attitude where you go out together a lot and it'll all come out in the wash. But with others, it can turn really comfortable real quick. It can be especially difficult if one person sticks to a salad and tap water while the others are dining on steak and whiskey — did I message I'm a vegan and non-drinker? The struggle is real. And even though I'm often happy to split the check down the middle and put in a bit extra, sometimes it's just way too lopsided.
"We are expected to split things evenly in social settings, but everyone is in a different place in life," Maggie Germano, certified financial education instructor and financial coach for women, tells Bustle. "You don't have to try to keep up with people who are either earning or spending more than you are. Keep in mind that 'keeping up with the Jones'' is often what puts people into debt. Focus on what is right for you, not what might be expected of you." It's good advice, but sometimes it means having really awkward conversations with the people close to you. But any reasonable person will understand that you only want to pay for what you actually ate. Luckily, the days are gone where figuring out what you really owe was a complicated process. Now there are so many apps that do all of the heavy lifting for you, making equitable sharing just a swipe away.
Check out the entire ‘Young Money’ series and other videos on Facebook and the Bustle app across Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV.
So next time you go out to dinner, don't feel weird about splitting the bill. These apps will work out what you owe — even tax and tip — without anything getting weird. Here are the apps that can save your dinner (and maybe even your friendship).
1Plates By Splitwise
Sometimes, sharing is complicated. What if two of you shared an appetizer but a different two of you split a dessert? This app lets you work out exactly who owes what, by dragging dishes around a little table, so you can pay based off of what actually happened. No more resentment from that one person who never gets an appetizer.
Plates by Splitwise, Free
2Tab
When you're in a hurry, try Tab. You take a picture of the receipt, the app reads it and allows everyone to separate off what they bought. No more passing the receipt around and marking it individually; this streamlines the whole process and — hopefully — can stop a lot of awkwardness and quibbles between friends.
Tab, Free
3Split My Tab
I like this option because it can give you a really quick breakdown, letting you split right down the middle or divvy it up. And you can save groups who you go out with a lot to make sure that there's easy access. If they have it set up on their phones — or even if they don't — it's smooth sailing for splitting the check.
Split My Tab, $0.99
4Divvy
Create different people or even different subgroups — great for when you're out with couples who insist on paying together. Not only that, because it works out tax and tip there can be no wiggle room and you won't be left wondering how you came up 10 bucks short when everyone swears they put in what they owe. Just take the guess work out of it all.
Divvy, $2.99
5Venmo
Sometimes, it's easier if one person pays and you can figure it out after. Venmo is easy, so many people use it, and you can add a little message and emojis. That way if you have to leave in a rush you can always take care of it afterward.
Venmo, Free
See? There's nothing to worry about. It may be tempting to live like a baller and throw your caution — and money — to the wind. But saving and financial independence is way important. So there's no need to make a big ordeal out of it, just grab one of these apps and it'll be done before you know it — fair and square.
