If my parents could, they would always pay. They used to, until about a year ago. Now, we split all of the bills, though they’ll usually pay for half of my son’s cost.
My parents always pay when we go out (my mom took the kids and I to lunch today!), and we go out with them almost once a month. They know we can’t otherwise afford to eat in restaurants, and it’s a very welcome treat. I intend to pay when I take my grown up kids out too. It’s just the way we do things. We do pay if we go out for mothers’ day, fathers’ day or their birthdays.
My in-laws insist that we play the game of “No! We’re getting the check! NO, WE’RE GETTING THE CHECK!” and then we all have to playfully argue with the waitress over who the bill should be handed to. They always win.
However…the one time we didn’t make a move for the check, they acted like we were the most ungrateful people on the planet. It shouldn’t be a surprise that we always end up playing charades whenever they come to visit.
We struggle, but when my parents come to visit, we make a point to at least offer to cover our portion, and treat them out at least once per visit. My parents are comfortable financially, and when they were our age, my mother’s aunt and uncle treated them out a lot, so they view it as passing on the favor.
My in laws, however, are broker than a joke. A couple of years ago, they invited us out to a nice restaurant for my FIL’s birthday. The whole family went, and we budgeted very carefully to go. The bill came, my in laws ran off and left us and my two sisters in law hold their $120 portion of the tab! That was awful, because we didn’t have any extra to over ‘our’ $40 portion of their tab.
My parents have been generous with me throughout my childhood and even through college so when we go out with them they typically pay. Now that my husband and I work, have a home, and a baby on the way it is definitely harder for me to let them take the bill alone. I feel like we should split it fairly, but my Dad insists on paying. Awkward, but what can you do? The only time I objected was when they invited themselves into town, picked out a fancy restaurant, and then insisted I pay. That was a little much, can’t we just go halvsies?
I always push hard to share – or take over – the tab for my folks. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up, and they sacrificed a lot to send me and my brother to good schools and provide us with health care for expensive medical conditions. Because of those opportunities, I now have a great job where I earn more than either of them ever did, and I always feel this is a small way I can pay them back. They always push back – I guess, as the parents, they still feel like they should be paying – but usually we manage to agree on at least a bill split.
Now
If my parents could, they would always pay. They used to, until about a year ago. Now, we split all of the bills, though they’ll usually pay for half of my son’s cost.
My parents always pay when we go out (my mom took the kids and I to lunch today!), and we go out with them almost once a month. They know we can’t otherwise afford to eat in restaurants, and it’s a very welcome treat. I intend to pay when I take my grown up kids out too. It’s just the way we do things. We do pay if we go out for mothers’ day, fathers’ day or their birthdays.
My in-laws insist that we play the game of “No! We’re getting the check! NO, WE’RE GETTING THE CHECK!” and then we all have to playfully argue with the waitress over who the bill should be handed to. They always win.
However…the one time we didn’t make a move for the check, they acted like we were the most ungrateful people on the planet. It shouldn’t be a surprise that we always end up playing charades whenever they come to visit.
We struggle, but when my parents come to visit, we make a point to at least offer to cover our portion, and treat them out at least once per visit. My parents are comfortable financially, and when they were our age, my mother’s aunt and uncle treated them out a lot, so they view it as passing on the favor.
My in laws, however, are broker than a joke. A couple of years ago, they invited us out to a nice restaurant for my FIL’s birthday. The whole family went, and we budgeted very carefully to go. The bill came, my in laws ran off and left us and my two sisters in law hold their $120 portion of the tab! That was awful, because we didn’t have any extra to over ‘our’ $40 portion of their tab.
My parents have been generous with me throughout my childhood and even through college so when we go out with them they typically pay. Now that my husband and I work, have a home, and a baby on the way it is definitely harder for me to let them take the bill alone. I feel like we should split it fairly, but my Dad insists on paying. Awkward, but what can you do? The only time I objected was when they invited themselves into town, picked out a fancy restaurant, and then insisted I pay. That was a little much, can’t we just go halvsies?
I always push hard to share – or take over – the tab for my folks. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up, and they sacrificed a lot to send me and my brother to good schools and provide us with health care for expensive medical conditions. Because of those opportunities, I now have a great job where I earn more than either of them ever did, and I always feel this is a small way I can pay them back. They always push back – I guess, as the parents, they still feel like they should be paying – but usually we manage to agree on at least a bill split.