Frugal dilemmas: dividing the bachelorette party tab
Reader eth posed a different dilemma under our conversation about splitting the check for birthday meals, this time about sharing bachelorette party expenses among a large group:
I'm planning a bachelorette party for possibly up to 20+ people (still waiting for people to RSVP, you know how that goes)...any tips for handling the bill without much commotion with that many people? Should I ask for money upfront and then put it all on my credit card? Should I tell people ahead of time what the payment expectations are? It's dinner and then the bar, so the bill could be outrageous. Just trying to plan ahead of any issues...help?
Anyone have any good suggestions? Here's what I told her earlier ...
As the organizer, I think you can tell and should tell the other guests what to expect when it comes to the meal. I like what dining blogger Elizabeth Large suggested for group dinners: have the menu and cost set in advance, with a private room. It will make it easier on the restaurant to have a set menu and you should (hopefully) get better service.
EL also suggests getting an open bar. That's a good idea because if you want the group to cover the cost of the bride's meal and drinks, you can split it equally without anyone feeling shortchanged.
I definitely think eth should tell people ahead of time what to expect in terms of their personal contribution, covering their own expenses as well as a share of the bride's (if that's part of the deal).
Collecting the money upfront seems like it would decrease the burden on the restaurant, as well -- no need to split the check on 20+ credit cards.
What do you think?
