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Splitting a Restaurant Bill Without the Mental Math

Table math is one of those things that sounds simple until you're sitting at a restaurant with six people, a shared appetizer, someone who didn't drink, and a check that doesn't divide evenly. Even people who are comfortable with numbers tend to make errors when they're tired and distracted at the end of a meal.

The faster move is to use https://evvytools.com/tools/everyday-math/tip-calculator/ — enter the bill total, pick your tip percentage, and specify how many ways to split. It outputs the amount per person including tip, so everyone pays the same and you're done in ten seconds.

For uneven splits where one person ordered more, run the calculator on each person's subtotal separately rather than the full table total. That way the tip scales with what each person actually ordered, which is fairer and avoids the quiet resentment that comes from someone who ordered a salad and water subsidizing the table's three rounds of cocktails.

The tip percentage debate is a separate problem, but for reference: 18% is the current standard for adequate service, 20% is common for good service, and 25% is appropriate when a server has genuinely gone out of their way. Anything below 15% on a sit-down meal sends a message, intentionally or not.

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