Would you expect MIL to pay for sons birthday meal??
My MIL invited us to a meal at a fancy restaurant for my partners birthday.
They are very much a pay for yourself family ( although my partner is very generous and often pays for them if we go out), however, I assumed as it was his birthday and she picked somewhere fairly expensive (£20 for a roast), that she would be paying for the both of us.
When the bill came it was very awkward and my partner said he was happy to do whatever. FIL looked a bit confused and MIL said put £100 on our card and we just pay the rest (£50), which is technically their share plus £25.
I personally thought it was quite rude to invite us and not pay for the whole thing but I wondered what everyone's opinion was.
Would you expect them to pay? X
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If you invite someone to a restaurant, usually you’re expected to pay for it..
No I wouldn't personally. My MIL does always pay but I always offer x
I would never assume anyone is paying for my meal out, other than my dad but that's because he always pays. But I still offer and would be happy to pay. I've eaten the food at the end of the day. I'd chalk it up to experience and next time your husband could send a message saying this looks great but we're trying to cut back spending so can we go somewhere different instead? It's his birthday, he should be able to choose the restaurant, I find that weirder, why doesn't he get to pick where he wants to go? You've said they're a pay for yourselves family so I don't see that this should be a surprise...
I wouldn’t expect anyone to pay for me 😅
Personally I wouldn’t go anywhere unless I could pay for myself. Birthday, Christmas, Easter, whatever. I will always insist I pay, but usually it’s split or we take turns in who pays for this one, and then the other does the next etc. x
In my experience… I would expect in laws to pay in this specific instance. When we invite them out, we pay, and vice versa.
However, I don’t believe £20 a meal is particularly expensive in the UK. Where do you live that that is considered expensive because my in laws are Scotland, my parents are Home Counties and I’m south-west England and we would be lucky to have a bill for 4 under £175 for a main and dessert in most restaurants in any of those areas.
My husband would offer to pay for them regardless of whose idea it was but that’s just him I guess
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