I agree with Not Afraid and innerSpaceman (and others) who are not generally comfortable evenly splitting a bill.
I have and will gladly do an even split when my dining companions and I all ordered roughly the same thing. E.g., if we all got an appetizer (or split one), entree, non-booze beverage, and dessert, each person's total is going to be roughly the same. I would happily discard the $3-$4 difference for the convenience in paying.
However, if my date (HA!
) and I each order soup, sandwich, and milk while my friend and his husband order appetizers, entrees, a $30 bottle of wine, and dessert, I simply can't afford to evenly split that bill. And if the tables were turned, I would never expect my friends to pay for my stuff either. I'm not a stingy bastard, I'm just trying to live within my means. If I was wealthy enough, I'd
love to pick up the whole tab because I enjoy treating my friends.