Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Your right that I am concerned that others might not show up
When I've attended similar goings away of other employees, we usually go to less expensive places and don't recall having to cover their family member's meals.
I'm hearing fewer of the invited employees are showing up and most of them won't bring their families due to the expense of dinner.
Most of them won't bring their families because they wouldn't normally. FWIW that's about the number I'd expect to spend on such an occasion.
I feel bad for the retiring guy. He probably has no idea that his coworkers are not wanting to come to the dinner because of the cost and bad planning of whomever is organizing it. I’m sure he’d rather pay his way and just enjoy the company of the rest of you.
I feel bad for the retiring guy. He probably has no idea that his coworkers are not wanting to come to the dinner because of the cost and bad planning of whomever is organizing it. I’m sure he’d rather pay his way and just enjoy the company of the rest of you.
Someone had to ask him if he wanted to bring his wife and son. I'm sure he had to say yes to it. He also had to agree to the restaurant.
My only issue would be alcohol. If people drank and then split the bill, it could get expensive.
My husband was a remote worker and retired during the pandemic. I feel bad that he didn't get a party.
Someone had to ask him if he wanted to bring his wife and son. I'm sure he had to say yes to it. He also had to agree to the restaurant.
My only issue would be alcohol. If people drank and then split the bill, it could get expensive.
My husband was a remote worker and retired during the pandemic. I feel bad that he didn't get a party.
DH and I went to dinner with some acquaintances several years ago. There were three couples. DH and I couldn't afford more than one drink apiece and an entree. Our total came to $50. There were two other couples and the total bill came to over $400 before tip. The other two couples wanted to split the bill three ways which would definitely have exceeded our $50. It may have been tacky, but I said no and told them what we were paying for. They never asked us to eat out again, which was fine with me because we certainly couldn't keep up with that lifestyle, lol.
To answer his question: yes, it was him being too cheap. You work with this guy AND rode with him to work for two years and you can't get up off $50?!
The OP didn't say he couldn't afford it. He asked about being cheap. Which leads one to believe he could afford it, but just didn't want to spend the money. Adding that he doesn't spend that much on a meal for himself, so why should he spend that on someone else.
Anyone who won't spend $20 on a meal for himself is cheap....which I know is relative. But, really? $20-$40 is nothing for a restaurant dinner. Heck, you can't even eat at Olive Garden for $20 can you? Oh, I guess you could by only ordering the pasta for 12.99. Like I said -- cheap!
OP, also keep in mind that usually, not everyone gets the same kind of retirement send off. At least where I've worked a person who retires after five years, doesn't get as much hoopla as a person retiring after 40 years.
This "dinner" does seem like a big deal. The most we've had when people retired was a cake in the lunchroom......and they might get a plaque from management.
Go -- and enjoy yourself. It's about good times, with good friends, hopefully enjoying good stories and good laughs, with good food to boot.
Yesterday was my co-workers last day at work. We ate at the job together as we had for the past 2 years. He retired and we will probably keep in touch even though he's moving to Alabama (about 5 hrs away).
Now about the retirement dinner:
All had a good time at the restaurant and I'm glad I went. I did notice that employees that were not the highest paid spend like they are loaded. 2 single mothers in our group ordered martinis, fine appetizers, $40 steak plates, then desert. I mean each must've spent like $100 not including contributing to the retiree dinner expenses.
I know both these women are single with 2-3 kids each, don't own their home and have debt. I know they go out to eat at restaurants for lunch during the work week.
A married woman brought her entire family: 2 pre-teens and husband and they had like seafood and prime rib or steak plates each, plus drinks and desert.
I enjoyed the expensive entree: very tasty smoked half chicken with 2 entrees, water to drink ($22)
I consider myself frugal in some ways but I'm not in debt!
Last edited by outdoorman; 02-11-2023 at 07:15 AM..
Reason: add comment
Yesterday was my co-workers last day at work. We ate at the job together as we had for the past 2 years. He retired and we will probably keep in touch even though he's moving to Alabama (about 5 hrs away).
Now about the retirement dinner:
All had a good time at the restaurant and I'm glad I went. I did notice that employees that were not the highest paid spend like they are loaded. 2 single mothers in our group ordered martinis, fine appetizers, $40 steak plates, then desert. I mean each must've spent like $100 not including contributing to the retiree dinner expenses.
I know both these women are single with 2-3 kids each, don't own their home and have debt. I know they go out to eat at restaurants for lunch during the work week.
A married woman brought her entire family: 2 pre-teens and husband and they had like seafood and prime rib or steak plates each, plus drinks and desert.
I enjoyed the expensive entree: very tasty smoked half chicken with 2 entrees, water to drink ($22)
I consider myself frugal in some ways but I'm not in debt!
Did you enjoy it? How much did you have to fork over, do you know the total bill? How many people were there.
To answer his question: yes, it was him being too cheap. You work with this guy AND rode with him to work for two years and you can't get up off $50?!
The OP didn't say he couldn't afford it. He asked about being cheap. Which leads one to believe he could afford it, but just didn't want to spend the money. Adding that he doesn't spend that much on a meal for himself, so why should he spend that on someone else.
Anyone who won't spend $20 on a meal for himself is cheap....which I know is relative. But, really? $20-$40 is nothing for a restaurant dinner. Heck, you can't even eat at Olive Garden for $20 can you? Oh, I guess you could by only ordering the pasta for 12.99. Like I said -- cheap!
OP, also keep in mind that usually, not everyone gets the same kind of retirement send off. At least where I've worked a person who retires after five years, doesn't get as much hoopla as a person retiring after 40 years.
This "dinner" does seem like a big deal. The most we've had when people retired was a cake in the lunchroom......and they might get a plaque from management.
Go -- and enjoy yourself. It's about good times, with good friends, hopefully enjoying good stories and good laughs, with good food to boot.
CHEAP is the food, not the people you accuse of being cheap. That was un-called for
We eat organic. We eat local grass fed beef or Alaskan Wild caught salmon. My co-workers are in total, about 85 people.
I certainly would not show favoritism to one over the other by attending some expensive dinner like this except for the two close friends I've met there.
Understand you will be served low quality drug/chemical riddled CHEAP food which will have health side effects for up to 24 hrs. Food not worth $50. Drugs do that. Not a great meal if you want to go cycling the following day. The beef will not likely be grass fed yet instead, full of drugs/hormones. A cow will have suffered much of his life for your meal versus grass fed and no hormones cows. Who knows if the seafood is farmed or real seafood caught from the ocean. Expect to feel tired after the meal due to the drugs, or worse than tired. People who are cheap eat this kinds of food so may not notice the health effects.Wait, I don't believe that. I don't believe they are cheap but that was a cheap shot eh?
We spend more than $50 when we go out ourselves or with friends for REAL food. Probably another $10-$15 each but it's worth it. So regarding CHEAP, please refrain from falsely accusing others who do not want the health consequences, or even to spend the time, to pay $50 out each time a co-worker retires. A small inexpensive gift, homemade or card with a few lottery tickets will do. You could also donate a few bucks to a charity this person holds dear.
.
Last edited by Pip-Squeak; 02-11-2023 at 09:17 AM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
