MONEY MANNERS FOR THE MODERN AGE

The customs for splitting a restaurant check, purchasing a wedding gift, tipping and more have evolved. These guidelines can help.

- EMMA PATCH

TALKING about money can be uncomfortable and awkward. But if you want to be consider­ ate of others while staying within your budget, you should estab­ lish guidelines on matters such as dining out with friends, at­ tending a wedding or deciding how much to tip. A lot of people think money is not polite conver­ sation, but contemporary eti­ quette guidelines indicate the op­ posite. “We really want money to be an approachable topic,” says Lizzie Post, great­great­ granddaughter of famed eti­ quette expert Emily Post and co­ author of Emily Post’s Etiquette.

Etiquette norms are cultural, and expectations are often driven by common behaviors that vary depending on where you are and who you’re with. Although there is no one­size­fits­all approach to many money matters, consider these common­sense strategies when navigating social and ser­ vice settings.

DINING OUT WITH FRIENDS

When dining with a group, Post says, it’s important to identify the difference between organiz­ ing and inviting. If you’re host­ ing the meal, you should be pre­ pared to pay the bill, she says. If you and your friends are orga­ nizing a meal out together, it’s okay to split the bill, but talk in advance about how you’ll share the costs. Especially for groups in which individuals expect to order different amounts—one person may join just for a drink, for example, while others get full meals and desserts—ask your server whether you can get separate checks so that diners can pay their own way.

Bring at least enough cash to pay your portion of the bill, Post says. This may seem old­ fashioned in the age of payment apps such as Venmo and Zelle, which many people use to split a restaurant bill. But it’s a good idea to have cash on hand, espe­ cially if you’re dining out with new friends who may not use those payment methods.