Photograph by ramitsethi on Flickr

This can be an awkward topic. What if you already got them a gift? And all the other partygoers order more expensive dishes? Should everyone split regardless?

At a recent birthday dinner, as reported by CNN, "the bill for the birthday girl and her seven guests came to a whopping $3,450, which someone suggested splitting evenly. That worked out to $500 per person, plus tip."

When one guest only dropped $50 (what she thought was fair), messy emails ensued. "She wanted me to know that I totally ruined her birthday dinner." They're no longer friends. The same tension can brew at a seemingly happy pool party, especially when an invitation reads something like: "We supply the paper goods and pool, you supply the rest." Guests can get territorial over food and six-packs, and the next thing you know, it's someone's party and they're crying 'cause they really want to.

How do you usually handle these situations?