I think it dosent matter where you live if someone has bought you a drink surely it is polite to offer one back, at least once but to be so thick skinned to not even to offer just once yes just once well thats just rude.

I wouldn't enter a pub unless I could afford to buy a round. If I invited people round I would supply drink and food, but I would never turn up empty handed as a guest either.

You always learn something new!
Glad to read the thing about the BBQ's - I really thought until today that my partner must have the rudest friends in the world because they always come empty handed when we have a BBQ. Not kidding, I really didn't get that people over here assume you supply everything. Doh. Feel bad for slagging them off now, their 'attitude' was driving me nuts for years... In my defence I can't really compare because they hardly ever invite anyone round, and I love seeing people so like to have BBQ's whenever the weather is nice (so not that often really )

Can't get used to the rounds though. Where I'm from you never buy rounds, maybe with your best mate the occasional time, but not always. I got used to it over here now (UK), but have to say that because I don't have much money it's the rounds that basically keep me from going out. I'd be happy to stay on soft drinks and just enjoy being out and dance, but since rounds seem to be the norm it's either be rude or get poor - I don't want to offend anyone so make up excuses most of the times when friends ask me out. I made some nice friends now who understand my position, so that's fine, but I still wonder why in this country it seems so hard to understand that not everyone has loads of disposable income to spend in the pub.

We have sets of friends that we socialise with a lot and what we do is ,if we go to theirs they supply meat,we do nibbles and when they come to us we do meat they do nibbles.we also do rounds when we are out and split the bill when we are out.I also hate the trying to divide the bill because one had a starter and another didnt,so its down the middle for us.
donna

With the round thing, it really does depend on who you're out with.
In small groups (maybe just four of you), then more often than not we do rounds.
But if it's a large group, if I'm going to the bar I'll ask out of politeness if anyone wants another drink and, most times, everyone declines, as no one really wants to get into huge rounds. But I can't not ask - I feel really rude!

Yep, it's a byo country.

Me neither. I have never arrived without a bottle or two in my hand.

And to the poster who thinks Jocks never buy a round, you must have been with outcasts. When I am at home or in the company of Scots, I am fairly sunk with drinks given to me.

I think your so called friends are just tight, give them the flick.

I think the problem of buying rounds has an easy solution - don't be the one to buy the first round. See what everyone else does first and if they buy a round you can reciprocate. If they are all buying their own drinks then do likewise unless you're feeling generous or it's your birthday.

As for BBQ's or shared meals - if you had to provide all the food and drink how often would you do it? My kiwi sister-in-law married an English guy and lived in the UK for 2 years. She couldn't get used to the fact that you don't just drop in to visit people you don't know well, and informal meals are few and far between. I think the Aussies have developed a way of having an inexpensive night out on a regular basis that everyone enjoys and once you get over being offended at having to bring stuff, you'll realise it works. I bet you few Aussies would turn up to a Barbie empty-handed and would feel shocked if you did.

Sorry if I sound cynical about this but it seems to me that your friends are tight-arses. Only one thing can be gleaned from your 'friends' apparently making a break for the bar each time you went outside for a ciggy.

They knew what was expected of them but decided not act reciprocally whilst continuing to accept free drinks from you.

I was once again refer to the 'Oracle' for clarification: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendship

Now hey! you calling us Mackems stingy??

Yeah well they was recently found friends, and recently disposed of too ...

Don't need friends like that to be honest.

As a skint student I don't often buy rounds these days but still do after pay day! Normally all the lads buy rounds and the girls just get free drinks haha!

If you're on a budget or only drinking water then simply decline a drink when offered and get your own, then you're outside the "round" and don't have to buy expensive drinks for everyone else, it's perfectly acceptable!!

Oh and what the chuff is an "eskie"/??

I used to get stick for not buying rounds when I worked at a company where we all went to the pub at lunch times yet I never accepted a drink from anyone else either!! They paid me bugger all so I'd just stick with one drink yet they expected me to buy for all of them, even at my leaving do I was meant to supply their beer! Not surprising I left after just a few months!