Managing group costs

What’s the best way to split a bill with friends or family?

Here’s a breakdown of some of the best advice online for meals out, house shares, holidays and more.

Split a bill, not a friendship

Managing costs as a group can always be a tricky topic. How do you work out a fair split of costs? What if one person isn’t drinking or eating the same as everyone else? How do I get friends to pay up what they owe without falling out?

At ALL IN we make organising any group event easier. We’ve spent years researching the best advice and building this in to our ALL IN app so wanted to share some of the best tips that we’ve found in the article below.

And, to set the context, here’s a short video showing how ALL IN can help minimise the stress while you maximise the fun with your friends and family.

Planning social events on a budget

Planning social events with friends who are on significantly different budgets can be awkward—but they don’t have to be. With the right communication involving honesty and sensitivity, everyone on your chat group can feel free to join in the fun without breaking the bank. Here are some valuable tips for navigating outings with different budgets

With the currently high costs of living across the UK, many people may be feeling that social events and entertainment are once again out of the picture for them—but they don’t have to be. There are many free and reasonably-priced events and activities that family and friends can enjoy together without breaking the bank. Start planning your next quality bonding time with these money-saving strategies

Navigating group travel challenges

If you are planning a group trip, price is usually the biggest barrier.

But never fear! This article rounds up some great tips to cut down the costs of your adventure while maximising the fun.

Every member in your group will have a different idea about how much money they are able or willing to spend.

Consider expenses such as alcohol, dinners out, and tickets for tourism sites

Here are some tips from the moneycrashers site ensuring that, when planning a group trip, you should always discuss everyone’s budget preferences.

Depending on how well you plan, holidays with friends can either be incredibly fun and rewarding or fraught with tension and miscommunication. Before you board the next flight, your group must agree on who pays for what and how bills will be split. Here are some tips from The Star to ensure you’re still friendly after the trip.

Saving money on stag/hen, bachelor/bachelorette parties

Stag dos and...stag don'ts!

Wedding season seems to pretty much always be in full swing along with the associated stag parties and hen dos (also known as bachelor/bachelorette parties or bucks nights depending on your nationality) —all of which can break budgets without careful financial planning.

One money-saving strategy is to split the costs of a holiday home, which can often be less expensive and more spacious than hotel rooms. Find out more here

Destination weddings

If you’re lucky enough to have been invited to a destination wedding, you might be wondering how you’ll afford the higher-than-average costs of attending.

One money-saving strategy is to split the costs of lodging and car rentals with a group. Here’s an article by the Huffington Post

And here’s an article on a similar theme by Yahoo.

Splitting restaurant bills

Have you ever gone toe-to-toe with a friend over the bill? Or the conundrum of how to divvy up a bill when one person in the group is a teetotaler? Read this study by Compare the Market on what people think about splitting the bill.

The Spinoff site covers the many different approaches to splitting the bill from going dutch, to those occasions when one person gets carried away and just covers the whole thing!

Whatever your approach to splitting a restaurant bill we agree with this article that it’s worth deciding how you’re going to split the costs of the meal ahead of time.

Who should pay on a first date?

Whilst the debate rages on, an unofficial poll of over 3,000 people reveals that more than half, or 1,600 respondents, believe that first date costs should be split evenly. Find out more here.

Managing costs in house shares

Students and first time sharers

Making the jump from uni accommodation to sharing with friends can be stressful. Paperwork, deposits, and splitting the bills can put a strain on friendships.

This helpful guide by “Save the student” gives advice and tips on how to cut the cost of shared living.

Additionally, here’s some advice from inews who tackle the question of whether or not to put all your bills in one name.

Couples and spouses

What’s the best way to divide costs with partners?

According to recent research, when it comes to splitting household bills, 38% of British couples prefer an even split while 18% prefer a proportionate split based on income.

The study also found that young people aged 18 to 24 have a more positive attitude towards cost-sharing than those over 55.

Chasing friends for money

For many people, chasing friends for money that they’re owed is simply an awkward task, especially when it involves a large loan amount.

So what should you do when a friend refuses to repay you?

Take a look at some strategies, from the most common to the last resort, for getting back your money here

Here’s some advice about the importance of communication when trying to get your money back from family members

Being open about your financial situation can help

Ultimately, most of the best advice for all situations comes down to good communication. For many people, however, sharing their financial situation with friends remains taboo, with some preferring to discuss their intimate lives or health concerns over money matters.

But should our financial situation be considered too shameful to share with our close friends?

Or can we consider our close friendships as ‘safe spaces’ in which to relieve some psychological burden from financial woes or success—and even get some great advice in the process? Read more here

Similarly, this next article recommends setting clear money boundaries with your friends up front.

Further info

Please see our article on how to split the bills for further information. If there are any articles you’d like us to cover on the page above, please let us know at info@everyoneallin.com.

And don’t forget to try out all the cost splitting features and more, on the ALL IN app: