Traveling with a group, whether friends or family, can be a lot of fun. Figuring out how to fairly split the costs, on the other hand, can be a tricky business.
There are lodging, meals, car rentals and activity costs to worry about, not to mention the reality that everyone’s budgets — and expectations for their vacation — can differ. There is also the risk that someone can feel like another person isn’t paying their fair share, or that you are skipping out on experiences you would have liked to enjoy because someone else can’t afford it.
Here are some tips to keep in mind to make sure you are able to focus on enjoying each others’ company, rather than fretting about the financials.
1. Make sure everyone is on the same page before you book
A good way to get out ahead of potential sore spots is to figure out how much everyone is comfortable spending. “A lot of the challenges that people face when committing to travel or going places with their friends can be fixed with the general idea of being comfortable talking about money,” Sarah Foster, an analyst and economy reporter at Bankrate, said to The Points Guy.
If you are spearheading the planning, “give the group an estimate of what flights, accommodations, transportation, food and activities might cost,” said The Points Guy. If planning is more of a joint effort, work together to figure out the numbers for each of those major expenses, discussing what everyone might feel is reasonable.
That way, people can know early whether or not the trip is looking within range for their budget instead of getting sticker shock after they’re already committed.
2. Figure out in advance how you’re going to split costs
It is also helpful to think ahead of time about how you’ll divide costs among the group. There are a few different ways to do it, each with their own pros and cons.
Perhaps “the simplest method is to split all expenses evenly among the group members,” said CNBC Select, though this “may not work well if members’ personal budgets or activity preferences are wildly different from each other.”
Another way is to split some expenses and for others, “require a ‘pay as you go’ method where each person shoulders the individual cost of their ticket, meal, etc.,” said CNBC Select. Or you might do a “a ’round robin’ approach where each person takes turns covering the cost of one group activity during the trip.”
You could also agree to split costs by category, so one person picks up food, while another foots the cost of plane tickets. This “requires more planning and coordination but can potentially reduce the overall cost of the trip,” said CNBC Select, as you can assign “each category of expenses to the respective credit card that offers the most points for that.”
3. Don’t feel like you have to do everything together
While the point of a group vacation is, well, to spend time together, that does not mean you can’t occasionally do your own thing — especially if you are working under different budgetary constraints and have different vacation priorities. Otherwise, said The Points Guy, “these differences in which vacation activities are valuable to you versus your travel companions can lead to disagreements and hurt feelings when planning the day’s activities.”
To sidestep this issue, you might “agree to split up at times according to interest and budget,” said The Points Guy, or if someone is really stuck on doing something together, you might see if they are “willing to subsidize a pricier meal or activity the group would love to do so the more budget-conscious travelers don’t have to worry about the cost.”
4. Keep lines of communication open during the trip
Even if you think you have covered everything in advance, additional money matters are bound to come up during the trip. The key here, once again, is clear communication.
If you ever start to feel “like you’re paying more than your fair share,” rather than stewing on it, “call a group meeting as soon as possible,” said GOBankingRates. “It is better to do this while you are all still together,” said Jodi RR Smith, president of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting, to GOBankingRates. “Without pointing fingers, explain the additional costs and discuss how to best handle the payment.”