FAMILY TRIPS · SPLITTING COSTS
Traveling with another family: how to split trip costs without the awkwardness
Going on a trip with a family you’re close to is great fun, but working out the money afterwards is often awkward: who paid for dinner, were the tickets counted, should the kids count as a share? What we’ve learned is that the most important part of splitting costs isn’t the math. It’s agreeing before you leave.
Three things to agree on before you go
- Split by family or by person: if family sizes differ a lot, splitting per person is fairer
- How to count the kids: for example, under 12 counts as half a share and under 3 doesn’t count. Whatever everyone agrees on is fine
- What everyone pays for themselves: for example, souvenirs and personal purchases stay out of the shared costs
No method is the one right answer. As long as everyone agrees before the trip, there won’t be arguments afterwards. We post the rules we agreed on in our group chat so there’s a record.
Tracking spending on the road
The worst scenario is digging through receipts once you’re home. It works much better to record each payment right away: who paid, how much, and which people it should be split between.
- Pick one person to keep track, or share one spreadsheet
- Photograph receipts and keep them in one shared album
- Record foreign-currency spending in the original currency and convert it all at the end
- Spend two minutes each evening checking the day’s entries and fill in anything missed
A shared kitty works best for small expenses
Recording every bus fare, snack and parking fee one by one is exhausting. Instead, each family can put the same amount into a shared kitty. Small expenses come out of it, everyone tops it up when it runs out, and whatever is left at the end is returned in proportion.
The simplest way to settle up
Subtract what each party should pay from what they actually paid, and you know who is owed money and who owes it. Then there’s no need to pay each other back expense by expense. Just have the people who owe money transfer it directly to the people who are owed, and it usually takes only a few transfers.
| Paid | Share | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family A | 18,000 | 12,000 | Receives 6,000 |
| Family B | 9,000 | 12,000 | Pays 3,000 |
| Family C | 9,000 | 12,000 | Pays 3,000 |
In the example above, Family B and Family C each send 3,000 to Family A, and two transfers settle everything.
Let the kids take part
Older kids can help collect receipts and record a small expense or two. It’s a great chance to learn about money: they see how much a trip costs, and they see how adults handle money fairly.
FAQ
Should kids count as a share or not?
There’s no standard answer. A common approach is to count kids as half a share or not at all for accommodation and transport, and to split meals by what each person actually ate. What matters is that everyone agrees before you leave.
What if someone keeps forgetting to record expenses?
Rather than having everyone keep records, put one person in charge, and have everyone else send them a photo of the receipt when they pay. Check the records once every evening and very little gets missed.
Which exchange rate should we use for foreign currency?
You can agree to use the rate on the day you settle up, or the rate you actually exchanged at. Either is fine, as long as everyone agrees.
This article is general parenting information and is not a substitute for medical or professional advice. If you have concerns about your child's development or health, talk to your pediatrician or another qualified professional.
More notes on family trips
Eating out abroad with kids and preparing for food allergies are all in the “Family trips” section of the parenting guides.