Free tool
Group trip cost calculator
Add up the stay, travel, food and activities, add a cushion for surprises, and divide by the number of people. Round up to the next $5, and that's what each person puts in.
- Free to use
- No sign-up needed
What each person puts in
Each person puts in $385.00
A $2,100 trip plus a 10% cushion, split 6 ways and rounded up to the next $5.
Each person puts in $385. The trip costs $2,100, and $2,310 goes in the Pot.
Start a Pot and set $385 each as the suggested amount.
Start a Pot| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Stay | $1,200.00 |
| One bookingNeeds 4 of 6 approvals | |
| Travel, $40 × 6 | $240.00 |
| Booked togetherNeeds one OK | |
| Food, $35 × 6 × 2 days | $420.00 |
| $210 a day for everyoneNeeds one OK | |
| Activities | $240.00 |
| Booked togetherNeeds one OK | |
| Cushion, 10% | $210.00 |
| Only spent if something costs more than planned | |
| In the Pot | $2,310.00 |
If everything costs what you planned, $210 is left at the end, and everyone gets their share of it back when the Pot closes.
Who approves is for one payment under the rules every new Pot starts with: up to $100 goes through on its own, up to $300 needs one OK from another member, and anything bigger needs more than half the group.How the rules work
The method
How to work out what each person pays for a group trip
Four steps, the same with or without the calculator.
Step 1: Add up the shared costs
The trip cost is the stay, plus travel for everyone, plus food for everyone for every day, plus the activities.
Step 2: Add a cushion
Add about 10% on top for what nobody plans for: a taxi, a price that went up, one more dinner out. If nobody needs it, it comes back.
Step 3: Divide by the number of people
Split the total evenly between everyone who's going.
Step 4: Round up to the next $5
A round number is easier to remember and send. Rounding up adds a little more cushion; rounding down would leave the trip short.
Each person puts in = (stay + travel each × people + food each per day × people × days + activities) × (1 + cushion %) ÷ people, rounded up to the next $5.
Worked example
A week abroad for four, to the cent
Four friends, seven days: $2,100 for the stay, $380 of travel each, $40 a person a day for food and $500 of activities, with a 10% cushion. This is the “A week abroad” example in the calculator.
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Stay | $2,100.00 |
| One booking · Needs 3 of 4 approvals | |
| Travel, $380 × 4 | $1,520.00 |
| Booked together · Needs 3 of 4 approvals | |
| Food, $40 × 4 × 7 days | $1,120.00 |
| $160 a day for everyone · Needs one OK | |
| Activities | $500.00 |
| Booked together · Needs 3 of 4 approvals | |
| Trip cost | $5,240.00 |
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Trip cost | $5,240.00 |
| Plus a 10% cushion | $524.00 |
| Split 4 ways | $1,441.00 |
| Rounded up to $5: each person puts in | $1,445.00 |
Rules that fit
Which trip costs need the group
Once the money is in a Pot, the size of each payment decides who approves it. These are the rules every new Pot starts with, and you can change them.
Small things go through on their own
Anyone can spend up to $100 at a time without asking, and up to $200 each in total.
Groceries, a taxi, the parking: nobody has to wait for anyone.
Mid-size costs need one OK
One OK from another member covers spends up to $300.
A dinner out or a day's food shop for a big group. Anyone else who has put money in can give the OK, as long as they aren't the one getting paid.
Big bookings need the group
Anything bigger needs more than half the group: 3 of 4, 4 of 6, 5 of 8.
The place to stay, travel booked together, the big activity. Ask the Pot for the money and book once the group says yes, so nobody pays on their own card.
Questions
Questions about working out a group trip's cost
How do you work out how much each person pays for a group trip?
Add up the stay, travel for everyone, food for every day and the activities, add a cushion of about 10%, divide by the number of people, and round up to the next $5.
Should you add a cushion?
Yes. Prices change and plans grow, and it's easier to give money back at the end than to ask everyone for more halfway through. About 10% is a good start; a longer or looser trip may want more.
What if people stay different nights?
Work out the shared part for everyone first, then have the people who stay longer put in more for their extra nights. A Pot shows one suggested amount for everyone, but anyone can put in more, and what's left at the end comes back in proportion to what each person put in.
How much should you pay for a bachelorette party?
It depends on the place, the nights and what's planned, so add it up rather than guess. Start from the bachelorette weekend example, change the numbers to yours, and agree the amount with everyone before anyone books.
Why round up to $5?
A round number is easier to remember and send, and rounding up means the trip never comes up short. The few extra dollars come back at the end with anything else that wasn't spent.
What happens to money that isn't spent?
In a Pot, when the trip is over the group approves closing it, and everyone gets back their share of what's left, in proportion to what they put in. It goes to each person's Pot dollars, ready for their next Pot.
Is the calculator free?
Yes, and you don't need to sign up to use it. Starting and using a Pot cost nothing too: Pot covers the running costs.
Got the number? Start the trip's Pot
Set the amount each, share the link in the group chat, and let everyone put in before anyone books.
