Tool · Who pays for what
The money argument is never about the amount; it's about the ambiguity. Here are the five scenarios that quietly run every group trip, each with the fairness rule and a message you can copy straight into the group chat — the conversation that should have happened before the trip, sent now.
Nothing here is saved. This runs entirely in your browser — no sign-in, no email, no group chat.
Pay for the nights you were there, plus your share of the one-time fixed costs (cleaning fee, the booking itself if it was a flat rate). You don't pay for the nights after you left — but you don't get a discount on the costs that were incurred regardless of you.
Message to send
undefined is leaving after their nights. They owe their share of the lodging for the nights they stayed plus a slice of the cleaning/booking fee — but not the nights after they left. We'll sort the exact number once the house is paid.
How it works
Each scenario names the fairness rule — the principle, not the math — so the group can agree on the logic before the numbers.
Fill in the names and any amounts; the tool writes the message as a sentence, not a spreadsheet, so you can paste it into the chat.
The rule is designed to be defensible: the person who leaves early pays for what they used; the front-er is owed, not charged; the plus-one pays their share.
Sending the message before the trip is the whole point. After the trip, the same message reads as a complaint.
When to use it
When the group chat has gone quiet on money and you need to restart the conversation with a concrete proposal, not a question.
When someone's situation changes (a late arrival, a plus-one) and the original split no longer fits.
When one person fronted the money and the Venmo chase is starting to feel personal.
Before the deposit, to lock in the bride-coverage or front-er terms in one written sentence.
Common mistakes
Splitting everything evenly regardless of who was there for what. The early leaver subsidizing the late stayers is the most common silent resentment.
Letting the front-er 'figure it out later.' Without a deadline, the chase runs months and quietly damages the friendship.
Adding a plus-one's share after the trip. Decide it before they arrive, or the original guest ends up subsidizing their own plus-one.
Leaving the bride's coverage as a vibe. 'We'll cover her' with no definition means one person quietly pays more and waits for a thank-you that never comes.
Related guides
Settled the math? Now find the frictions that run the rest of the trip.
A calculator fixes one fight. The Trip Test surfaces the budget, pace, drinking, and togetherness mismatches that quietly run a shared house — so you plan around them before the deposit.
No account needed — for you or your group.