Updated December 17, 2024

When using cash, how do you share group travel expenses? Contributing to grocery purchases, picking up treats from local vendors, or tipping the guide on a free, tip-based tour can be an energy-draining process without a system in place. Within my groups of travel friends, we’ve found an efficient, low-tech solution. We share group travel expenses with Kitty, a soft-sided community coin purse. Kitty is such an integral part of our fun-loving adventures, she even warrants her own name.

Share group travel expenses with Kitty

1. What is a kitty?

According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, a kitty is “an amount of money that is made up of small amounts given by different people, used by them for an agreed purpose.”

In a travel context, the communal pot funds expenses that are equal or approximately equal for all contributors. It can be for tips, transit fares, entrance fees, or other expenses determined by group members.

2. Why use a kitty?

In destinations or establishments where cash is favoured over cards (or for travellers who prefer using cash), a kitty is easy to organize. Each person contributes an equal amount. When a group purchase needs to be made, someone makes a quick reference to Kitty and if all are in agreement, Kitty picks up the tab. Nothing needs to be recorded, and no one needs to invest mental energy in remembering, calculating, or reminding each other who owes whom what. It eliminates the need for several people to reach into their pockets or purses for the right change, and it makes it easier for a vendor to complete a sale. It can be a very convenient system for making day-to-day purchases.

3. Cash vs cards

For countries and establishments that have moved to a cashless environment, cost-sharing apps such as Splitwise or Splittr offer a tech-friendly solution to sharing group expenses. These can be used in conjunction with a kitty where both cash and cards are used for day-to-day purchases.

4. Agree in advance

Navigating the financial aspects of group travel can be exhausting without communication and agreement. Travellers have different budgets and expectations so it’s important to discuss financial matters in advance. Whatever system is used, a kitty or a cost-sharing app, each person needs to agree on which expenses will be shared. In the case of Kitty, people need to agree on how a kitty will be set up, how contributions will be made, and how the day-to-day custody of Kitty will be managed.

In my travel groups, Kitty has made her appearance early in the trip. Someone usually steps forward to take custody, or we agree to share the responsibility for different days. Everyone contributes an equal amount. When Kitty is almost depleted, we agree on the amount of the next contribution to keep her viable. At the end of the trip, what’s left is equally dispersed.

5. Consider inequities

There may be occasions when someone in the group is at a disadvantage.

For example, on one of my trips, one person developed a cold. She elected to remain close to home while the rest of us went on a road trip. We kept track of expenses, and the road trippers each made an additional contribution to the kitty. In another example, three of us had flights leaving about the same time, and were able to share a taxi to the airport. Another person had an early flight, and travelled alone in a taxi. Kitty funded both trips to the airport.

Sharing the costs of eating out might not work for some travel groups, especially where there are significant cost differences in what people order.

6. It can be hassle-free

We’ve never experienced any tensions associated with Kitty. For example, it’s unlikely that each person’s meal costs exactly the same unless we’ve each ordered the same thing. Everyone has different food preferences, and our grocery purchases accommodate these differences. Our attitude is such that it all balances out in the end. There’s no need to worry about different contribution rates, or keep track of who benefits more or less from having a kitty. This would drive us crazy, our relationships would suffer, and our travel adventure wouldn’t be as much fun.

Conclusion

Managing a kitty may not be for all travel groups. If you give it a try, start with smaller individual items such as metro tickets, or a group expense such as a taxi ride. Include other costs according to the comfort levels of everyone in the group.

For insights on protecting your finances while travelling, you may be interested in What’s in your travel wallet? 12 tips for keeping your stuff safe.

If you found this post helpful, please share it by selecting one or more social media buttons. What’s your experience in managing group travel expenses? What other methods have worked for you? Please share your thoughts in the comments. Thank you.

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