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Posted By: Guest

Subject: Advice on splitting costs?

We (4 couples including a 4 and 5 year old) are heading to the OBX (Avon) this year for the first time. We leave July 22nd and are terribly excited! Does anyone have any advice concerning sharing costs while we are there? Someone mentioned having each couple assigned one dinner during the week and they would be responsible for buying and preparing the food. The other 3 nights I was thinking we'd go out or steam some crabs and all pay our share. I am hung up on how to split the costs for the rest of the food, paper products, etc. Some of us like "special" food that no one else wants and therefore, should not pitch in on. Some of us DRINK A LOT OF BEER and some drink none and so on and so on. I am not a cheapskate, I have no problem splitting everything evenly between all parties but I don't think everyone else feels that way. Does anyone have any advice?

Message Replies:

6089: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

6/30/2006 5:37:32 AM

Posted By: Guest

we all just go to the grocery store buy what we think we'll need and split per person. we always eat real good and it does not cost that much. booze and special stuff each gets their own. we'll have 13 of us this year and we are all family or good friends that might make a differance. last year we had a great time and ate like kings no one worried if they spent more or ate less we just had a great time

6090: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

6/30/2006 7:30:14 AM

Posted By: long time OBX'r

Yeah this can be a problem. Here is what we generally do....

A). do not plan group events. No matter how much you like each other someone will be put out. If my wife and I decide to do something we just speak up, if anyone wants to join that's fine if not so be it. Works very well.

B). A group goes to the store with a list of essentials and things everyone will participate in, bread, milk, etc... When they arive back the cost is split on a per head basis and everyone contributes based on this. Generally if things run out during the week someone will replenish the stock out of pocket. Not a big deal.

C). We follow the each couple cooks one night thing with that couple providing all the supplies and clean up detail, this will allow you three nights as you say, I would suggest perhaps a group hamburger and hot dog night, left over night, and a night out separate or, and BE CAREFUL WITH THIS, a group affair.

D). As for special food or beverages, this becomes a if you want it buy it individually item. Our drinking family members normally bring or buy several cases a variety of which are iced down in a cooler on the porch each morning so they are cold all day! I must confess I generally am the one buying the ice each day as I go to the store to get a paper early each morning and pick the ice up then. As for common drinks, water, soda, etc these normally are purchased when the initial grocery run is made and replenished on an as needed basis.

Lastly, don't get to hung up on this relax, low stress, your on vacation, understand someone will get their underwear in a twist about something... It all falls under the you can't please everyone all the time!

Enjoy!

6092: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

6/30/2006 8:54:25 AM

Posted By: Guest

I agree with splitting the initial grocery run evenly. We also split beer, pop, water. Liquor is up to individuals. Relax and have fun. I wouldn't want to go on vacation with people who fuss over who ate too much of what and didn't get their share. Too much drama there. Have a great trip!

6097: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

6/30/2006 10:15:23 AM

Posted By: Guest

Great replies - Really Good Advice!

We go down as a group of 6 - all adults, so it makes the way we do groceries a little easier. I'm not sure how well it would work with kids. When we get there, everyone puts $100 cash into a "pot". We go grocery shopping for essentials with it and use it to order pizza...etc... anything that would be split evenly. At the end of the week, whatever's left is split back up amongst everyone. We use the 'pot' for beer too, but if you have some non-drinkers, I would shop for beer individually. It always works well for us. You can't nickel and dime everything - you'll drive yourself crazy. Relax and enjoy your precious vacation time.

6098: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

6/30/2006 10:22:30 AM

Posted By: Guest

Each year every family brings a dish with them - food that travels easily or freezes and reheats well such as lasagna, stuffed shells, potato salad, macaroni salad etc...

It's great to be able to run up from the beach for lunch and throw some leftover lasagna in the microwave for 2 minutes and get back to the beach.

Hope this helps!

6107: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

6/30/2006 4:42:19 PM

Posted By: Guest

Thanks everyone for your input. Everyone gave lots of good suggestions that I am sure to use. I just want to go away, lay in the sun, and sip on a margarita or 4.

6416: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

7/11/2006 1:12:22 PM

Posted By: Guest

We've been going in large groups and here's how we work it.
All recipes for food/supplies etc are put into a basket with the name of the purchaser on it. At the end of the week, we add up the total, divide by the number of adults and get a "per person price". Whatever you've already paid is deducted from your balance. It works so easily since we're always running out for stuff. No money has to be split until the end. We've always done "kids eat free" because they were little. If you have teens you might want to include them in your count, that's up to you.

Receipts for any items that are "private" and not shared are not put into the basket, this includes alcoholic drinks.

6500: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

7/14/2006 9:20:54 AM

Posted By: Guest

Here's what we do. We do the "each family does one night of dinner" thing. My wife usually packs toilet paper, kleenex, cleaning supplies, etc. When we get there usually one person will buy milk, one person will buy bread, one person will buy eggs, etc....the essentials that everyone will use. Then we usually just buy what we think we are going to use and everyone basically shares. We have it really good because all of the families in our group are very generous and we all share. Like another person said, just try and relax. If you end up spending a few more dollars than someone else it's no big deal. We probably end up contributing more just because my wife is the ultimate planner and she thinks of everything. Doesn't bother us, though, since we're on vacation in the OBX!

11164: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

4/13/2007 4:45:59 PM

Posted By: Guest

#6097 You put $100 in the pot for 6 people.( Love that idea) Do you think everyone in a group of 14 should then contribute $200? I'm so confused as what to do. I'm going with a bunch of "cheapies" and I'm just wondering how that will go over. How much do you acutually spend for the week?

11165: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

4/13/2007 4:48:21 PM

Posted By: Guest

22287: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

5/13/2008 7:56:41 PM

Posted By: Guest

we made a list as a group....each family that added a meal or item usually picked up that food item ot toilet paper paper towels etc....it ended up being pretty even that way the people who drank alcohol picked up their own....

22707: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

5/29/2008 10:43:01 AM

Posted By: guest

we vacation on the OBX yearly- there are 20+ of us! We shop for staples before we go ( pasta, condiments, rice, oil, paper products etc") we split the cost of this excursion to BJ's amoong each family. Then we ask each family to bring a few rolls of TP and paper towels. Once we get there, each family thros $150 into the kitty for shopping. We usually have to replenish the kitty before weeks and. At the end of the week, we use any leftover cash for pizza the night before we leave. We do not use any of the kitty money for booze- every one buys there own. works well for us.

36027: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

5/13/2009 3:10:15 PM

Posted By: Guest

let everyone buy there own beer,im sure it wont be all of one kind,so whatever you want you get,as far as food it's a good idea to have a community jar,everyone toss in let's 200.00,thats 800 for the week for food,go shopping when you first get there,and again mid week if need be,i would'nt think 2wice about 2 bills for food for the week,and either should anybody with you,if you go out to eat split the bill as you would normally(unless someone had the 8 horse in the deby)then they should pickup the bill..keep it simple,vacation should be fun and loose no time for accounting..have fun

36028: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

5/13/2009 3:11:17 PM

Posted By: Guest

Heres what we did; Our group had a get together a few weeks before going down. Everyone brought a list of foods they liked. Most had similiar/common items for breakfast & lunch. For dinner we just asked each other what they liked & made up dinner menus for the nights we cooked. We bought accordingly & split it four ways. One couple was to cook dinner for one night. It worked out well because if a couple has to buy it & then prepare it is a little unfair if they are springing for steak night verses pasta night. Did the same with paper products, 24 roll bulk pack of toilet paper, four packs of Dixie paper plates (100 count ea.), two 12 roll packs of paper towels. Sodas, beer, wine & spirits were purchased seperately. If we ran short of shared items & had to go back out we kept a running list & everyone put in their share. Nights out we ordered with seperate checks & tipped individually. Breakfast & lunch was pretty much fix your own as not every got up at the same time & not everyone had a set time for lunch but, you did have to clean up after yourself. Even if it was your assigned night to cook there was another couple pitching in out of friendship not because they had to but, because they wanted to. Its never 50/50 sometimes it can 60/40 or...., have fun, be safe & enjoy your friends.

36038: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

5/13/2009 6:39:28 PM

Posted By: Guest

Been going for years and this is how we've handled the situation w/out any problems. Last year, there were 9 of us (no children) -- each put in $70. That covered the initial buy -- paper products (paper towels, toilet paper, etc.), breakfast foods (eggs, bacon, cereal, etc.), lunch meat, cheese, bread, cookies, candy,etc. Juice, pop also included. Remainder of money stayed in a pot for rest of the week -- we ordered pizza & subs a couple of nights for dinner & used that money also. Then went out for dinner a couple of nights. The last night each person got about $15.00 back. Since there are some nondrinkers - we agree everyone's responsible for their own beer and booze. No problems with this for our group.

36104: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

5/14/2009 2:41:34 PM

Posted By: Guest

We use a spreadsheet and have usually between 15 and 20 people going. There is one person that organizes the house (although we all vote on where to stay and roughly how much to spend) and handles all the money.

For the house rental they usually divide the price into "shares" and then charge each person on how many shares. We do this because some people come for the whole week and some for half the week.

This is all paid for before we come down because the reality places do it that way.

As for food, there is an initial buy done at Costco for water, gatorade, toilet paper, etc before we come down. Then we usually have a grocery run every day or every other day (usually done by a different person, whomever is willing/available) based on a list that everyone comes up with (we keep a list in the kitchen as we run out of stuff). Everyone saves receipts for everything. At the end, the person organizing tallies the whole bill and divides it up evenly over everyone. Then they take into account who bought what, so if everyone owes say $60 a head for the week, but if I bought crabs one day for $40, then I only owe $20 more.

The bill is split evenly, even if you didn't eat every meal in, use as much TP as someone else, etc.

If we go out to eat (together or individually) it's seperate checks or cash in a pot at the restaurant. Eating out is kept completely seperate from the house stuff.

In short, everyone has a "tab" that is kept during the week that runs positive and negative and then everyone gets a "bill" the week after the trip to pay or get reimbursed on.

I might have explained it a little complex here, but it works out, isn't that hard, and everyone pays their fair share.

36643: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

5/22/2009 1:18:32 PM

Posted By: Guest

Best advice on the cost of everyday food items is to take the total of your house and divide it by how many people are going. Example $2500 house with 10 people going is $250 per person.

If everyone would pay $300 per person instead then the extra $50 a person goes in the kitty. The kitty is used for food and paper products etc that is needed.

Any "special" items that people want from the store or booze, beer etc is purchased separately.

This way there is plenty of money for the necessities and no one thinks about oh well they used 3 rolls of toilet paper this week and we only used 2. The money is paid in advance with the knowledge that it is being used for the whole house.

Works for our group of 18 people every year with no problems and we have been going 13 years now with the same group of people give or take a family or two!

41958: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

7/9/2009 2:18:11 PM

Posted By: Guest

We go with another couple each year, they have two kids, we have one. When we first get there the other mom and I hit the grocery store together (hmm, i think it's time for the men this year!). We make a list of general needs (tp, paper towels, etc) and split that. After that, I get what I know my hubby and darlin' daughter will want, and she does same. Throughout the week we pretty much take turns on additional needs (more milk, etc.). The liquor and beer runs are made by the guys and I think they split it or toss a coin for it, who knows. We tried swapping making dinner each night but the other mom really isn't a motivated cook, and we end up with frozen pizza those nights. So I cook when the mood strikes me (I love to cook for a crowd) and if not, we go to out dinner or ORDER pizza! Reading all these posts makes me very grateful we're all laid back and it's the "whatever dude" vibe when we go to OBX.

42477: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

7/12/2009 9:14:23 AM

Posted By: Guest

We've been visiting many times over the last 25 years and there is not really any right way to go as far as splitting the groceries and chores.

We have had houses sharing houses not sharing and everyone doing their own thing and have never really had a bad trip.

Two words of advice. Keep the beer separate and if there are teenage boys in the group you may want to consider a "luxury tax" on food.

43063: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

7/15/2009 11:02:25 AM

Posted By: Guest

My daughter just did this for the 4th of july week and her thoughts,each couple will have things they want to do and not be on time restraints so the preplanned meals are out. Share the costs of mutually planned meals at the moment if all couples just happen to be together to eat.Get everyone in the kitchen to cook with some good conversation and drinks. Stores are close so why not get the food fresh. Wait til U get there to see what is supplied by the rental (soap, toilet tissue, etc)then go to the store get it all and divvy it up right away. Buy your own booze! with a willingness to share like you do at home. Don't schedule things for other people.

43064: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

7/15/2009 11:04:39 AM

Posted By: Guest

54267: RE: Advice on splitting costs?

9/18/2009 2:28:02 PM

Posted By: Guest

I agree with the everyone has a night to cook. We also have a pre-beach meeting with everyone and decide what essentials we will all need for the week (toilet paper, garbage bags, etc) and everyone is designated as to which items they should bring for the week. When it comes to the food we all pretty much split it.

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