{"id":412353,"date":"2025-09-10T05:34:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T05:34:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/412353\/"},"modified":"2025-09-10T05:34:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T05:34:12","slug":"no-you-dont-need-a-shared-bank-account-to-travel-with-friends-heres-how-to-avoid-conflict","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/412353\/","title":{"rendered":"No, you don\u2019t need a shared bank account to travel with friends. Here\u2019s how to avoid conflict"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

pixdeluxe\/iStockPhoto \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Last week, I found myself splitting the tab with a group of friends I\u2019d never travelled with before. <\/p>\n

We were a mixed bunch, from steak lovers and vegetarians to non-drinkers and wine enthusiasts. Our supermarket shopping carts had no rhyme or reason.<\/p>\n

In the end, we avoided conflict by setting expectations in advance and, for this particular trip, we agreed to split the bill evenly, assuming that some people saved in one category where others spent more and vice-versa. We also decided to settle up all at once on the last day of our trip, avoiding any awkward conversations down the line.<\/p>\n

That said, there\u2019s no shortage of horror stories of friendship-ending travel<\/a>. A recent PayPal survey found U.S. adults were owed<\/a> an average of $926 for group expenses such as dining and travel. A third of the respondents admitted they struggled to collect, often feeling judged.<\/p>\n

Conveniently, my social media algorithm served me a carousel declaring, \u201cThis is your sign to open a shared bank account with your friends.\u201d The aspirational pitch: if you\u2019re travelling with friends, pool money by autodepositing a small amount every week into a shared account in the lead-up to the trip.<\/p>\n

The concept went viral after Australian event planner Kim Brindell<\/a> shared how she and five friends each chipped in about $18 a week for their group travel. By the time their girls\u2019 trip rolled around, they had more than $3,596 set aside to cover expenses such as hotels and groceries.<\/p>\n

My skepticism was confirmed over a phone call with Francine Dick, a Toronto-based certified financial planner.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an idea that is fraught with danger,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you set up a joint bank account, what joint means is that everyone usually has equal access to it \u2013 it can create a lot of problems.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a joint bank account, she said, there\u2019s paperwork to set it up and nothing preventing someone from going in and taking out money. <\/p>\n

In reality, the groundwork for effective bill-splitting should start long before boarding a plane. One trick is sharing an anonymous Google form or poll where everyone selects their comfort level for various costs \u2013 from hotels to excursions to dining options \u2013 choosing from a few different price ranges for each category.<\/p>\n

\u201c[It\u2019s] a great idea to better understand people\u2019s budgets and expectations,\u201d said Jessica Moorhouse, a financial counsellor and author of Everything but Money. It\u2019s also a chance for people to opt out of expenses they aren\u2019t comfortable with.<\/p>\n

Another tip: Select one leader to designate spending categories and to give gentle reminders when someone\u2019s money is overdue. It can take away some of the awkwardness when it\u2019s someone\u2019s job to keep people accountable.<\/p>\n

If you know you\u2019re a budget-conscious traveller, set your boundaries right off the bat. Use the \u201cstep-down spending<\/a>\u201d method to express what you can commit to on group trips and where you can offer an alternative that better meets your budget (e.g., a spa day in the city with the bride instead of joining the bachelorette party abroad). <\/p>\n

\u201cBetter to speak up than come back from a trip with credit card debt and some unresolved resentment with your friend group,\u201d said Ms. Moorhouse.<\/p>\n

Has splitting travel expenses on a group trip cost you a friendship? Have you mastered a bill-splitting strategy? Drop me a line at mpostelnyak@globeandmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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