About the fairest way to share costs

[WyclefJohn]

A group of friends decided to share a cottage over Christmas. 6 couples, 10 children, 5 bedrooms. One couple is childless, the others have two each. Each couple with children got a bedroom each, one couple with two children and the childless couple shared the biggest bedroom. The cost was shared 6 ways equally. What do you think?

The food is tough. DD eats more at 7yo than 200lb weight-lifting DH so absolutely equal shares. But I know people with those children who eat one tomato, lick a chicken nugget and are done. So a half share?

The villa, by rooms is obvious. You only got 1/3 of a room.

What kind of room could accommodate 6 bodies?

The rooms were quite big. They were practically self contained studios

Not fair to split 6 ways. Equally wouldn't be fair to split per room.

I'm part of a group that has holidays like this regularly and as we are mostly mathsy geeks who like complex equations we don't mind using a complicated method and it works like this.

50% of the rental (effectively the "downstairs") and all the food and drink is split per head with babies counted as 0.25, kids age 2-14 counting as 0.5, 14-18 as 0.75.

The other 50% of the rental is split per room though bigger rooms with en-suite facilities or additional comforts counting as up to 1.2 rooms depending how luxurious they are and tiny or uncomfortable rooms being sometimes as low as 0.8.

Doing it this way means that some families of 4 will be able to spend a bit more for more space by having two bedrooms whereas another might choose to squeeze into one room to save some cash - but none of us would think it would be reasonable for the former family to pay double what the latter pay.

If you use this method and assuming that food and drink came to a total that was around half the total paid for the rental, and assuming all kids are in 2-14 bracket and the big room was a '1.1' and all others were a '1' then you would get:

Couples A,B,C and D (2 kids each and private room) = 18.3% of full cost

Couple E with 2 kids and only a share of a room:
= 16.1% of full cost

Couple F with no kids and only a share of a room:
= 10.1% of full cost.

Bloody hell Orinoco and I thought I was anal!

You’ve most definitely out analled the most anal person I know with that equation. I say this in total admiration BTW. Bravo bravo bravo 👏🏼

I think splitting by room is the fairest, as hotels would charge you per room, not per couple/family. However, if they were genuine friends or close family, I wouldn't mind splitting by couples.

I would say a six way split. Just for the sake of keeping it simple.

@OrinocoDugong That is brilliant! I would so use that. I hate when people can't be arsed to properly work these things out just because the British don't talk about money!

It just seemed a little unfair that the five couples with ten children just assumed that the costs should be split six ways

You are not wrong!

That is brilliant Orinoco - makes so much sense.

Mmmmmmmm maths.

When we go away as a big Christmas group we split by rooms.

For food stuff we split per head with under 2'a not included. Kids under 12 count as a half except my 8yo who eats like an adult. Equally DH's niece who eats like a sparrow is counted as a half.

No way would I have been happy to pay the same as someone who refused a big enough house AND then took a took to themselves and left 2 others to share.

Holy shit, all cost including food? No wonder they wanted you to come. Totally unfair but that one couple who got two rooms are massive Cf's, did nobody say "eh us rights lads, tough shit toy are not getting two rooms while another couple shares" WTF

Divided per room then divided again amongst occupants of room. Tbh i would not go if i didnt have my own room, call me a fussy bugger.

We went away for Christmas with friends, there was my family (DH & 2 DCs) and 2 friends. We divided the cottage cost by 6 and we paid for 4 and friends 2. We choose the bigger room with ensuite but also made sure our DCs only used that so they had their own bathroom too.

In the kindest way possible, you and your DP need to develop a bit of a spine.

I'd have dropped out or refused to go if I didn't have a bedroom to myself and then to expect you to share a bedroom and pay the same price, and pay the same share of the food when you have no DCs is totally ridiculous.

Sharing a room with another couple should not be expected once you're out of your teens/early twenties. If one of the couples were strapped for cash then they should have bowed out, not expected you to share a room with other adults to save them some money.

Fabulous post Orinoco!
Though I would tend to use lalalalyra's method, and not charge babies under 2. I'd also separate alcohol costs, and split that only between those that drank any, as I know how unfair it is when people split alcohol costs "equally" but people haven't drunk a drop! (Pregnant, driver, or religious reasons for example)

Orinico's post has actually given me a little fanny gallop...

I'd have started by insistent on a 6 bedroom house so that each family got their own room.

It'd then be reasonable to split the accommodation cost per family.

In terms of food, perhaps count each adult as 1 and children as 0.5, and work out each family 's cost as a propotion of the total.

Did you enjoy it? It would be my idea of hell, sharing a room.

A 6 bed cottage would have been more expensive. So you saved the rest of them money by sharing.

Who made all the decisions?

Sounds like hell to me

Really your saying there was

22 people...
5 lots of 4 and 1 lot of 2.
So if it cost you £1200 for the holiday..
1/6 of £1200 is £200. per couple
2/22 of £1200 is £110. per person
1/5 of £1200 is £240 per room of which your share would be £80

I think £200 for the Holiday is fine, as Adults drink and eat more than children...

It's really not that much for the fun of having friends round, and Xmas with children is so nice.

Do a regular trip with some other families, everyone in guaranteed a bed, but we share rooms. Every person, child or adult, pays an equal share. Each family provided a meal.

Going away with relatives this year. Each couple (all adults are in a couple) will have their own room, maybe sharing with their own child(ren), maybe not. Adults are paying a double share, kids a single share. Food is yet to be decided.

Can't believe anyone thought you're best placed where you ended up. How odd. You clearly feel take advantage of as otherwise wouldn't have posted. You're spot on. Speak up for yourself next time.