While sharing a home with roommates is enjoyable and cost-effective, it can cause problems when it comes to paying bills. Bill splitting apps come to the rescue in this situation. These apps are helpful in avoiding financial problems and reducing misunderstanding.
You’ve probably encountered situations where a bill-splitting app would have saved you a lot of time and aggravation. Perhaps a roommate owes you money from a shared Postmates order. Or maybe you’re feeling guilty because you haven’t paid for a grocery run your roommate made. Even shared subscriptions could get lost in the shuffle, resulting in one roommate paying more than the others. When you use a bill-splitting program, everything is taken care of.
You’ll also never have to deal with complicated spreadsheets again. And keeping all of your paper receipts and bills from the mail? It’s a thing of the past now.
Of course, there are now numerous bill-splitting apps available for housemates. Some of them are untrustworthy. Thankfully, we’ve compiled a list of the best of the best. Here are seven apps that can help you split bills with your roommates.
How do roommates handle their utility bills?
Roommates have numerous advantages, including the chance to rent a larger area, share cleaning responsibilities, and simply make companions with whom to watch a movie. Sharing a space with a roommate or roommates, on the other hand, is not always easy and might provide some obstacles, particularly when it comes to money.
Establish ground rules and guidelines
Consider collaborating with your roommates to set some ground rules or standards, similar to how your lease spells out every detail. This is an excellent moment to discuss which expenses will be shared and which will be paid for separately.
Making ensuring bills are structured is a big part of keeping the peace. Determine when and how monthly payments will be collected and split, as well as how they will be paid and who will be accountable for what amount. While this may seem self-evident, many roommates wait until the last minute, resulting in frustration, tension, and possibly late bills.
Make a cost spreadsheet
Make a spreadsheet describing each expense you and your roommates will need to pay once the ground rules and criteria for paying the bills have been established. Details such as due dates, quantities outstanding, and the individual responsible for payment should be included in each expense. A monthly meeting to discuss the bills and this spreadsheet could be beneficial. This will ensure that everyone is on the same page and that no one is caught off guard when it comes time to pay the bill.
Use apps
There’s an app for everything! Consider using an app to help with the calculations and payments when you have substantial bills, such as rent or utilities. The excuse that a roommate “doesn’t have cash on them” is no longer valid, as Venmo can easily remedy that problem. This free app allows you to transfer money to pals from your debit account. You may also use the app to request money and notify your housemates when money is due.
Splitwise is another excellent app. This software allows roommates to keep track of expenses, count who has paid, and send reminders so that you never miss a payment. If a cost spreadsheet isn’t your thing, consider using an app to make bill payment easy for you and your roommates.
Keep some purchases separate
Consider buying furniture separately unless you and your roommates intend on selling everything when it’s time to move out. While it may seem rational to split the expense of furnishings that you will both use, what happens when your lease expires? Choosing who gets to keep what can be difficult and unpleasant. Make a list of the furnishings and electronics you’ll need for your home and decide who will be accountable for each item while keeping your overall budget in check.
Groceries are another thing that roommates should consider purchasing separately, similar to furnishings. If you prefer fresh items and your roommate prefers frozen pizzas, the expenditures will not be evenly distributed. This can also cause friction if your roommate decides that they want fresh food that day and eats your goods.
Choose your roommates wisely
While it may be difficult to predict your potential future roommate’s habits, at the absolute least, meet with them ahead of time to get a sense of who they are. You don’t want to be locked into a lease with someone you’ll end up hating.
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What is the best way to split bills with a roommate?
Tips for a Positive Financial Situation When Splitting Bills with Roommates
- Choose which bills to split and how to pay them. What method do you use to split bills with friends?
- Create a budgeting spreadsheet.
- Payments can be planned and managed via apps.
- Separate some of your purchases.
- Select Your Roommates Carefully.
Should utilities be shared equally by all roommates?
This, too, necessitates an open and honest conversation among all housemates. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for splitting utility bills between roommates; it all relies on individual circumstances and preferences. Some people choose to split the bills evenly, while others prefer to split the bill based on each roommate’s salary. It’s critical that all of the housemates are on the same page and agree on everything. The most popular and easiest way to split the costs is evenly, but as long as everyone is happy, you can split them anyway you choose.
How do roommates handle their finances?
There are many options available, but here are five that we particularly enjoyed. Take a look and see if any of them appear to be able to assist you in maintaining financial stability in your area.
1. Split into two groups
2. Use Venmo
3. Amount owed
four. Splitrr
5. Our Grocery Stores
Splitwise
It’s exhausting, not to mention time-consuming, to chase down your housemates for every small spend. App for sharing bills Splitwise adds up all of your IOUs so you can repay each other in one lump sum rather than a series of small payments.
The app even sends you reminder emails so you don’t have to bother your roommates about payments. Simply upload a cost and select who you want to share it with. You and your roommates can determine how frequently you want to pay the bill.
Venmo
Venmo is a convenient, popular, and safe way to repay your pals. You may use Venmo to send money between roommates for free by adding a bank account or debit card.
Instead of going missing in your bank account, you can keep money in your Venmo account and pay it to your roommate. That $10 your friend paid you for dinner last week can go toward your power bill.
Venmo is a free software that allows you to send money to anyone who has the app. This implies that this bill-splitting tool isn’t just for roommates; it’s also a fantastic method to repay friends and relatives.
IOU
Bill-splitting software for roommates IOU keeps track of all your debts owed to your roommates. You can input expenses, divide them evenly among your housemates, and send email reminders to each other.
You may also construct a payment plan for large purchases or add recurring IOUs for regular invoices. For example, if your roommate destroys your TV and doesn’t have the money to pay you right away, you can make six-month installment payments.
It’s simple to keep track of everything using IOU, and you’ll have a record of your debt history as well. There will be no more doubts about whether or not your roommate has reimbursed you for cleaning supplies or toilet paper.
Splitrr
Splitrr is a simple bill-splitting tool that doesn’t require you to log in. You can submit costs and choose whether to distribute costs evenly or unevenly with your housemates. It doesn’t require internet access to use, and it also functions without it.
You can quickly generate a PDF and email it to your housemates if you want a debt history.
OurGroceries
Do you and your roommates eat or drink together? You can use OurGroceries to share grocery lists if you have common ingredients.
You can effortlessly create and modify grocery lists using this app, as well as tick off any goods you’ve purchased. You can also enter supplementary lists such as “our favorite wines” or “episodes to watch during this weekend’s Friends marathon.”
What’s the best way to get my roommate to pay more rent?
Sending a Venmo request is one of the simplest and most direct ways to seek money from a roommate. Enter the amount owed, provide a description, then click “request.” Your roommate will receive a reminder from the app reminding them to pay the specified price. You won’t have to keep nudging them because the program will keep sending them reminders until they pay it.
Group Text
Starting a group chat is a terrific method to encourage everyone else in your home to have a say if you’ve somehow fallen into or taken on the mother hen position. Being in charge isn’t fun, and it comes with a lot of responsibility that shouldn’t fall solely on your shoulders. Every time you have a home-related topic you need to discuss but are too shy to bring up in person, turn to the group chat and speak it out together.
Should roommates eat together?
It might be challenging to share space with others, especially if this is your first time living with roommates. There are, however, actions you can do to make sure your space is split cleanly and evenly among your housemates. The refrigerator is one of the most problematic areas for roommates, but by following these guidelines, you and your roommates will be able to properly share refrigerator space in an organized, respectful, and sanitary manner.
Set up specific refrigerator slots for each roommate. This ensures that each roommate is aware of where they may store their food and how much they will need to purchase. If there are only two people living in the house, each of you can have your own shelf. If there are more people living there, you’ll have to get a little more inventive. Use washi tape or painter’s tape to divide up spots in the refrigerator if necessary, so that each roommate knows which is theirs.
One of the most effective methods to efficiently share a refrigerator with roommates is to label your food. It will keep your refrigerator area appearing nice and orderly, in addition to guaranteeing that none of your roommates unintentionally eat food that belongs to you.
Despite the fact that each roommate should be responsible for their own food, there should be certain guidelines in place for common foods. Roommates are inclined to share condiments, sauces, and other necessities like milk. Make sure you have regulations in place for what foods are off-limits to your housemates and which are fair game.
You and your roommates should decide how often you want to deep clean the refrigerator as a family. Once a week, go through your refrigerator and make sure nothing has gone bad. Once every couple of weeks, give the refrigerator a thorough cleaning. Being on the same page as your roommates about how often the refrigerator will be cleaned and how the cleaning responsibilities will be distributed keeps obligations in check.
Take charge of your eating habits. If something goes bad in the refrigerator, get rid of it as quickly as possible. Make sure you buy the proper amount of food so you don’t have too much for your assigned space and don’t have to rely on your housemates for food.
When sharing a refrigerator, it’s crucial to establish limits around shared meals. Say so if you don’t want to share your food. Say so if you don’t mind your housemates eating some of your leftovers without asking. When sharing a refrigerator, clear communication and boundaries are essential.
By dividing the refrigerator as evenly as possible, each roommate will have an equal amount of space for their food. Additionally, the refrigerator will appear more organized and clean as a result of this.
Although sharing refrigerator space with roommates can be tough at first, it is not impossible. If you follow these guidelines, you and your roommates will be able to efficiently share refrigerator space in a respectful, organized, and clean manner.
How do roommates split the cost of groceries?
Get clear about each other’s personal finances, among other roommate screening questions. Pose questions like:
- How much money do you make on a monthly basis?
- Is it the same every month, or does it change? By how much do you mean?
- What level of job security do you have? How long have you been with the company?
- What percentage of your income do you set away for an emergency fund?
- How’s your credit rating? Is it high enough for us to be approved as a group when we apply for a rental?
- Do you owe money on student loans, credit cards, or other debts that make it difficult to pay your rent and utilities?
- Which household expenses do you anticipate splitting?
When you share housing costs, you can’t afford financial privacy. You must ensure that your housemates are able to pay the rent.
You can be stuck with the rent and energy bills if your roommate loses their job or their income drops and they don’t have an emergency fund.
Look into it “In your leasing agreement, there should be a joint and multiple liability clause. The brief version is as follows: Each roommate is financially accountable for the entire rent, and the landlord has the authority to make all roommates liable for any payment shortfall.
In other words, the landlord does not consider each roommate’s rent when calculating your rent “a share It’s just a bill you have to pay, and you’re all responsible for it.
Do Put One Roommate In Charge of Paying Shared Bills
Nominate a trustworthy roommate who will pay the rent and utilities on time each month. Everyone else is responsible for paying that person’s share of the rent by the due date.
If at all possible, use electronic payments such as PayPal or Venmo to generate a clear paper trail. It’s all too simple to argue about whether or not a monetary payment was made, what that cash was for, or how much money was exchanged. You can also use Splitwise or other similar programs.
Sign a short one-page contract with your roommates. Everyone agrees on the shared monthly bills, when they must be paid each month, and who is responsible for collecting the money and paying the bill.
Most importantly, be sure that any roommate who fails to pay their portion faces consequences. After the first infraction, the offender may be forced to perform all home chores until the debt is paid in full. The second offense could result in eviction by the end of the month. If you want your housemates to take you seriously, make your own rules and stick to them.
Finally, if one late payer is the cause of the late rent or payment, they are alone responsible for the late fee. If the other roommates paid their rent on time, they should not be responsible for that charge.
You can set up a joint checking account, but assigning bill-paying duty to one individual ensures greater accountability. Besides, the less complicated your finances are, the better.
Do Buy Furniture Separately
Maintain a straightforward approach. You can take the couch with you when you move out if you buy it.
Recognize that shared furniture may experience some wear and tear, if not outright abuse. Don’t buy anything that would break your heart if your roommate spilled wine on it.
Discuss with your roommates who will be purchasing the various items of furniture required for the flat up front. To save money and grief, consider purchasing old furniture. A broken spring on a cheap used couch is much simpler to overlook than a brand-new piece of designer furniture.
Do Create & Publicly Post a Shared Expenses Chart
If splitting expenses becomes perplexing, keep track of who owes what by making a monthly chart and posting it on the refrigerator. List everyone’s name, as well as rent and utilities expenditures in columns.
Cross people’s names off the list when they pay for the month. Everyone is aware of who has paid and who still owes, which encourages everyone to make timely payments.
As part of the pre-move-in finance discussion, bring this up. Your roommates may feel insulted if you do it without warning, which will not alleviate your concerns.
Do Check Out at the Grocery Store Separately
There’s nothing wrong with going grocery shopping with your friends. But it doesn’t imply you should go to the grocery store together and share the bill.
Purchase the groceries you intend to consume. If you’re going to cook a dinner together, assign each person a particular part of the dish to prepare, just like any other potluck. Everyone who wants to eat has something to contribute when it comes time to cook.
Alternatively, assign each roommate a rotating timetable for cooking shared meals. To avoid confusion, the chef is responsible for all of the ingredients. Just be aware that the quality of your cuisine may vary based on your housemates’ skill levels.
Collect money ahead of time for communal products like toilet paper and cleaning supplies, then check out for these items separately. Put the change in a common till or split it as a reimbursement for these charges. Purchase in bulk to avoid having to deal with communal expenses on a regular basis.
Do Keep Records of All Shared Bills
Keep any shared household bills in a folder (digital or paper). In most cases, only utilities are included. You’ll need a record of previous monthly expenses in case one of your roommates questions them later.
Collecting money from your housemates and paying each bill on time is a tiresome chore that can come back to bite you if your housemates inquire about the actual bill amounts and payments later.
What is the best way for me to pay my bills with a friend?
Determine the best way to split the bill once you’ve had a chat with your pals about paying for the meal. Each of these approaches has its own set of benefits and drawbacks, so choose the one that best suits your needs. Here are some suggestions for how to share the bill with your friends:
1. Make a request for separate checks.
Because each person pays their portion of the price, asking for separate checks is the most equitable approach to split the bill. If someone orders a salad while the rest of the table eats steak, the salad eater will not be responsible for a steak-sized percentage of the cost. When some customers expect to pay with cash and others plan to pay with credit cards, this strategy works effectively. The disadvantage of this strategy is that it requires more work from the server, and it can take some time to wait for separate tests.
2. Take it in turns to pay.
Taking turns paying works effectively for groups of individuals who eat out frequently and at places with similar rates. My husband and I, for example, go to a Mexican restaurant near our house with a nearby couple. We take turns paying the entire tab since we know we’ll be going to the same restaurant with the same couple again soon, and we want to make the bill-paying procedure simple and short.
On the other hand, it’s a great method to keep in touch with pals you don’t see very often. When your pals object, tell them it’s your “secret scheme to get them to go out again since they “owe you a meal.” This is something I’ve done several times, and my friends are always fascinated by the ruse, and the favor is always returned.
3. A single person pays and is reimbursed
You might volunteer to pay the tab and have your buddies reimburse you later if you trust them. You might also take it in turns to be the one who pays and is reimbursed afterwards. This makes the bill-paying procedure quick and easy, but it demands trust and requires the buyer to invest a large amount of money. Due of the amount necessary, this would not be the best solution for anyone who uses the envelope budgeting strategy.
4. Split the Costs Equally
If you and your friends don’t want to compute how much each of you owes on the bill, dividing the bill evenly is a straightforward answer. While some people have no qualms about paying a little more or less than they owe, others will be irritated by having to pay for someone else’s steak dinner. If you opt to split the bill evenly, be sure that everyone ordered goods that were roughly equal in price and that no one has an issue with this method of bill splitting.
5. Split the bill with a bill splitting app
Check for a bill-splitting software like Wesplit.it if you frequently go out with a group of friends or order takeout with your roommates. Your invoices will be tracked on the website, as well as the overall amount owed for everyone in your party. The simple software informs your pals that they owe you money, relieving you of the burden and preventing an embarrassing conversation.
6. Distribute the Tip Equally
It’s not always the cost that’s difficult to split; it’s often the tax and tip that’s difficult to figure out while trying to pay the bill. The simplest way is to evenly distribute tax and tip. While some people object to sharing the bill in its entirety, most people do not mind splitting the tip evenly because it accounts for such a little portion of the total amount.
7. Make Use of a Tip App
Make some calculations with your smartphone. If you opt to split a tip evenly, there are tip programs that will calculate this for you. You can also use your phone’s calculator to figure out how much each person owes in tip.
8. Toss in a few dollar bills as a tip
Collect a tip for the waitress by asking everyone to toss their dollar dollars into the tip jar. This works because most individuals are willing to contribute a dollar or two to the tip jar. Someone else will most likely have the dollar bills the next time you lunch out with this bunch of folks. Using this method of tipping, it’s likely that everyone will donate equally over the course of a year.
9. Pay only for the items you ordered.
If you’re out with pals, paying for what you ordered shouldn’t be a problem. When the bill arrives, you should have a good notion of what your total is, and you can easily verify it by scanning the bill. However, if the table splits a bottle of wine or a dessert, this strategy can be troublesome. If this occurs, offer to pay for what you ordered as well as a piece of the item that you and your buddies split.