Splitting holiday costs?

[redsturgeon]

I just read this question on the Guardian website: a family with two kids goes on holiday every year with another family with three kids. They always just used to halve the costs but now the kids are getting older they are wondering if they should divide the costs per person.

I looked at this and immediately thought "no, don't go there", thinking of those horrible days as a student when coming to split the restaurant bill and people starting to complain that they didn't have as expensive a starter as someone else.

Is it really going to be worth splitting the cost of a holiday so you pay four ninths instead of a half? Surely the intangible benefits of holidaying with your friends and your kids having friends to play with are worth an extra 100 quid? If not then go on holiday on your own.

Then I thought I might be being a little harsh, anyone else have a different view?

John

[Gersemi]

I suppose I would say it depends. If they are flying somewhere then obviously there is a cost per seat and it seems odd to expect the smaller family to pay half of the extra child's seat. If you have to book an extra hotel room to accommodate an extra child then it only seems right that the bigger family should pay for that. On the other hand if you are booking a cottage in the UK then I'd say just split it.

I've always been OK with adjusting restaurant bills according to what people have had, not to the extent of adding up exactly what each person has had (though some friends do that), but say if someone has had water while the rest of us have had a couple of bottles of wine, or someone has not had a starter at all, then I tend to suggest they pay a bit less. I think that is because I'm usually the one that has had most and I'm not comfortable expecting others to pay for my spending - especially as some of my friends are quite strapped for cash, whereas I'm not. In fact if I knew that we would be splitting the bill equally I'd probably feel I had to restrict my spending, if I knew someone else was trying to save money.

So I'd say if you've spent more you should offer to pay more - but if the other person isn't bothered then don't worry unless it is a really significant amount.
If you're the person who has spent less but feels really resentful at having subsidise the other person, you have a more difficult decision . . .

[redsturgeon]

So I'd say if you've spent more you should offer to pay more - but if the other person isn't bothered then don't worry unless it is a really significant amount.
If you're the person who has spent less but feels really resentful at having subsidise the other person, you have a more difficult decision . . .

I'd agree with that. Fortunately I don't think I associate with anyone anymore who worries about "not getting their fair share".

I often tease one of my drinking buddies because he always drinks a particularly expensive lager while my beer is usually about 60p a pint cheaper. I once worked out his beer for the year cost about £300 more than mine! I really don't care at all since it is the act of drinking a pint of beer with my pal that I am more than happy to pay for.

John

[Eboli]

I often tease one of my drinking buddies because he always drinks a particularly expensive lager while my beer is usually about 60p a pint cheaper. I once worked out his beer for the year cost about £300 more than mine! I really don't care at all since it is the act of drinking a pint of beer with my pal that I am more than happy to pay for.

I agree. But I feel more uncomfortable on the receiving end. For example, I go to lunch once a month with a friend who drinks water whereas I drink wine. So this skews the bill (we go Dutch) in my favour say 60%/40%. Every 6 months or so I offer to pay the whole bill. It is never accepted but I believe the offer is important to make.

[Vision25]

I just read this question on the Guardian website: a family with two kids goes on holiday every year with another family with three kids. They always just used to halve the costs but now the kids are getting older they are wondering if they should divide the costs per person.

I looked at this and immediately thought "no, don't go there", thinking of those horrible days as a student when coming to split the restaurant bill and people starting to complain that they didn't have as expensive a starter as someone else.

Is it really going to be worth splitting the cost of a holiday so you pay four ninths instead of a half? Surely the intangible benefits of holidaying with your friends and your kids having friends to play with are worth an extra 100 quid? If not then go on holiday on your own.

Then I thought I might be being a little harsh, anyone else have a different view?

John

It's just poor people to whom the odd couple of hundred matters.

You know the type, always consuming up to their limits.

Typical guardian readers really.

Vision25

[swill453]

It's just poor people to whom the odd couple of hundred matters.

So presumably poor people are just as deserving of advice on this board?

Scott.

[quelquod]

I think that was probably in jest.

Perhaps this board should have paid membership with perhaps a refund on a 'helpful post' basis, then poor people could trade advice for help.

Oh silly me! I realise that's what it's all about anyway.

[Vision25]

It's just poor people to whom the odd couple of hundred matters.

So presumably poor people are just as deserving of advice on this board?

Scott.

If poor people really what my advice, I would advice them that if they are moaning over a couple of hundred pounds then clearly, they can't afford a holiday in the first place.

But they won't take THAT advice will they, believing as they do that they deserve the same sort of holidays as capitalists.

Vision25

[Diziet]

Leaving aside the obnoxious comments of whether people deserve holidays or not, then, unless the kids are small, I think it is fair that costs are paid proportionately. We are a small family (only 1 teenager at home now) and I think if I went on holiday with a family of 5, I would not expect the cost to be simply split in two. I don't expect we would fall out about it, either.

[stevensfo]

I looked at this and immediately thought "no, don't go there", thinking of those horrible days as a student when coming to split the restaurant bill and people starting to complain that they didn't have as expensive a starter as someone else.

Oh, brings back memories!
As a student, I shared a house with three others, one of whom was not a student, but working freelance for ICI and earning a bloody fortune. He had a property in Guildford that he was renting out and an apartment somewhere else. When we came to split the gas bill, he argued that he had less baths and showers than anyone else and should only pay 20% instead of 25%. He was older than us and wore us down with his arguing, so, as naive students, we gave in!

Steve

PS He's probably a politician now!