Leo Gillick
Finance feuds can often be the failure of friendships. So, a group of Aussie girls has found a way around the issue by opening a joint bank account that funds their holidays and avoids confrontation.
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The Common Problem: When travelling on a holiday with people, the discussion of who paid for what will often come up. Discussions about who owes what after hotels, flights, and meals are all settled always take a toll. Nobody wants to talk about money, and it puts a downer on the whole experience.
- With a joint bank account, topped up over the course of a year, a group of friends has removed the financial discussion surrounding their holiday trips. With small donations that they all agree they can afford, every week, they end up with a small fortune to spend, guilt-free. It’s funded their trips and removed the bitter taste of money arguments.
Each week, the group puts $20 in the joint holiday bank account. They all agreed that this was a sensible and manageable amount. “We actually started with $10 AUD ($7 USD) a week because the priority was it feeling accessible for everyone,” Brindell told PEOPLE. “Once we realized how much easier and more fun it made holidaying, we upped it to $20 AUD ($13 USD)”
Democratic Money Management
With their continued contributions, the girls end up with a small fortune in their joint holiday bank account. It’s more than enough to pay for flights, hotels, meals, Uber, and fun nights out. Throughout the year, they will dip into it and buy flights and hotels early.
@kimbrindell your sign to start a group bank account with ya mates and go on holidays every year #friendholiday #girlholiday #holiday #femalefriendship #friendship ♬ original sound – Kim Brindell
Keeping it Fair – One of the age-old arguments for the tight-fisted and ungenerous is who ate more at a split bill meal. But the girls keep things fair. They have had numerous questions about what they do when someone splashes out more.
- “The short answer is: we don’t sweat the small stuff. If someone orders a more expensive meal or drinks an extra cocktail or two, we still put it on the card as it almost always comes out in the wash.”
They mentioned that one year, when one of the women was pregnant, they chose to pay for individual drinks. Another year, when one had to cancel, they returned her money to the joint holiday bank account. It’s all very civilized.
