So, you’re going to Roatan on an extended family trip! Congratulations! Everybody’s booked their flights, the vacation rental has been paid for and you’ve figured out how to get there from Juan Manuel Gálvez International airport. Now you just have to figure out who owes what. If everyone in your family is laid back about money it may not matter that much. But let’s face it – who’s actually laid back when it comes to money? Depending on who’s along for the ride, there are several ways for figuring out everyone’s expenses. In this article, we’ll go over some tips for splitting your Roatan family vacation cost.
Split the Costs Evenly
Many people’s first instinct would be to simply split to the costs evenly between the number of groups that are using the vacation rental. Maybe there are four groups – you, your parents, your sister’s family and your aunt, uncle and cousin. Simple, right? Take the total cost of the rental and divide it by four. But of course, this is where the problems begin. You’re there by yourself and you’re paying the same price as your sister – and she has a husband and 3 kids! Your parents are effectively each paying half the price that you are, and your aunt, uncle and cousin are feeling ripped off because they’re only there for 2 of the 3 weeks that’ve been booked. Looks like it’s time for a different formula!
Split the Costs by Room
By splitting the costs by room you’re actually treating your vacation rental like your own mini hotel. Each room has a price and you pay that price multiplied by the number of nights you’re staying. The fact that your parents have the master bedroom while you’re staying in a tiny single room at the back of the house works well because you’re assigning a higher price to the fancier rooms. However, there’s still the problem of you aunt and uncle leaving after two weeks. That might mean that everyone else’s rooms will cost more for the final week. And your sister might not be happy paying for 3 rooms to accommodate her whole family. Is there another way?
Split the Cost by Person
If you came up with a price per person, per night, while giving a discount to children, it could lower the price that your sister is paying and make her happy. And maybe being around your nieces and nephew for 3 weeks is worth the extra cost. That is, if you actually like them! Your aunt, uncle and cousin will likely find this method fairer for them as they’ll only be paying for the time that they’re actually there.
The Important Thing to Remember
Whatever tips for splitting your Roatan family vacation costs you use, it’s important to remember that you’re going to have a fabulous vacation in a great spot while surrounded by your family. And that, is priceless!
