How do you plan a group trip when friends have different budgets?

Collect each person's budget privately, then plan around a figure everyone can manage. The trip should fit the tightest budget in the group, with optional extras for those who want to spend more.

Practical steps

1. Ask for budgets privately. Nobody wants to be the person who says a trip is too expensive in front of everyone. Ask each person for their limit where only the organiser sees it.
2. Ask for one total figure. Ask for the most each person can spend on the whole trip, including flights and accommodation. A single number is easier to compare than a list of costs.
3. Plan around the lower budgets. If the trip only works for the people with the most money, it is not a group trip. Choose places and dates that fit the tighter budgets.
4. Talk to one person, not the group. If one budget rules out almost everything, the organiser should speak to that person directly. Often they can stretch a little, or the group can choose a cheaper month.
5. Save money on the big costs. Flights and accommodation are most of the bill. Flying midweek, picking a cheaper destination or sharing bigger rooms saves more than skipping dinners.
6. Keep extras optional. Expensive activities and meals should be opt in. Nobody should feel they must join everything to belong.
7. Split shared costs fairly. Split accommodation by bed or room, and split meals by who was there. A friend on a tight budget should not pay for a bottle they did not drink.

Where annamo helps

In annamo each friend sets their own budget when they answer, and only the organiser sees it. annamo then finds a budget the whole group can live with and shortlists places that fit, using flight prices from each person's own airport. Before anyone books, the organiser checks real fares, so a friend on a tighter budget is not priced out halfway through booking. Later, Split the costs on the Trip board logs shared payments and shows who owes whom.

FAQ

Should the organiser see everyone's budget?

Someone has to, so the plan fits. One trusted person seeing the numbers is far easier than the whole group seeing them.

What if someone has a much bigger budget?

They can upgrade their own room or add extras. The shared plan stays affordable for everyone.

Does the budget include flights?

It should. Flights are often the biggest cost and they differ by home airport.

What if nobody wants to name a number?

Offer ranges rather than exact figures. Most people will pick a range when nobody else can see it.