Author
Kenji
I built HippoSplit and log my own trips in it
Posts by Kenji
How much does a trip to Thailand cost in 2026? A real per-person budget
What 10 nights across Bangkok, Chiang Mai and the islands really costs per person in 2026: hotels, street food, flights, boats, entry fees, the ATM fee nobody mentions, and how a group splits it.
The 30-day receipt challenge: photograph every receipt for a month
One rule for one month: photograph every receipt at the counter. No budget, no spreadsheet. What people learn in each of the four weeks, and how to run it with the people you share money with.
How much does a European Christmas markets trip cost in 2026?
What five nights across Prague and Vienna really costs per person in 2026: hotels, trains, Gluhwein, the mug deposit nobody mentions, and how to split a two-currency trip without a spreadsheet.
How much does food cost in Japan? 33 receipts from 11 days
Two people, 11 days, 33 food receipts: what ramen, konbini breakfasts, cafes and a seafood lunch really cost in Japan, and a per-person daily food budget you can copy.
How much does F1 Las Vegas cost in 2026? A group trip budget
What the 2026 Las Vegas Grand Prix really costs a group: tickets from $492 for three days, race-weekend hotel surge, resort fees, and the extras that turn a $1,200 trip into a $2,500 one.
Free Google Sheets expense tracker template (works in Excel too)
A free monthly expense tracker for Google Sheets and Excel: budgets by category, a year overview and a shared-expenses column. No signup, every tab explained.
Free travel budget template for group trips (Excel and Google Sheets)
A free spreadsheet that plans a group trip budget and splits it. Set a budget per category, log expenses as you go, watch planned against actual, and get who pays whom in the fewest transfers.
How much does Oktoberfest cost in 2026? A real group budget, per person
What Oktoberfest 2026 actually costs a group of friends: beer at 14.80 to 15.90 euros a Mass, Munich hotels, tent reservations and the extras nobody budgets for, in three tiers per person.
Splitwise vs Tricount vs Settle Up: which should you pick in 2026?
Splitwise, Tricount, and Settle Up solve the same problem three ways. Pricing, free limits, receipt scanning, and recurring bills compared for 2026, plus where Kittysplit and Splid fit.
How AI receipt scanning works (and why the math is not AI)
The AI reads your receipt: the lines, the currency, the tax and tip. HippoSplit does the math: conversion, shares, balances. Here is why keeping those two apart makes the result one you can trust.
11 days in Japan in 61 receipts: what two people really spent
Two people, 11 days, 63 receipts: the full breakdown of the 414,700 yen (about $2,600) an April trip across Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo, Fuji and Disneyland really cost, by category, by day and per person.
Who owes who after a group trip: how to settle up without a spreadsheet
Four steps to work out who owes who after a trip: list, share, subtract, simplify. A worked example, skipped activities, two currencies, and the fewest payments.
How to split bills based on income: the math, a calculator table, and when it is fair
The proportional method in three steps, a bill split calculator table you can copy, the equal-leftover alternative, and what should never be split by income.
Roommate bill splitting: how to set up recurring rent, utilities and subscriptions
Rent is easy. The bills that wear roommates down are the ones that change and repeat. A bill inventory, the utility rules that stay fair, and a monthly cycle that runs itself.
How to split expenses when your friends won't install an app
The one friend who refuses to install anything should not break your group's expense tracking. Four approaches that work when not everyone will download an app, and how to pick between them.
Splitwise review 2026: pricing, free limits, and what Reddit says
Splitwise reviewed for 2026: what the free plan still includes, the daily expense cap and ads, what Pro costs, what Reddit complains about, and who should consider an alternative.
Tutorial: create your first HippoSplit group and invite friends, no signup needed
A step-by-step tutorial with screenshots: create your first group, invite friends with a link or QR code (they can join as guests without signing up), and log your first expense by typing it in chat.
How to split expenses with friends: the complete guide
One simple system for splitting expenses with friends: agree upfront, track as you spend, settle once. Covers dinners, trips, roommates, couples, and which apps actually help.
How to split rent and bills with roommates fairly
Rent by room size, utilities split evenly, groceries case by case: a fair-split playbook for roommates, with worked examples and a monthly routine that stops the chasing.
How to split a bill: restaurant math for tax, tip, and shared dishes
One multiplier handles tax and tip fairly. Worked examples for shared appetizers, the friend who only had a drink, service charges, and big-table rounding.
Group payment etiquette: who pays, how to remind, and when to let it go
The unwritten rules of group money: who pays, how to remind someone politely, when to let small amounts go, and the exact scripts that keep it friendly.
How to scan receipts with AI: a step-by-step HippoSplit tutorial
Add expenses by snapping a photo of the receipt into your group chat. The AI fills in items, amounts, category, and split, and saves the expense automatically. A step-by-step tutorial.
Free expense-splitting spreadsheet template (Excel and Google Sheets)
A free template for tracking and splitting shared expenses in Excel or Google Sheets, with every formula explained, plus an honest look at when a spreadsheet stops being enough.
How to split group expenses fairly: equal, by items, percentages, or custom shares
The four ways to split group expenses, when each one is fairest, and how to log and settle everything from a group chat instead of a spreadsheet.
How to split trip expenses with friends
Agree the rules before you go, pick a split method that fits each cost, log expenses as you spend, and settle in a few taps. How to split a group trip or vacation without the spreadsheet.
The 7 best expense splitting apps in 2026, by use case
Seven expense splitting apps compared honestly by use case: HippoSplit, Splitwise, Tricount, Settle Up, Splid, Spliit, and Kittysplit. Pricing, free limits, and who each one is best for.