[FEATURE] Joint Expenses
Why this feature?
In a multi-person budget, some expenses are naturally shared, rent, a subscription, groceries... But beyond the idea of sharing, there's often a common source: a joint account, a pooled fund, or a shared house kitty.
The joint expense captures this reality precisely: a single expense, made for everyone, from a collective source, automatically split among participants.
No more manual calculations, duplicate entries, or awkward "you owe me" moments. Just simple, clear, and fair management.
What it allows you to do
A joint expense is a single action that creates multiple entries. You enter a total amount, select the people involved, define how it should be split (equally or custom), and that's it.
The system then automatically generates an individual expense for each participant, shown as a regular entry in the budget, but originating from a shared payment.
That way, everyone keeps a clear view of their personal share, while honoring the logic of collective spending.
Usage examples
Take Paul and Marie, who live together and share a joint account. Their €600 rent is paid from that account. By creating a joint expense of €600, each sees €300 automatically added to their individual history.
Or imagine a four-person flatshare. The €40 internet bill is taken from a pooled fund. One joint expense is enough to divide the €40 into four €10 entries, no need for anyone to re-enter anything.
One expense, one input, and everyone knows exactly what they contributed.
What you gain
Joint expenses radically simplify the management of group spending.
You save time entering data, avoid mistakes and duplicates, and most importantly: you reflect how things actually work in your shared life. If it's a collective payment, it's treated as one.
And yet, each person retains a personal view of their finances, without losing transparency over the group. It's both shared and individual. Pretty powerful, right?
How it works
When creating a new expense, just choose the "Joint" type.
Enter the total amount, select the participants, define the split (equal or customized), and fill in the date, category, label... just like a normal expense.
Before confirming, you can preview the breakdown: who pays what.
Once saved, the system automatically creates an individual expense for each person. These entries show up in the history like any other, but with a small indicator showing they come from a shared payment.
If you edit or delete the joint expense, all linked sub-expenses are updated accordingly.
A foundation for more
Joint expenses are a key building block for collaborative financial management. They already allow you to structure shared costs with clarity and ease, while respecting individual contributions.
But this is just the beginning. This shared entry logic paves the way for more flexible, fair, and intuitive forms of financial collaboration.
You now have a powerful tool to manage group expenses. And some exciting possibilities ahead.
Who this is for
Joint expenses are perfect when payment comes from:
- a joint account (couples)
- a shared kitty (roommates)
- one pooled card for a trip (friends)
If the money comes from a common source, creating separate “who paid?” entries is usually noise. Joint expenses keep the structure clean.
Best practices
- Use a joint expense for truly shared purchases (rent, internet, groceries).
- Keep personal purchases as personal expenses, even if they happen during shared activities.
- If shares are not equal (different incomes, different usage), use a custom split and agree on it once.
FAQ
Is this the same as “someone paid for everyone”?
Not exactly. Joint expenses are designed for payments from a collective source, not for reimbursements after the fact.
Can I change the split later?
Yes. Editing the joint expense updates the linked individual entries so the history stays consistent.
Does this work for 2 people only?
Yes — it’s especially useful for couples who use a joint account for shared bills.
