Ski trip expense calculator
Lift passes, rentals and lessons vary per person, while the chalet is shared. Both fit in one ledger.
Short answer
Split the chalet and shared food evenly across the whole group, then add lift passes, rentals and lessons only to the people who actually bought them — not everyone skis or rents gear on the same days.
People
Expenses
Balances
- Alex$375.00
- Sarah$15.00
- Mike$165.00
- Emma$195.00
+ gets money back · − owes money
💸 Settle up
Only 3 payments needed.
- EmmaAlex$195.00
- MikeAlex$165.00
- SarahAlex$15.00
Who paid what
- Alex$600.00
- Sarah$180.00
- Mike$60.00
Saved on this device. No account needed.
How it works
- 1Log the chalet or hotel as one shared expense.
- 2Add lift passes and rentals with only the people they cover.
- 3Add lessons individually — they are rarely shared.
- 4Settle at the end of the week.
Ski trips have a shared core cost (the chalet, sometimes shared catering) and a long list of individual extras — lift passes, boot and ski hire, lessons — that vary hugely by person and even by day.
Trying to average all of this into one flat per-person cost overcharges anyone who snowboards on their own kit or takes a rest day, and undercharges anyone who does a full week of lessons.
The reliable approach is one shared entry for the chalet, then a separate entry per extra with only the people who bought it attached.
Worked examples with real numbers
Five friends, one skips lift passes for two days
Five friends share a chalet for a week. Four buy a 5-day lift pass; one only skis 3 days. Two take a half-day lesson.
| What was paid | Amount |
|---|---|
| Chalet (5 people, 7 nights)Ilse paid | 1,750.00 |
| Lift passes: 4×5-day (220 each) + 1×3-day (150)Everyone paid own | 1,030.00 |
| Lesson (2 people, 60 each)Ilse paid | 120.00 |
| Total | 2,900.00 |
| Person | Paid | Fair share | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ilse (5-day pass + lesson, booker) | 2,090.00 | 630.00 | +1,460.00 |
| Jono (5-day pass + lesson) | 220.00 | 630.00 | −410.00 |
| Kip (5-day pass) | 220.00 | 570.00 | −350.00 |
| Lena (5-day pass) | 220.00 | 570.00 | −350.00 |
| Mo (3-day pass only) | 150.00 | 500.00 | −350.00 |
- Jono (5-day pass + lesson)Ilse (5-day pass + lesson, booker)410.00
- Kip (5-day pass)Ilse (5-day pass + lesson, booker)350.00
- Lena (5-day pass)Ilse (5-day pass + lesson, booker)350.00
- Mo (3-day pass only)Ilse (5-day pass + lesson, booker)350.00
Chalet splits evenly at 350 each. On top of that everyone's share includes only their own lift pass and lesson: Ilse and Jono's shares hit 630 (350 chalet + 220 pass + 60 lesson), Kip and Lena sit at 570 (350 + 220), and Mo — on the shorter 3-day pass — only reaches 500 (350 + 150).
Rental gear split only among renters
Six people share a chalet. Three bring their own skis; three rent full sets at 45/day for 4 days.
| What was paid | Amount |
|---|---|
| Chalet (6 people)Noor paid | 1,200.00 |
| Rental gear (3 people, 45×4 each)Noor paid | 540.00 |
| Total | 1,740.00 |
| Person | Paid | Fair share | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noor (renter, booker) | 1,740.00 | 380.00 | +1,360.00 |
| Owen (renter) | 0.00 | 380.00 | −380.00 |
| Priti (renter) | 0.00 | 380.00 | −380.00 |
| Quin (own gear) | 0.00 | 200.00 | −200.00 |
| Ravi (own gear) | 0.00 | 200.00 | −200.00 |
| Sana (own gear) | 0.00 | 200.00 | −200.00 |
- Owen (renter)Noor (renter, booker)380.00
- Priti (renter)Noor (renter, booker)380.00
- Quin (own gear)Noor (renter, booker)200.00
- Ravi (own gear)Noor (renter, booker)200.00
- Sana (own gear)Noor (renter, booker)200.00
Chalet is 1200÷6=200 each; the 540 rental cost splits only three ways at 180, so renters owe 380 total and self-equipped skiers owe just their 200 chalet share.
Layering shared and optional ski costs
1. Shared accommodation share
chalet cost ÷ everyone in the group
2. Lift pass cost
sum only the passes each person actually bought
3. Rental/lesson share
total rental or lesson cost ÷ number who used it
4. Person's total
accommodation share + their own lift pass + their share of any rentals/lessons
Mistakes that cause arguments
Averaging lift passes across the whole group
Someone who skis fewer days or brings their own kit shouldn't subsidise a full-week pass holder's cost.
Bundling lessons into the general food/chalet kitty
Lessons are usually optional and per-person — keep them as their own line item.
Forgetting non-skiers exist
Someone who comes along just for the chalet and doesn't ski at all should only owe their accommodation share.
Practical tips
- Log the chalet as one shared expense for the whole group.
- Add lift passes, rentals and lessons as separate expenses, each with only the actual buyers attached.
- Ask everyone their pass length and rental needs before the trip so amounts are ready to log.
- Settle once at the end of the week rather than after every gear pickup.
Questions
- How do we treat non-skiers?
- Include them in the chalet and food, exclude them from passes and gear.
- Can we track a shared food kitty?
- Yes — log each shop as a shared expense rather than pooling cash.
- What about equipment damage charges?
- Add them as an expense with only the affected person as participant.