Getting started with Mess Ledger

Question 1

How do I sign up for Mess Ledger?

Accepted Answer

You sign up with an email address and a password at messledger.com, in any browser on Android, iPhone or a laptop. There is nothing to install and it costs ৳0. Once you are signed in you can either create a new mess or join an existing one with its invite code.

Question 2

How do I create a new mess after signing up?

Accepted Answer

Choose to create a mess, give it a name, and it is ready; whoever creates the mess becomes its manager automatically. From there you share the invite code so the others can join, and you can set the month start day, timezone and meal cutoff in the mess's settings. Nothing else has to be set up before you record the first meal or bazar.

Question 3

What should I name my mess, and can I change the name later?

Accepted Answer

Use a name every member will recognise at a glance, such as the house or road plus the area, for example “Road 7 Mohammadpur Mess”. That matters most for anyone who is in two messes, since they pick between them by name. A manager can change the name later in the mess's settings, so do not overthink it on day one.

Question 4

Where do I find my mess's invite code and how should I share it?

Accepted Answer

The invite code is on the members page of your mess, alongside the list of who is in and their roles. The easiest way to share it is to paste it into the mess's WhatsApp or Messenger group with a link to messledger.com. Each person signs up, chooses to join a mess, and enters the code.

Question 5

How does a member join a mess that already exists?

Accepted Answer

A member signs up with their own email and password, chooses to join a mess, and types in the invite code the manager shared. They join as an ordinary member and can immediately record their own meals and see the mess's bazar, costs and balances. If the code does not work, ask the manager whether it was regenerated, because an old code stops working when a new one is made.

Question 6

Can I change the invite code if it was shared with the wrong people?

Accepted Answer

Yes, a manager can regenerate the invite code, and the old one stops working the moment the new one exists. People who already joined stay in the mess; only new joins need the new code. It is a sensible step after a seat has been filled, or if the code was posted somewhere public by mistake.

Question 7

How do I add a flatmate who refuses to make an account?

Accepted Answer

A manager can add a member with no login, which is exactly for the flatmate who will not sign up. That person is counted and charged like everyone else: the manager records their meals, deposits and share of costs. They simply cannot open the app themselves until they decide to sign up.

Question 8

If a member was added without an account, can they take over their history later?

Accepted Answer

Yes. When that person finally signs up, they use the mess's invite code to claim the row the manager made for them, and they keep every meal, deposit and charge already recorded under it. Nothing has to be re-entered, and their balance carries straight on. Make sure they claim their existing row rather than joining as a brand-new member, or the mess will have two of them.

Question 9

Is it okay to start using a mess app in the middle of the month?

Accepted Answer

Yes, starting mid-month works fine as long as you bring the month's numbers so far across, so that the meal rate covers the whole month. That means the meals already eaten, the bazar already bought, and the deposits already paid. In Mess Ledger a manager can import the meal chart, then enter the earlier bazar trips and deposits with their original dates.

Question 10

How do I switch from a paper khata to Mess Ledger without losing this month's numbers?

Accepted Answer

Copy the khata into the app in three passes: meals, then bazar, then deposits. For meals, a manager can paste the month's chart from the khata (typed into a sheet) and import it after matching names to members and checking a preview. Bazar trips can be entered as lump sums with their dates, and deposits with their dates and method, so the settlement at month end includes everything from day one.

Question 11

Can I import past meals from Google Sheets or Excel?

Accepted Answer

Yes, a manager can paste a month of meals copied from a Google Sheet or Excel file into the import screen. You then match each name in the sheet to a member of the mess, look at the preview, and only then import; nothing is written before the preview. It is easiest on a laptop or desktop browser, where copying a whole sheet is simple.

Question 12

Why are some days empty after I imported my meal sheet?

Accepted Answer

Blank cells in the pasted sheet are skipped rather than recorded as zero, so a day left empty in the khata stays empty in the app. That is deliberate: an empty cell often means nobody wrote it down, not that the person ate nothing. If those days really were zero meals, enter 0 for them, or mark the member away for that date range.

Question 13

Do I have to enter old bazar receipts one by one when I move over?

Accepted Answer

No, a single bazar trip can be recorded as a lump sum, so you can enter each earlier trip with just its date and total, for example ৳1,850 on the 3rd and ৳2,150 on the 7th. If you prefer, you can lump a whole week's shopping into one entry, as long as the month's total is right. Itemising (item, quantity, unit, price) is optional and can start from the next trip.

Question 14

What is the month start day and why would a mess change it?

Accepted Answer

The month start day is the date the mess's billing month turns over, and every mess picks its own. A mess where everyone gets paid and pays rent around the 5th might run its month from the 5th to the 4th rather than the 1st to the 30th. A manager sets it in the mess's settings, and every meal rate and settlement is worked out over that span.

Question 15

Which timezone should a mess in Bangladesh choose?

Accepted Answer

Choose Bangladesh time (Asia/Dhaka) unless your mess is somewhere else. Mess Ledger measures “today” in the mess's timezone, not the phone's, so a member travelling abroad still records meals against the mess's day. It also decides when the meal cutoff falls and which days have passed and are billed.

Question 16

How do I set up rent so it is charged automatically every month?

Accepted Answer

Create rent as a recurring template on the costs page, with its amount and split, then apply the templates once each month with a single button. For example, ৳24,000 rent split equally among 6 members is ৳4,000 each. Pressing the apply button twice in the same month never bills anyone twice, so it is safe if two managers both press it.

Question 17

What other costs should I set up as recurring in the first month?

Accepted Answer

Set up the costs that come every month with the same split: typically rent, wifi, and the cook's or maid's salary. Bills that change each month, like electricity, gas and water, are better added as one-off costs when the bill arrives. Each cost can be split equally, by shares (for example a single room at 2 shares and a bed in a double at 1), or by custom amounts.

Question 18

How do I record the first bazar in Mess Ledger?

Accepted Answer

Add a bazar entry with the date, who shopped and the amount; that is enough for the meal rate. You can attach up to 3 receipt photos, and every member can see them. If a manager records it, it counts at once; if a member shopped with their own money and records it, it waits for a manager's approval before it credits them.

Question 19

Should I enter bazar as a lump sum or item by item?

Accepted Answer

Start with lump sums if you want the mess running quickly, because the meal rate only needs the total. Switch to itemised entries (item, quantity, unit, price) once people are comfortable, since a line like “rice 25 kg ৳1,750” answers questions about where the money went. Both kinds of entry add to the same bazar total.

Question 20

What happens when a member pays for bazar out of their own pocket?

Accepted Answer

They record it as own-cash bazar, and once a manager approves it, the amount is credited to them as money paid in, the same as a deposit. Until approval it counts for nothing, which stops honest mistakes from changing everyone's balance. For example, a member who spends ৳900 of their own on fish and has ৳3,000 in deposits has ৳3,900 paid in after approval.

Question 21

How do I record the first deposit into the mess fund?

Accepted Answer

Add a deposit for the member with the amount, the date, the method (bKash, Nagad, Rocket, bank, cash or other) and the TrxID for anything that is not cash. A deposit a manager enters counts at once. If three members each pay ৳3,000, the fund shows ৳9,000 deposited and each of them has ৳3,000 paid in.

Question 22

Can a member report their own bKash payment instead of waiting for the manager?

Accepted Answer

Yes, a member can report “I paid” with the amount, date, method and TrxID. The report stays pending and counts for nothing until a manager checks it and approves it, after which it counts like any other deposit. Managers see the reports waiting on them at the top of the deposits page.

Question 23

What is a standing meal plan and should members set one on day one?

Accepted Answer

A standing meal plan is what you normally eat, for example lunch and dinner every day, and it fills in any day you do not record. It is worth setting on day one, because it saves members typing the same meals daily. A day you actually record always beats the plan, and changing the plan on the 15th only applies from the 15th onward.

Question 24

How do I mark that I will be away for a few days?

Accepted Answer

Mark the date range as away, and zero meals are written for every day in it, so your standing plan does not bill you while you are gone. This is the step to take before going home for Eid or for exams. If you come back early, record the meals you actually eat on those days.

Question 25

How do I add Mess Ledger to my Android home screen?

Accepted Answer

Open messledger.com in Chrome, tap the three-dot menu, and choose “Add to Home screen”. An icon appears on your home screen and opens Mess Ledger like an app. It still needs an internet connection, since there is no offline mode.

Question 26

How do I put Mess Ledger on my iPhone home screen?

Accepted Answer

Open messledger.com in Safari, tap the Share button, and choose “Add to Home Screen”. The icon then opens Mess Ledger like an app, with nothing downloaded from the App Store. Like the browser version, it needs an internet connection to work.

Question 27

Do I need to download Mess Ledger from the Play Store?

Accepted Answer

No, Mess Ledger is not on the Play Store and there is nothing to download. It runs in the browser on Android, iPhone and laptops, and “Add to home screen” gives you an icon that opens it like an app. Every member just needs a browser and an internet connection.

Question 28

Can I use Mess Ledger in English instead of Bangla?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Mess Ledger works in Bangla and English, and each person can choose the language they prefer. Bangla is the default and shows amounts with Bangla digits; switching to English shows the same mess in English. The choice is per person, so one member reading in English does not change it for anyone else.

Question 29

Can I be a member of two messes with one account?

Accepted Answer

Yes, one account can be in several messes, and your role is set separately in each one. You might be the manager of your own mess and an ordinary member of another, for example a family mess and a work mess. You pick which mess to open, and their meals, money and members never mix.

Question 30

What can an ordinary member see and do in Mess Ledger?

Accepted Answer

A member can record their own meals, set their standing plan and away days, report a payment or an own-cash bazar for approval, and add to the shared bazar list. They can see every bazar entry and receipt photo, the costs, the settlement, their own line-by-line statement, the weekly menu, and the activity log of who changed what. Nothing about the mess's money is hidden from members.

Question 31

What can only a manager do in a mess?

Accepted Answer

A manager can record anyone's meals, approve deposits and own-cash bazar, add costs and recurring templates, import meals, and set the month start day, timezone and meal cutoff. Managers also add members without accounts, regenerate the invite code, promote or remove people, and close or reopen a month. Every change shows in the activity log that all members can read.

Question 32

How do I make someone else the manager of my mess?

Accepted Answer

On the members page, promote that person to manager; a mess can have several managers at once. If you want to step down, they can then demote you back to member. The last remaining manager cannot be demoted or removed, so a mess is never left with nobody in charge.

Question 33

Should a mess have more than one manager?

Accepted Answer

Often yes, because a second manager can approve deposits and record meals when the first is busy or away. Mess Ledger allows several managers in one mess with exactly the same powers. Since every change is in the activity log, two managers do not have to worry about not knowing who edited what.

Question 34

What should a new mess manager do in the first week?

Accepted Answer

Day one: create the mess, share the invite code, and add anyone who will not sign up. Next, set the month start day, timezone and cutoff, bring this month's meals, bazar and deposits across from the khata, and create rent and wifi as recurring templates. Then ask every member to set a standing meal plan, and record each bazar and deposit the day it happens.

Question 35

Should I set a meal cutoff when starting out?

Accepted Answer

It is optional, and many messes start with it off and turn it on once the cook needs a fixed count. The cutoff can be the evening before at a time (for example 10 PM), on the day by a time (for example 10 AM), or the end of the day. After it, a member cannot change that day and must ask a manager, whose correction is logged.

Question 36

Can I try Mess Ledger before moving my whole mess onto it?

Accepted Answer

Yes, since it is free, you can sign up, create a test mess, add a couple of members without accounts, and record a few meals, a bazar and a deposit to see how the settlement comes out. If you only want to check the arithmetic, the meal rate calculator at messledger.com/meal-rate-calculator works with no signup. When you are happy, create the real mess and share its code.