Work out your meal rate
Enter what the groceries cost and how many meals were eaten. The meal rate, and what each person owes, straight away.
Meal rate
62.4000 per meal
You get back
846.20
How the meal rate works
Divide the month's total grocery spend by the total number of meals everyone ate. That is the meal rate. Multiply it by one person's meals to get what their eating cost, and subtract that from what they paid in.
meal rate = total grocery spend ÷ total meals
A worked example
Say the month's groceries came to 11,856 and everyone together ate 190 meals. The meal rate is 11,856 ÷ 190 = 62.40. Anika ate 62 of those meals, so her eating cost 62 × 62.40 = 3,868.80. She had paid in 4,715, so the mess owes her 846.20 back.
Why rent and bills stay out of it
Rent does not get cheaper because someone skipped dinner. So rent, bills and wifi are split per head, and only groceries divide by meals. Mixing the two overcharges whoever eats least.
Have this done for you every month
Mess Ledger keeps the daily meals and grocery runs, then works this out for everyone at month end.
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