How to track shared expenses with SplitMyBills

By Alexa

4 min read · Published May 21, 2024

How to track shared expenses with SplitMyBills

SplitMyBills keeps the payer, participants, dates, amounts, and settlement balance in one shared expense sheet. This workflow shows how to record household bills, trip costs, group meals, and recurring subscriptions without rebuilding the calculations in a spreadsheet.

1. Create a Shared Expense Group

Start by creating a group for the people you are sharing expenses with. Whether it's housemates, family members, or friends, add the people who should appear in the shared balance and then share the sheet link with anyone who needs to review or update it.

Creating a group for shared expenses — Start with a group name and add the people sharing expenses.

2. Add and Track Expenses

As you incur expenses, simply log them into the app. You can add details like the amount, description, category, payer, participants, and each person's share. SplitMyBills calculates the resulting balances so the group can see who owes or is owed.

Add and track shared expenses — Choose the expense date and set it as recurring when the charge repeats.

3. Set Up Recurring Expenses

For expenses that repeat regularly (like rent, subscriptions, utilities, or memberships), you can set them up as recurring expenses. Choose from daily, weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly frequencies. SplitMyBills will automatically project future instances, helping you plan ahead and avoid manually entering the same expense repeatedly. You can see how many occurrences will be created and preview upcoming dates before finalizing.

4. Visualize Expenses with Calendar View

Switch between list and calendar view to see your expenses in different ways. The calendar view provides a visual monthly overview where you can:

See all expenses for each day at a glance
View daily totals directly on the calendar
Identify recurring expenses with special indicators
Navigate between months and years easily
Click on any day to see detailed expense breakdowns

This makes it easier to track spending patterns, identify high-expense days, and plan your budget month by month. Recurring expenses are clearly marked so you can distinguish between actual and projected transactions.

Viewing recurring expenses in a calendar — Use the calendar view to review actual and projected expenses by date.

5. Divide Expenses Fairly

For each expense, you can choose how you want to split the cost. You can divide the expense equally, by percentage, or based on individual usage. This flexibility makes it easy to handle different types of shared costs.

Choosing how to split an expense — Select participants and choose an equal or uneven split for each expense.

6. Track Payment Status

SplitMyBills keeps track of who has paid and who still owes money. The website updates the balance in real time, so you always know where you stand.

Tracking payment status for shared expenses — The payments view summarizes who owes what and helps the group settle up.

7. Settle Up Easily

When it's time to settle up, SplitMyBills gives you a summary of how much each person owes or is owed.

Payments due screen showing settlement amounts between group members — Settlement directions make the final reimbursements clear for everyone.

Ready to Track Your Shared Expenses Effortlessly?

Whether it's with friends, family, or housemates, we make it easy for everyone to track, split, and settle up expenses! For more information, visit our FAQ page. For a household workflow, read the roommate bill splitter guide.

To get started, you can easily access SplitMyBills through your web browser. For an enhanced experience, consider adding it to your home screen. This optional installation process allows for quick access and a more app-like experience. Simply visit install SplitMyBills. For group trips, see the group vacation expense splitter.

Updated Aug 9, 2026