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 Tips and Tricks

ExpenseShare can be used for many different purposes.  Here are some examples of how to set up different types of activities:

Take a vacation with friends:

1. Assign a record keeper who will use ExpenseShare to record the spending for the vacation.
2. Set up a new Activity.  Set up each person, couple, or family as a separate Participant.  Set up singles with 1 share, couples with 2 shares, and families with appropriate shares for the number of adults and children.
3. Have each participant send their spending to the record keeper, to enter into ExenseShare in the Spending tab.
4. At the end of the vacation, send a “Details By Participant” report to each Participant, which will show how much they will send or receive to whoever is settling expenses for the vacation.

Track expenses for a club that maintains a “kitty” or bank balance:

1. Assign a treasurer who will use ExpenseShare to track the club’s financials.
2. Set up a new Activity.  Set up each clubmember as a Participant with 1 share.  Set up an extra participant (for example, “Banker”) for the club’s bank balance, with 0 shares.
3. Enter dues in the Payments tab with the clubmember as the “From” and the Banker as the “To”.
4. Enter club expenses in the Spending tab with the Banker as the “Paid By” and leave the “Shared By” as “All”, or set custom sharing if appropriate.
5. If a clubmember has spending to be reimubursed by the club, enter the expense in the Spending tab with the clubmember as “Paid By” and the “Shared By” set to “All” or set custom sharing as appropriate.  Enter the reimbursement as a Payment from the Banker to the clubmember.
6. Use the Activity Summary tab to see the standing of each clubmember.  Their balance will reflect their share of the club’s bank balance, and the Banker’s balance will reflect the club’s bank account balance.
7. Use the Details By Participant report to provide an accounting to each clubmember on dues paid and sending incurred.

Track expenses for a business trip:

1. Set up a new Activity, with two participants: the traveler and the company.  Assign the traveler 0 shares and the company 1 share.
2. Record all trip expenses in the Spending tab, with “Paid By” set to the traveler, and leave “Shared By” set to “All”.
3. Use the Activity Summary tab at any time to view trip spending.  The total to be reimbursed will be shown as the company’s balance.
4. Use the Details By Date and Receipt Images reports to submit spending details to the company.

Feel free to add your own tips by adding a comment!