Ledger for roommates
Energy, internet, groceries, cleaning supplies — costs of a shared house are endless. Stop with Excel sheets, half-filled WhatsApps and arguments over 'who got the last milk'. One shared ledger, visible to everyone.
Why splitting costs remains so hard
Most households try it with WhatsApp messages, loose Excel sheets or a tupperware box with receipts. After 3 months nobody knows how it was.
"Did you settle that already?"
That one question that comes back every week. Whether the energy bill has already been split, whether Koen did it last time, or whether it still needs to happen. Nobody knows for sure.
WhatsApp as administration
"I did groceries, €47.80". An app message in a group of 4. That's untraceable after 2 weeks. And after 3 months you can forget it. Roommate administration via WhatsApp never works longer than a quarter.
Unequal division nobody dares to bring up
One always does groceries, the other always pays energy. Who actually comes short? Only at moving out or during a fight does the truth come out. Often too late.
The take-out end accounting
After a year of living together all three want an overview. Endless Excel sessions, discussions about receipts that are gone, and then 'never mind, we're even' — while someone might be €300 short.
One ledger, everyone sees what
Okidoky's 'Share ledger' is made exactly for situations like this: one shared ledger with receipts and rights per person.
Shared overview for all roommates
Everyone sees the same data, always current. Who has paid what, what's still open, who's owed something. No more 'I don't know' — it's just there.
Set rights per roommate
Owner invites roommates via email. All roommates can add and view; owner manages settings and categories. Also works if one roommate is less handy with computers.
Scan receipt, immediately visible
Did groceries? Scan the receipt in the app, amount and date are filled in automatically. In the shared ledger within 10 seconds. Everyone sees it that same evening. No more WhatsApp screenshots.
Per transaction: visible who paid what
For each cost you see who paid (there's a label with the name on it). For uneven splits (e.g. bigger room pays more), book each person's share as a separate transaction or calculate the split yourselves beforehand. Okidoky shows who entered how much; it does not automatically compute percentages.
Monthly overview for everyone
End of month: one overview with what everyone has paid and what the own share was. No discussion, no Excel export — just a screen that is equal for everyone.
What shared costs look like
A typical monthly overview of a student house with 4 residents. Note: actual amounts vary strongly by region, house and usage.
Student house with 4 residents (equal split)
Shared costs; rent and personal expenses separate per person
| Cost item | Total | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| Energy (gas + electricity) | €180.00 | €45.00 |
| Internet & WiFi | €45.00 | €11.25 |
| Shared groceries (breakfast, cleaning, etc.) | €320.00 | €80.00 |
| Water | €60.00 | €15.00 |
| Waste levy | €28.00 | €7.00 |
| Total shared | €633.00 | €158.25 |
Works in different living situations
Not every situation is the same. Here are four concrete setups with how roommates use Okidoky.
Student house 4 people4
Utrecht, old building, shared kitchen & bathroom
Setup
Owner (longest in house) creates the ledger, invites 2 roommates (Family Lifetime gives 3 seats total). Energy, internet, water are on his name — he pays, splits by 3. Groceries are done in turns and receipts are scanned immediately. A fourth roommate? Either add a Duo subscription or let one person keep their own separate ledger.
Result
End of month: Okidoky shows one roommate paid €47 less than his share. He transfers it, done. No discussions.
3 friends apartment3
Rotterdam, rental apartment 3 bedrooms
Setup
Bedrooms are not equal size, so they agreed on a 40/30/30% split for rent and shared costs. For each payment, whoever paid books their own share — they calculate the ratios themselves beforehand in a simple spreadsheet. Okidoky tracks who entered what; the balance overview shows if someone is falling behind.
Result
At the end of the month they see at a glance who paid more or less than their own share. Settle the balance, done. Has worked for 2 years without arguments — not because the app calculates, but because the balance is plainly visible.
Couple just moved in together2
First joint rental, two separate salaries
Setup
Both work, share a joint ledger for home-related costs (rent, energy, internet, shared groceries). Personal expenses (individual subscriptions, clothing, hobbies) stay in a private ledger the other partner can't see.
Result
At the end of the month, both see exactly who contributed how much to the household. Settle the difference — or carry it to next month. No more mental accounting about whose turn it is.
Co-housing project6
Gelderland, 6 residents in a large building
Setup
Shared costs are more serious here: larger amounts, more complexity (collective purchasing, shared savings for maintenance). Ledger with 6 roommates, weekly check-in sessions.
Result
Year-end overview is drawn up in 15 minutes instead of an afternoon Excel session. Everyone agrees because everyone could watch along throughout the year.
How to avoid roommate drama
Five concrete tips from users who live shared — independent of which app you use.
#1Make agreements BEFORE the first bill
Equal split or weighted? Groceries separate or shared? Who pays energy? These kind of agreements aren't 'heavy conversations' if you make them right away in the first week. Later they do get heavy.
#2Check weekly for 10 minutes
Every week go through the ledger together (can also be solo). Prevents something being forgotten and building up to an unclear list. Not a 'tense meeting' — just a routine.
#3Categorize with sensible names
'Shared household' is too vague. Use 'Shared groceries', 'Utilities', 'House maintenance', 'Fun things together'. Then you see patterns and discussions about 'what falls under what' are prevented.
#4Settle balance monthly
Don't let balances stay open longer than a month. End of month: who's in red, who's in green? Just transfer. Otherwise you unconsciously build up frustration.
#5Write it down when someone leaves
Roommate moving out? Make a final settlement, have it signed (can be digital), set date of departure. Not because you don't trust, but because memory after 6 months is less reliable than you think.
When Okidoky does NOT fit
Not every situation benefits here.
- Very complex splits (last year 23%, this year 18% because someone earns more) — Okidoky does not auto-split, so you book the calculated shares yourself each month. For shifting percentages a dedicated splitting app (Splitwise, Tricount) is more tailored.
- Tax/VAT splitting for business costs between freelancers — actual bookkeeping software is better for that
- Situations where one party financially supports the other and this must remain invisible — then a shared overview isn't appropriate
Unsure? Try free. If it doesn't fit, you know within a week.
Frequently asked roommate questions
Can all roommates add transactions?
Yes. Every invited roommate can add, edit and view transactions. The owner (who created the ledger) can manage categories and change settings. Everyone sees who added what — no anonymous entry.
What happens when someone moves out?
Owner can revoke roommate access. Historical transactions remain (otherwise your overview doesn't add up anymore). The leaving roommate no longer sees the ledger, but can download their own export before access stops.
How many roommates can participate?
On the free plan you can invite 0 roommates. Premium (€1.50/mo) = 1 invitation. Lifetime (€25 one-off) = 1 invitation. Family Lifetime (€49.95 one-off) = 2 invitations (3 people total). For co-housing with more residents: either everyone keeps their own free account and tracks their own expenses, or you share one Family Lifetime with up to 3 people.
What if we each have separate bank accounts?
Fine, that's actually the most common. Every roommate adds their own expenses. Okidoky calculates per roommate who contributed what versus what the own share was. A shared account for house costs is handy but not needed.
Does private info from roommates become visible?
No. In Okidoky every user has their own private ledger (invisible to others) and a shared ledger (for roommates). Only what you put in the shared ledger, the roommates see. Your own salary, own subscriptions, own expenses stay fully private.
Stop the hassle over who pays what
Start free, invite your roommates, see immediately where things stand. After a month you know if it works — until then no cost.