How should we split these costs?
July 3, 2013 11:31 AM Subscribe
Four of us are going away for the Fourth using a rental car. Two will return Friday with the car (they need to get back for work) and the other two will go back Sunday with another friend who has extra room in his car. We are all friends, some of us are quite...thrifty.
How should we split the cost of the car?
Why would you not just split it equally, four ways? The two people driving back on Friday are saving the other two an extra few days of car rental fees, while the two people who won't be riding back in it are ... I guess only using it half as long?
Really, I think anything other than an even four-way split here is just going to lead to messiness.
posted by DingoMutt at 11:34 AM on July 3, 2013 [7 favorites]
Really, I think anything other than an even four-way split here is just going to lead to messiness.
posted by DingoMutt at 11:34 AM on July 3, 2013 [7 favorites]
Best answer: I am assuming that the rental comes with unlimited miles?
Split the cost of the car 4 ways, with the 2 who are driving the furthest being responsible for the last fill(s) of gas.
But I take it that the "thrifty" ones are the ones who won't be driving back, so they will probably find the faults in that plan.
posted by sparklemotion at 11:34 AM on July 3, 2013
Split the cost of the car 4 ways, with the 2 who are driving the furthest being responsible for the last fill(s) of gas.
But I take it that the "thrifty" ones are the ones who won't be driving back, so they will probably find the faults in that plan.
posted by sparklemotion at 11:34 AM on July 3, 2013
Best answer: The two who are not taking the car on the way back would not be getting to wherever without the car in the first place.
I'd split it four ways because it's the nice thing to do, unless the two friends who are returning on Friday specifically said that they'd give the other two a ride up, no problem (much like, apparently, the other friend is doing for them on the way back).
posted by lydhre at 11:35 AM on July 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
I'd split it four ways because it's the nice thing to do, unless the two friends who are returning on Friday specifically said that they'd give the other two a ride up, no problem (much like, apparently, the other friend is doing for them on the way back).
posted by lydhre at 11:35 AM on July 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
EndsofInvention has it. You should include the cost of gas in the cost of the car.
posted by Aizkolari at 11:35 AM on July 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Aizkolari at 11:35 AM on July 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
The two people driving back on Friday are saving the other two an extra few days of car rental fees
This, exactly.
What if you split the car 4 ways, but the people returning on Friday pay for all or a larger portion of the the gas? That seems fair compensation for them taking the car back early.
posted by muddgirl at 11:36 AM on July 3, 2013
This, exactly.
What if you split the car 4 ways, but the people returning on Friday pay for all or a larger portion of the the gas? That seems fair compensation for them taking the car back early.
posted by muddgirl at 11:36 AM on July 3, 2013
Divide by 4. Without the car, nobody goes, so everyone owes their trip to the car. I agree that the final 2 people should pay for the trip back's worth of gas.
posted by brainmouse at 11:36 AM on July 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by brainmouse at 11:36 AM on July 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
Without the Friday folks, the Sunday folks would need to split a longer rental two ways. Split it 4 ways and be done with it.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:38 AM on July 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Rock Steady at 11:38 AM on July 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Split four ways, two driving back on Sunday pay for gas for the drive back.
posted by Elly Vortex at 11:39 AM on July 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Elly Vortex at 11:39 AM on July 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
The car has a daily rate. Split the daily rate among the number of people who used the car that day. I.e., if four people used the car on thursday, each of them pays 1/4 the daily rate for that day. If two of the people used the car on Sunday, then each of them pays 1/2 the daily rate for sunday.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 12:04 PM on July 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 12:04 PM on July 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'd split the rental 4 ways, and the gas 4 ways up, and contribute to the gas of the car you're riding back in on the way back.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:17 PM on July 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:17 PM on July 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
I'd add up the total cost of the car, including gas in both directions, plus however much the 2 who are returning later will kick in for the friend who is bringing them back on Sunday, and divide THAT number by four.
posted by jon1270 at 12:41 PM on July 3, 2013
posted by jon1270 at 12:41 PM on July 3, 2013
ruthless bunny has my vote -
I'd split the rental 4 ways, and the gas 4 ways up, and contribute to the gas of the car you're riding back in on the way back.
all 4 of you will have use of the car for the days you have it rented, with the exception of the hours they drive it home. really not worth splitting hairs for a few hours driving time, assuming this isn't a cross country trip given the time frame we are talking about.
posted by domino at 12:50 PM on July 3, 2013
I'd split the rental 4 ways, and the gas 4 ways up, and contribute to the gas of the car you're riding back in on the way back.
all 4 of you will have use of the car for the days you have it rented, with the exception of the hours they drive it home. really not worth splitting hairs for a few hours driving time, assuming this isn't a cross country trip given the time frame we are talking about.
posted by domino at 12:50 PM on July 3, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks for the ideas, guys. Fun to see how many different ways people think about this stuff.
posted by benbenson at 1:50 PM on July 3, 2013
posted by benbenson at 1:50 PM on July 3, 2013
I think the option of splitting the rental fee 4 ways, and then splitting gas costs between the actual passengers in the car during those legs of the trip, is the fairest seeming way to go. Presumably, the two people who aren't using the car on the way back will be kicking in gas money to the other driver, so they aren't "getting away" with anything. And the rental fee is probably mostly the same whether it is rented Thursday-Friday versus Thursday-Sunday. Weekdays tend to be pricey, and weekends not so much.
If someone is being an ass about not paying their quarter of the rental fee, they should probably consider other transportation options.
posted by gjc at 3:25 PM on July 3, 2013
If someone is being an ass about not paying their quarter of the rental fee, they should probably consider other transportation options.
posted by gjc at 3:25 PM on July 3, 2013
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posted by EndsOfInvention at 11:34 AM on July 3, 2013 [5 favorites]