How to keep track of bills with roommates.
Updated
List every shared bill with its amount and due date. Decide who pays each one. Set a reminder before each due date. Mark it paid as soon as it is, so nobody pays twice or misses one. For bills that change monthly, like electricity, agree on how to handle the changing amount.
Keep all of it in one place the whole house can see, whether that is a shared sheet or an app. The only way a bill goes missing is when it lives in one person’s head.
We Both tracks the house’s bills in one shared list with a “Who pays it” assignment, reminders for each person before the due date, and a quick Pay to mark it paid.
Or scan with your iPhone camera
Step 1: list every bill, amount and due date
Sit down once and write out everything that recurs: rent, electricity, gas, water, internet, trash, renter’s insurance, shared streaming. Next to each, write the amount (or the typical amount), the due date, and how often it comes.
Step 2: decide who pays each one
Many houses put each bill in one person’s name and pay it from there. Spread them out so one person does not carry all the paperwork. Rent to one person, internet to another, utilities to a third. Whoever owns a bill is responsible for paying it on time and telling the others.
Step 3: set reminders before the due date
A due date on a calendar nobody opens does not help. Set a reminder a few days ahead for the person who pays, and let others see what is coming. A late fee on a shared bill is a fight waiting to happen.
Step 4: record when it is paid
When a bill is paid, mark it right then. A list that shows what is paid and what is still open answers “did you pay the internet?” without a text. Put autopay bills on the same list so you can see they are covered.
Step 5: handle variable bills
Electricity and gas change with the season. Pick one approach and stick to it.
| Approach | How it works | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Pay the actual bill | The payer covers whatever it is that month | Simple, but amounts swing |
| Use a monthly average | Everyone budgets the same average for the year | Smooth, needs a true-up now and then |
| Pay from a shared pot | Everyone feeds a pot, and bills come out of it | No chasing, needs a cushion |
How We Both handles it
Add each bill once and set how often it repeats: monthly, every 2, 3 or 6 months, yearly, or a pattern like the first Saturday of every month. Choose “Who pays it” for each bill. Each person picks how early they want a reminder, and gets another on the day. Tap Pay and confirm to mark it paid, and part-paid months are supported.
For bills that pay themselves, turn on “Charges itself”. We Both then writes the expense on its day, so your records stay complete. It is tracking only, and the app never pays anything for you.
The honest limit: We Both has no balances and does not track who owes whom. It tracks the house’s bills, not IOUs between people. If one person fronts a bill and others reimburse them, you still settle that yourselves.
How to split household expenses based on income →Questions people ask
What is the best way to split utilities with roommates?
Most roommates split utilities evenly, or by room size if the rooms are very different. Put the bill in one name and have everyone pay that person, or pay from a shared pot.
What if a roommate pays late?
Agree on a payment day a few days before the real due date. That leaves room for one person being late without the bill going unpaid.
Does We Both track who owes whom?
No. It tracks the house’s bills, due dates and payments, with one shared ledger. It has no balances or settle-up.
Can We Both pay my bills for me?
No. It reminds you, records payments, and for autopay bills it logs the expense on the day. Payment itself still happens with your bank or the biller.
Get the whole house on it.
Download it free, then invite everyone you live with. They see the same list, the same calendar and the same money.
Or scan with your iPhone camera