How can you make sure all debt gets settled for group trips?

Question

I went on a group trip recently and now there's some disagreement about the settling of money owed. During the trip people ended up paying for other people b/c of a lack of cash on hand. Well, several weeks after the trip's end bills between people still haven't been settled. How can I make sure bills get settled on the next trip?

Answer 1

You have to make everyone pay for themselves.
This problem normally happens among young people
when they are learning about such things and
think their 'friends' will pay them back.
they only thing you can do is make sure everyone pays their own bills. getting people to pay what they have agreed they owe is sometimes impossible.
credit card companies can't get people to do it.
phone companies can't get people to do it.
neither can you.
you could require everyone prove they have enough cash for the trip or credit cards ahead of time before they are allowed to go.

Answer 2

You need to assume that the bills will never get settled. But you can try to solve some of the problem by having a wrap up meeting where everyone can share the positive stuff and then slip in the unpaid money part during the meeting. If those that are out the money have an idea how much others owe them, then they are prepared. But don't expect that to happen and don't allow a confrontation to happen either. Those that fronted the money should just consider the expense as a learning moment. Just like the other person said, the best way to avoid this is to not pay for others.