Apps that make splitting the check so much easier

Apps that make splitting the check so much easierApps that make splitting the check so much easierOne thing that I hear about a lot from clients (and have experienced myself) is how difficult it can be to stay on budget when they go out to eat with friends. Obviously, its much easier to split a check evenly, rather than calculating how much each part owes. However, many people are ordering less food or less expensive food in order to be social while sticking to their budget. Luckily, there are lots of apps out there that can make dining out, traveling, and living with other people much less complicated, financially. Here are some of my favoritesSplitwiseI had heard a lot aboutSplitwisefrom clients who use it with romantic parteners or roommates, but I hadnt used it myself until this past March. I was up in Vermont for my friend Ninas bachelorette party and we were all perusing a cute wine and cheese shop. One of the other women suggested that she just pay for all of the wine and chee se (which added up to over $200) and then we could pay her back through Splitwise. Basically, you can create a group or event in the app and invite people to be part of it. Every individual can input how much theyve spent and decide who owes them what. It was amazing how easy it made the bachelorette weekend. No one had to worry who was spending how much on what, because we were all able to settle up at the end.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreSettleUpSpeaking of settling up,SettleUpis another app thats a lot like Splitwise. All of the expenses are uploaded and synced so that every person in the group can see them. By the end of the event or trip, everyones expenses are uploaded and you can see who owes who to whom.PlatesPlatesis actually a subsidiary of Splitwise, and its another app that I hadnt heard of until recently. A big group of friends went out for brunch for a birthday celebration and we all ordered differently priced dishes. Instead of flipping over the receipt and writing who owed what on the back, we decided to use the Plates app, which one person had on their phone. You can split it between up to 10 people, and even assign seats to them on the app, which makes it easier to remember who ordered what. The best part of the app is that it assigns tax and tip based on how much the person actually paid for their order.TabTabis specifically an app that helps you split the check at a restaurant. You simply upload a photo of the receipt and assign specific orders to each person. This app also calculates the tax and tip for everyone, which makes that math much easier.VenmoVenmois a popular cash sharing app, not an app that splits your check or other expenses. But its a really easy way to pay someone back for something Plus, it often connects to the apps listed above and is the way you actually make the payment in the end.The next time youre going out t o dinner or on a trip with friends make sure you have at least one of these apps on your phone. Itll make things much less complicatedThis article originally appeared on Maggie Germano.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people