Monthly shared expenses, without logging them every month
Cuentas Claras isn't just for trips any more: use it every day. Add the rent, the power bill, internet or Netflix once, and from then on they log themselves every month, already split.
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Every month, the same story
In a shared flat or as a couple, the bills never end: they repeat. Rent at the start of the month, power, water, internet, building fees, Netflix and Spotify. One person usually pays and everyone else owes them their share.
- Rent: the big one, usually paid to the landlord by one person for everyone.
- Utilities: power, water, gas and internet, each on someone's bank account.
- Subscriptions: Netflix, Spotify or the gym, in one name and enjoyed by all.
- Building fees, home insurance, cleaning: the ones you forget because they don't come every month.
The problem isn't the amount, it's memory: who paid the power bill this month? Did you send me the internet money? Is it always the same person paying for Netflix? Logging it by hand every month is the first thing to slip, and three months later nobody knows who owes what.
How to split fixed monthly costs
Equally
The simplest option, and the fair one for things everyone uses the same: internet, Netflix, building fees. Three of you, a third each.
By room or by percentage
Rent is rarely fair split evenly: whoever has the big room or their own bathroom usually pays more. Split it by percentage (40%, 33%, 27%) or by exact amounts (€360, €300 and €240). Couples do the same with salaries: many split 60/40 instead of down the middle.
Mix both
The usual thing is to combine them: rent by room, everything else equally. Each expense has its own split, so you don't have to pick one for everything.
Sharing a flat? Shared flat expenses covers flatmates moving in and out. A couple? See shared expenses for couples.
A worked example: a flat of three
Ana, Luis and Marta share a flat. These are their fixed costs for one month:
| Expense | Amount | Paid by |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | €900 | Ana |
| Power | €75 | Luis |
| Internet | €35 | Luis |
| Netflix | €13 | Marta |
| Month total | €1,023 |
Split equally, each owes €341 (1,023 ÷ 3). Ana fronted €900, Luis €110 and Marta €13. Result: Luis pays Ana €231 and Marta pays her €328. Two payments and the month is closed.
With rent split by room (Ana €360, Luis €300, Marta €240) and the rest equally (€41 each), Ana's share is €401, Luis's €341 and Marta's €281. So Luis pays Ana €231 and Marta pays her €268.
Doing this sum once is easy. Doing it twelve times a year, with a power bill that changes every month and someone who also paid for the shopping, not so much.
When to settle up: every month
On a trip you settle up when you get home. In a flat or a couple there is no "getting home": if you don't close each month, debts pile up and €30 becomes €300 and an awkward conversation.
What works best is a fixed moment: the end or start of the month, once the rent and most bills are in. Everyone pays their share, whoever receives the money confirms it, and next month starts from zero.
How Cuentas Claras handles it
Cuentas Claras started as a way to split travel expenses, but it isn't just for trips any more: flat and couple groups are built for everyday use.
"Repeat every month": add it once
When you add the rent, the power bill or Netflix, switch on "Repeat every month". From then on:
- It logs itself on the same day every month, with the same amount, the same payer and the same split.
- The server does it, so it's logged even if nobody opens the app that month.
- No duplicates: there's only ever one copy per month.
- If you delete one month's copy (no Netflix that month, say), it doesn't come back.
- If the day doesn't exist that month, it's logged on the last day: rent due on the 31st is logged on 30 November and 28 February.
- To stop it, open the original expense and turn the switch off.
The month wrap-up: who pays whom
From the 25th to the 5th of the next month, the month's wrap-up appears at the top of Expenses: how much was spent, across how many expenses, and who has to pay whom. Tap "Settle up now" to go straight to settling up and start the month even. If you already are, it tells you.
Payments confirmed by whoever receives them
The payer marks it as paid and the person receiving it confirms. No more "I thought I'd already sent it".
Bank details in one tap
Whoever is owed adds their IBAN (or Bizum, in Spain) to the group, and the payer copies it in one tap along with the amount, ready to paste into their banking app.
Payment reminders
With Premium (€5.99 a year, 14-day trial when you create an account), the app reminds whoever owes money that they have a payment pending, so you don't have to chase them.
Personal stuff kept separate
Paid for something that's only yours? Mark it "It's just mine, not split": it stays in the group tagged "Personal", but doesn't change what anyone owes.
Not everyone has to install it
Invite people on WhatsApp and each one gets their own personal link: they join with their name and see what they owe, in the browser too.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make the rent repeat every month?
In a flat or couple group, switch on "Repeat every month" when you add the expense. From then on it logs itself on the same day each month, with the same amount and the same split, even if nobody opens the app.
What if rent is due on the 31st?
In months without a 31st it's logged on the last day of the month: 30 November or 28 February, for example.
Can a fixed expense get duplicated?
No. There's only one copy of each repeating expense per month. And if you delete one month's copy, that month isn't logged again.
What is the month wrap-up?
In flat and couple groups, from the 25th to the 5th of the next month, the top of Expenses shows what was spent that month and who has to pay whom. "Settle up now" takes you straight to settling up.
How often should we settle up?
In a flat or a couple, every month. If you let it run, small debts add up and are harder to clear. Closing the month with two or three payments is the easiest way.
Is it free?
Yes. Repeating expenses, the month wrap-up, balances and settling up are free and ad-free. Premium (€5.99 a year, with a 14-day trial) adds automatic reminders, AI receipt scanning and statistics.
Start for free
Create your flat or couple group in a minute and add your fixed costs just once. Not everyone needs to install it.
Keep reading: Shared flat expenses · Shared expenses for couples · Split travel expenses · Home · Help