Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
Topic Author
MnD
Posts: 5194
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:41 am

Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by MnD »

This is a repeat but now with details and specifics.

So we rented a three bedroom beach house in Hawaii for 10 days and invited other couples to join and split the costs.
That's as detailed as we got.
We made no minimum night requirement to join the pact, but assumed 7 nights was going to be the minimum.

The rental is for 10 nights.
We and couple 2 are in for 10 nights.
Couple 3 are in for 8 nights.
For the sake of simplicity lets say the total rental cost is $10,000.

What's a fair split assuming we want to have couple 3 get a fair reduction.
I expect couple 3 will complain strongly if it's not 1/3 across the board but I will let them do that as opposed to assuming that in my initial bill.
We and couple 2 could/will care less.

i just want a fair initial bill and I'll guess ends up split 1/3 each.

Couple 1 and 2 ($2667+$1000) = $3667 each
Couple 3 = $2667
And i get the extra $1 for finding the house?
Last edited by MnD on Wed Jul 23, 2014 12:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
70/30 AA for life, Global market cap equity. Rebalance if fixed income <25% or >35%. Weighted ER< .10%. 5% of annual portfolio balance SWR, Proportional (to AA) withdrawals.
CFOKevin
Posts: 189
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2014 3:07 pm

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by CFOKevin »

10/28 + 10/28 +8/28 = $10,000

you can take it from there

I'm sure you are right that it will be a third each, after discussion.

Kevin
Topic Author
MnD
Posts: 5194
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:41 am

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by MnD »

CFOKevin wrote:10/28 + 10/28 +8/28 = $10,000

you can take it from there

I'm sure you are right that it will be a third each, after discussion.

Kevin
10/28 times $10K comes out a little bit different $3571 versus $3667. Is that how your formula would be applied?
70/30 AA for life, Global market cap equity. Rebalance if fixed income <25% or >35%. Weighted ER< .10%. 5% of annual portfolio balance SWR, Proportional (to AA) withdrawals.
Mingus
Posts: 696
Joined: Fri Apr 19, 2013 2:25 pm

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by Mingus »

The couple, out of three couples, staying eight of the ten nights would pay 80% of 1/3rd the total cost.

(10000)(.33)= 3300.

(3300)(.08) = $2640

The two couples staying the whole 10 nights would split the remainder of the balance.

10000 - 2640 = 7360

7360/2 = $3680

Couples 1 & 2 each pay $3,680. Couple three pays $2,640

3680 + 3680 + 2640 = $10,000
Last edited by Mingus on Wed Jul 23, 2014 12:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
sscritic
Posts: 21853
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:36 am

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by sscritic »

Mingus wrote:The couple, out of three couples, staying eight of the ten nights would pay 80% of 1/3rd the total cost.

(10000)(.33)= 3300.

(3300)(.08) = $2640
For a total of $9,240. I bet the landlord will not be amused.
Mingus
Posts: 696
Joined: Fri Apr 19, 2013 2:25 pm

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by Mingus »

sscritic wrote:[
For a total of $9,240. I bet the landlord will not be amused.
You're fast! check out my edit.
Topic Author
MnD
Posts: 5194
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:41 am

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by MnD »

I was thinking 8 nights split three ways and two night split 2 ways.
($333.3 X 8) + ($500 X 2) = $3667
($333.3 X 8) + ($500 X 2) = $3667
$333.3 X 8= $2666
70/30 AA for life, Global market cap equity. Rebalance if fixed income <25% or >35%. Weighted ER< .10%. 5% of annual portfolio balance SWR, Proportional (to AA) withdrawals.
User avatar
celia
Posts: 16774
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 6:32 am
Location: SoCal

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by celia »

It's $1,000 a night. So for the nights there are 2 couples, each pays $500/night. For the nights there are 3 couples, each pays $333.33.

So couple 3 pays 8 * $333.33 = 2666.64
The others pay 8 * $333.33 + 2*$500 = 3666.64
A dollar in Roth is worth more than a dollar in a taxable account. A dollar in taxable is worth more than a dollar in a tax-deferred account.
User avatar
heathshuler
Posts: 28
Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2011 10:52 am

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by heathshuler »

CFOKevin wrote:10/28 + 10/28 +8/28 = $10,000

you can take it from there

I'm sure you are right that it will be a third each, after discussion.

Kevin
This is also the approach I'd use. Put another way $10,000 / 28 nights = $357.14 per night. Rounded to nearest half dollar:

8 * $357.14 = $2,857

10 * $357.14 = $3,571.50

10 * $357.14 = $3,571.50
User avatar
Kosmo
Posts: 1303
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 11:54 am
Location: Philadelphia

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by Kosmo »

CFOKevin wrote:10/28 + 10/28 +8/28 = $10,000

you can take it from there
This is the right way to do it. It breaks down the total cost into a cost per couple per night. Then multiply by the proper number of couples and nights.
dolphinsaremammals
Posts: 2094
Joined: Tue Jul 22, 2014 4:18 pm

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by dolphinsaremammals »

Every couple pays a third. Because the eight days people are preventing the remaining two days from being used.
cherijoh
Posts: 6591
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:49 pm
Location: Charlotte NC

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by cherijoh »

The 10/28 + 10/28 + 8/28 method would be equitable if your were splitting something physical where you were splitting 100% of the total. But it doesn't account for the unused part of the total. It would work if a 4th couple were just there for 2 nights - it would then agree with the other method, too.

The other method suggested [ 2(0.5) + 8(0.33) and 8 (0.33)] is actually the most equitable from a mathematic perspective. Although I agree that just splitting it 3 ways is the most practical.
User avatar
deanbrew
Posts: 1500
Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2010 12:05 pm
Location: The Keystone State

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by deanbrew »

dolphinsaremammals wrote:Every couple pays a third. Because the eight days people are preventing the remaining two days from being used.
Exactly right. These are not hotel rooms that can be rented out by the night. The third couple should not expect a discount because they are only using eight nights out of the ten available to them. And Couples 1 and 2 should not pay more because Couple 3 wants to leave early. Why are you making this complicated? I realize the OP expects Couple 3 to step up to the plate and pay a full third, but why even give them the option to let their friends pay part of their bill?
"The course of history shows that as the government grows, liberty decreases." Thomas Jefferson
User avatar
midareff
Posts: 7711
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 9:43 am
Location: Biscayne Bay, South Florida

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by midareff »

CFOKevin wrote:10/28 + 10/28 +8/28 = $10,000

you can take it from there

I'm sure you are right that it will be a third each, after discussion.

Kevin

+1

EDIT: I'm going to go back and change my mind. Sharing the cost is 1/3 each. Renting is 8/10ths of a 1/3 share. What if they decide to stay a ninth night, do you ask for more money?
Last edited by midareff on Wed Jul 23, 2014 8:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
sscritic
Posts: 21853
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:36 am

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by sscritic »

Mingus wrote:
sscritic wrote: For a total of $9,240. I bet the landlord will not be amused.
You're fast! check out my edit.
Note that if you scale up by multiplying by 10000/9240, you get the 10, 10, 8 solution, 3571.43, 3571.43, 2857.14.
sscritic
Posts: 21853
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:36 am

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by sscritic »

Here is the problem: no clarity up front. If I understand correctly, you first rented a place for 10 days. You then invited others to join you if they would agree to stay at least 7 days. You never told them what that meant in terms of cost.

If you had invited me and told me that I could come as long as I stayed at least 7 days, I would have interpreted that to mean that my cost would depend on how long I was there. Now if you had said my cost was going to be $3,333.33 and I could stay as long as I liked, there would be no need for a minimum and I could have paid $3333.33 for one day. But you set a minimum, in which case the implied cost was not $3,333.33. You should charge in a way that depends on the length of the stay, as you implied it would be when you set the minimum at 7 days.
User avatar
deanbrew
Posts: 1500
Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2010 12:05 pm
Location: The Keystone State

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by deanbrew »

sscritic, you are reading the original post far differently than I.

I have split vacation houses and timeshares many times with other couples. Never, ever, did anyone assume they could pay by the night, or pay less for a shortened stay. Each couple pays for their share of the total cost - period.

If they can't use all of the nights, I suppose Couple 3 could find someone else to use their share for the remaining two nights (and charge accordingly). That would require approval from the other two couples, I would imagine, since people usually want friends (not strangers) along on a vacation.
"The course of history shows that as the government grows, liberty decreases." Thomas Jefferson
sscritic
Posts: 21853
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:36 am

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by sscritic »

deanbrew wrote:sscritic, you are reading the original post far differently than I.

I have split vacation houses and timeshares many times with other couples. Never, ever, did anyone assume they could pay by the night, or pay less for a shortened stay. Each couple pays for their share of the total cost - period.
But then there would have been no point in creating a meaningless "minimum stay." The cost is split equally, whether you stay one night or ten. The problem was using the words minimum stay. Don't say it if you don't mean it.
User avatar
deanbrew
Posts: 1500
Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2010 12:05 pm
Location: The Keystone State

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by deanbrew »

sscritic wrote:But then there would have been no point in creating a meaningless "minimum stay." The cost is split equally, whether you stay one night or ten. The problem was using the words minimum stay. Don't say it if you don't mean it.
I guess we need clarification from the OP, who wrote:

"So we rented a three bedroom beach house in Hawaii for 10 days and invited other couples to join and split the costs.
That's as detailed as we got.
We made no minimum night requirement to join the pact, but assumed 7 nights was going to be the minimum."

Did he "say" 7 nights" or "assume" 7 nights? I read it as he invited other couples to join and split the costs. Which would be the fair and normal way to handle it.
"The course of history shows that as the government grows, liberty decreases." Thomas Jefferson
sscritic
Posts: 21853
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:36 am

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by sscritic »

Agreed.

"We made no minimum, but assumed a minimum." This seems self-contradictory.

Who is we? The OP and spouse? Or all three couples?

And who was doing the assuming? Just the OP? Or did all three couples telepathically assume the same thing?

Note that "we rented" was just one couple, not three.

Perhaps "minimum" in both forms was only in the OP's mind and was never mentioned to the others.
ohiost90
Posts: 637
Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2007 3:24 pm

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by ohiost90 »

And how do you account for the different quality and size of rooms? I'm sure one of the bedrooms is a master suite while the other two are just run of the mill rooms.
SHB
Posts: 112
Joined: Fri Jun 21, 2013 9:28 am

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by SHB »

Personally if I was invited to split an apartment with two other couples and I could choose how long to stay I would expect to split the cost of the apartment on a daily basis. ie if I’m there with all three couples I expect to only pay 1/3rd of that daily rate, If I’m there all alone i would expect to pay 100% of that full day. If you split it by protata share of total nights stayed (the "8/28 method") the couples that stay there alone or with less people are not paying for the benefit of having more of the house to themselves.
livesoft
Posts: 86077
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 7:00 pm

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by livesoft »

When will this be? Maybe I'll come for those 2 free extra nights.
Wiki This signature message sponsored by sscritic: Learn to fish.
an_asker
Posts: 4903
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2013 2:15 pm

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by an_asker »

heathshuler wrote:
CFOKevin wrote:10/28 + 10/28 +8/28 = $10,000

you can take it from there

I'm sure you are right that it will be a third each, after discussion.

Kevin
This is also the approach I'd use. Put another way $10,000 / 28 nights = $357.14 per night. Rounded to nearest half dollar:

8 * $357.14 = $2,857

10 * $357.14 = $3,571.50

10 * $357.14 = $3,571.50
I disagree. Because on four of 28 nights, there were only two families. This can be argued both ways:

- the two families that stay by themselves get more room/head, so should be paying more

- the two families that stay by themselves are losing out on the company, so should be paying less

:oops:
sscritic
Posts: 21853
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:36 am

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by sscritic »

Don't invite so many people next time. Stick to one other couple and each pay $5,000. The extra $1,667 or whatever will be worth it just to avoid taking third grade math all over again.
User avatar
abuss368
Posts: 27850
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:33 pm
Location: Where the water is warm, the drinks are cold, and I don't know the names of the players!
Contact:

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by abuss368 »

Vacations should be for fun and relaxation to get away from the mental and physical stress of daily life. Next time, I would rethink who, if anyone, is invited. I personally would not want to deal with the stress on vacation.

Best.
John C. Bogle: “Simplicity is the master key to financial success."
User avatar
heathshuler
Posts: 28
Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2011 10:52 am

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by heathshuler »

an_asker wrote:
heathshuler wrote:
CFOKevin wrote:10/28 + 10/28 +8/28 = $10,000

you can take it from there

I'm sure you are right that it will be a third each, after discussion.

Kevin
This is also the approach I'd use. Put another way $10,000 / 28 nights = $357.14 per night. Rounded to nearest half dollar:

8 * $357.14 = $2,857

10 * $357.14 = $3,571.50

10 * $357.14 = $3,571.50
I disagree. Because on four of 28 nights, there were only two families. This can be argued both ways:

- the two families that stay by themselves get more room/head, so should be paying more

- the two families that stay by themselves are losing out on the company, so should be paying less

:oops:
For the math question posed by the OP ("What's a fair split assuming we want to have couple 3 get a fair reduction?") and the situation (split rental costs with friends), I think the per-night cost for realized nights is most appropriate, easily explained/supported, and not overly-complex. Anything more complex seems like a good way to upset the friendship IMHO. We can debate whether any reduction is really appropriate, but I don't think that's the OP's question.

Personally, I've headed up a few trips (OK, bachelor parties) when you have to account for 10+ individuals with different arrival and departure dates, and I've used both methods. When the calculated amount per man-night was not substantial, I applied reductions based on how long you stayed, figuring others are getting more enjoyment from the trip given the duration, and they should pay a little more IF it doesn't come at the expense of an inflated cost/benefit factor. In the case where the amount per man-night was substantial, everyone paid the same cost regardless of how long they stayed, figuring some should not foot a much larger cost when we were all provided the same opportunity to stay from check-in to check-out at a 5,000 sq. ft. monster overlooking a Scottsdale golf course. I guess there's a middle ground between the 2 methods, but that leads to complexities that I did not want to introduce to a group of friends and 10+ different opinions. What OP will be best judge of is what is "substantial" and what financial and/or personal dynamics are in play with the 3 couples.
Riverstwo
Posts: 214
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2013 1:42 pm

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by Riverstwo »

We rent houses all the time, and have tried the cost splitting SEVERAL different ways....the couples with the largest bedrooms and master bath with nicest views pays more than the bedroom with two single beds who then pays less then the person with the double bed and shared bathroom, etc. Or you could split it equally and all draw straws on the best bedrooms! What a fun post to see how differently people think. To think that we are all past third grade, what must the 3rd graders think? Just curious!
dickenjb
Posts: 2941
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 12:11 pm
Location: Philadelphia PA

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by dickenjb »

I have done this several times and in all cases given a discount to folks who stayed less than the full rental period.

I would do it the way several posters suggested:

$10,000/10 = $1000 per night cost.

8 nights split 3 ways

2 nights split two ways.
User avatar
Epsilon Delta
Posts: 8090
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by Epsilon Delta »

cherijoh wrote:The 10/28 + 10/28 + 8/28 method would be equitable if your were splitting something physical where you were splitting 100% of the total. But it doesn't account for the unused part of the total. It would work if a 4th couple were just there for 2 nights - it would then agree with the other method, too.

The other method suggested [ 2(0.5) + 8(0.33) and 8 (0.33)] is actually the most equitable from a mathematic perspective. Although I agree that just splitting it 3 ways is the most practical.
Put another way. For the 8 nights each couple has 1/3 of the house and for the last two nights the two remaining couples each have 1/2 of the house. The second calculation takes this into account. Dividing the cost into 28ths does not. Whether 1/2 a house has more utility (should be paid more for) than 1/3 of a house is not a math question. In tight quarters it might well be, if it's just an empty bedroom, perhaps not.

In any case only a tiny little bit of the question has to do with math.
surfstar
Posts: 2853
Joined: Fri Sep 13, 2013 12:17 pm
Location: Santa Barbara, CA

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by surfstar »

If you're splitting the hairs between 1/3 total vs nightly costs, then I would agree and also stipulate that a master BR and/or better location/view also comes with a premium. Discuss the options and hopefully everyone will agree. I assume they would be open to this as they signed on for a vacation without some written contract (which would be insane, as they're friends!).

Don't forget to take a recess and have fun and run around! :D
User avatar
Kosmo
Posts: 1303
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 11:54 am
Location: Philadelphia

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by Kosmo »

Epsilon Delta wrote:
cherijoh wrote:The 10/28 + 10/28 + 8/28 method would be equitable if your were splitting something physical where you were splitting 100% of the total. But it doesn't account for the unused part of the total. It would work if a 4th couple were just there for 2 nights - it would then agree with the other method, too.

The other method suggested [ 2(0.5) + 8(0.33) and 8 (0.33)] is actually the most equitable from a mathematic perspective. Although I agree that just splitting it 3 ways is the most practical.
Put another way. For the 8 nights each couple has 1/3 of the house and for the last two nights the two remaining couples each have 1/2 of the house. The second calculation takes this into account. Dividing the cost into 28ths does not. Whether 1/2 a house has more utility (should be paid more for) than 1/3 of a house is not a math question. In tight quarters it might well be, if it's just an empty bedroom, perhaps not.

In any case only a tiny little bit of the question has to do with math.
So is it more appropriate to divide the cost among equal use of time in the house ($10,000/28) or equal use of area ratio of the house (2nd equation)? I'd say equal use of time, because once the 3rd couple leaves it's not as if the other 2 couples will be spreading out there belongings and then be spending time in the areas of the house previously occupied by the 3rd couple.

When I was in college and shared a house with 7 friends, we split the rent according to area ratio of the house allocated to each person. When I've gone on vacations with friends, we split the hotel bill based on nights spent there.
kcb203
Posts: 67
Joined: Fri Nov 08, 2013 10:27 am

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by kcb203 »

Are all three bedrooms equal, or is one couple getting the master bedroom with the ocean view, while someone else gets the small room overlooking the parking lot?
Working2notWork
Posts: 255
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2014 12:22 pm

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by Working2notWork »

sscritic wrote:Here is the problem: no clarity up front. If I understand correctly, you first rented a place for 10 days. You then invited others to join you if they would agree to stay at least 7 days. You never told them what that meant in terms of cost.

If you had invited me and told me that I could come as long as I stayed at least 7 days, I would have interpreted that to mean that my cost would depend on how long I was there. Now if you had said my cost was going to be $3,333.33 and I could stay as long as I liked, there would be no need for a minimum and I could have paid $3333.33 for one day. But you set a minimum, in which case the implied cost was not $3,333.33. You should charge in a way that depends on the length of the stay, as you implied it would be when you set the minimum at 7 days.
+1

0.357142857 3571.428571 Couple 1
0.357142857 3571.428571 Couple 2
0.285714286 2857.142857 Couple 3
Last edited by Working2notWork on Wed Jul 23, 2014 2:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Colbey
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Dec 03, 2013 9:52 am

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by Colbey »

Slightly off-topic, because it doesn't address the original question of unequal-length stays, but the idea of figuring out a fair price for unequal rooms is interestingly a solved problem. See http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/won ... use-drama/.
an_asker
Posts: 4903
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2013 2:15 pm

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by an_asker »

Colbey wrote:Slightly off-topic, because it doesn't address the original question of unequal-length stays, but the idea of figuring out a fair price for unequal rooms is interestingly a solved problem. See http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/won ... use-drama/.
You appear to have turned a classic 3rd grade math question into a graduate-level sociology class! :oops:

PS: The issue of the ex-boyfriend and his married ex-girlfriend - further down the linked blog - was also hilarious!
User avatar
Epsilon Delta
Posts: 8090
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by Epsilon Delta »

Kosmo wrote: So is it more appropriate to divide the cost among equal use of time in the house ($10,000/28) or equal use of area ratio of the house (2nd equation)? I'd say equal use of time, because once the 3rd couple leaves it's not as if the other 2 couples will be spreading out there belongings and then be spending time in the areas of the house previously occupied by the 3rd couple.
Suppose it's one of those properties that sleeps 6 with 2 sleeping in the living room/kitchen, or, if you're a hardy sort, one that sleeps 2 in the living room, one in the hall, one in the bath and the other 2 must be very small.
bluemarlin08
Posts: 1561
Joined: Wed Aug 29, 2007 12:18 pm

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by bluemarlin08 »

We just returned from a trip with another family. Other family, husband, wife and 7 year old. Split costs in half, we arrived a couple days late due to emergency business issue. Let them have the master, vacations are for fun. Decide everything up front, everyone will feel more comfortable.
User avatar
Kosmo
Posts: 1303
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 11:54 am
Location: Philadelphia

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by Kosmo »

Epsilon Delta wrote:
Kosmo wrote: So is it more appropriate to divide the cost among equal use of time in the house ($10,000/28) or equal use of area ratio of the house (2nd equation)? I'd say equal use of time, because once the 3rd couple leaves it's not as if the other 2 couples will be spreading out there belongings and then be spending time in the areas of the house previously occupied by the 3rd couple.
Suppose it's one of those properties that sleeps 6 with 2 sleeping in the living room/kitchen, or, if you're a hardy sort, one that sleeps 2 in the living room, one in the hall, one in the bath and the other 2 must be very small.
Considering the cost of the rental, it hadn't occurred to me there would be dramatically different sleeping accommodations. My experience in situations like that is the cost is split equally and sleeping quarters are chosen in the order in which people commit to going on the trip.
AllenSmith
Posts: 153
Joined: Tue May 13, 2014 1:35 pm

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by AllenSmith »

You have failed to mention if there is a master bedroom, a second best bedroom and a third best bedroom.

Auction off the rooms by night! The mater bedroom may end up paying $5,000 for the entire week!
Calm Man
Posts: 2917
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2012 9:35 am

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by Calm Man »

I must be out of my mind. I am sitting here thinking that either the person who did the inviting should pay it all, or, if it was agreed to split it, what difference does it make if one pair is there for 6 or 8 or 10 days? Does the cost differ materially except for maybe some less use of electricity? What am I missing here that it shouldn't just be an even split?
spth
Posts: 259
Joined: Fri Aug 09, 2013 8:31 am

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by spth »

I'll share the room with livesoft the extra two nights so long as he brings his CPAP.
sscritic
Posts: 21853
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:36 am

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by sscritic »

Calm Man wrote:What am I missing here that it shouldn't just be an even split?
The shrink wrapped license with the terms and conditions that was tucked under the pillows in each of the bedrooms. Only after you get to Hawaii do you get to know what you agreed to.
peppers
Posts: 1650
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2011 7:05 pm

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by peppers »

The OP could just front the 10k. This would eliminate the need to divide by x, multiply by y, total the sums and solve for the unknown.
"..the cavalry ain't comin' kid, you're on your own..."
porcupine
Posts: 1267
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 11:05 am

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by porcupine »

Calm Man wrote:[...]What am I missing here that it shouldn't just be an even split?
You're missing the third couple. They are turning the even split into an odd one! ;-)

- Porcupine
porcupine
Posts: 1267
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 11:05 am

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by porcupine »

AllenSmith wrote:You have failed to mention if there is a master bedroom, a second best bedroom and a third best bedroom.

Auction off the rooms by night! The mater bedroom may end up paying $5,000 for the entire week!
What if the auction results in a surplus? Would they all be required to go for vacation #2? ;-)

- Porcupine
User avatar
celia
Posts: 16774
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 6:32 am
Location: SoCal

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by celia »

livesoft wrote:When will this be? Maybe I'll come for those 2 free extra nights.
spth and livesoft, I just found out the 2 extra nights are split--one day at the beginning and one day at the end. :D

spth, why don't you take the first night and let livesoft have the last night? He could be in charge of looking for spare change in the cushions and in the sand! 8-)
A dollar in Roth is worth more than a dollar in a taxable account. A dollar in taxable is worth more than a dollar in a tax-deferred account.
ralph124cf
Posts: 2985
Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2014 11:41 am

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by ralph124cf »

I'm guessing that all three couples are at least millionaires, or at least have very well paying jobs.

A few hundred dollars either way for any of them is unlikely to make a difference.

Split by thirds. Use even numbers. You as host pay $3,400. The other two pay $3,300.

Ralph
sscritic
Posts: 21853
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:36 am

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by sscritic »

ralph124cf wrote:I'm guessing that all three couples are at least millionaires, or at least have very well paying jobs.
Millionaires can be math nerds and math nerds can be millionaires. Of course, if they were really math nerds, they would have solved this problem last Tuesday, using their 3rd grade math nerd skills.
dickenjb
Posts: 2941
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 12:11 pm
Location: Philadelphia PA

Re: Dumb 3rd grade math question about beach house rental

Post by dickenjb »

I actually just went through this scenario. This January wife's sister and hubby split a condo in Maui with us for 5 nights. We split it evenly and gave them the oceanview bedroom. (I felt sorry for SIL since this was her first trip to Hawaii and I have been 20+ times).

On Kauai we rented for 5 nights but they left after 4 as he needed to get back to w*rk. I divided the rental by 5 and we paid for one night and half of 4 nights. Didn't seem right to charge them for a night they were not there.

In June rented a house on Lake Winnipesaukee (actually Mirror Lake but doubt anyone has heard of that small lake on the other side of Wolfeboro NH). Wife and I and MIL stayed 7 nights and MIL's sis stayed 6 nights. Again calculated the nightly rent, split it 4 ways for 6 nights and 3 ways for one.
Post Reply