The tool is aimed at helping those organising hen parties, stag dos, milestone birthdays, golf trips and any trips away with a group of friends to do so in a “financially responsible” way that considers all attendees’ financial positions.
The widget has been launched by Hotukdeals.com after the site’s research revealed that nearly a quarter of those aged 18-24 said that they had taken out a credit agreement to attend an important event such as a wedding, hen do or birthday party.
Almost a third of survey respondents said that they would pay more than their “fair share” of the bill to avoid being rude or being embarrassed to admit that they cannot afford it.
Trip Mates aims to help planners of friend group trips away to arrange events in an anonymised way that doesn’t result in attendees being guilted into going into unnecessary and unwanted debt. It claims to reduce ‘social spending anxiety’.
Trip Mates enables planners to set up a series of simple multiple-choice questions that can then be sent to those attending the event or away trip. The questions vary from important areas such as maximum budget, day trip costs and ideas, through to maximum flight time and whether attendees want to stay in the UK or travel abroad.
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Attendees can also opt out of attending and can even select a “deal-breaker” option that would mean that they would not go along if it were triggered.
The results are then averaged and anonymised so that the planner can get an overview of what people want without individuals being shamed or outed for opting for a lower budget.
The anonymised results presented by Trip Mates support the 26% of Brits who say they are anxious about saying no to unaffordable events in case it affects their relationship with the person who invited them. A quarter of those questioned admitted to getting stressed about how to turn the offer of a trip or night out down, or to ask to reduce the price.
Vix Leyton, consumer expert and host of the False Economy podcast, said: “Talking about money has been taboo for too long. With it being seen as crass to discuss financial situations, we all risk falling into the trap of going into debt keeping up appearances when we would prefer to spend less and are hoping someone else speaks up.
“Social media has pressured organisers into trying to deliver a picture-perfect experience, and in doing so, they risk not having the people they want the most at the event as they are priced out, or worse, sending their friends and family into debt, who want to be there for them despite the cost.
“Hopefully this tool takes away the stress of being honest about what you can afford, and make sure any event you are organising is priced in an accessible, realistic way to get the most people there having the best time, without worrying about the financial hangover.”
