What is The Equalizer?
The Equalizer is a simple, powerful app for planning events where costs need to be shared fairly among
a group of people. Whether you're organizing a large convention, a small wedding, a family vacation,
or any trip where expenses should be split, The Equalizer makes it easy to track who paid for what
and calculate each person's fair share.
The Goal: Spread event costs equally among those putting on the event, while allowing
others to contribute through a shared Treasury that offsets everyone's costs.
How It Works
1️⃣Create Your Event
Start by creating an event and adding members who will participate.
2️⃣Choose Contributing Members
Select which members are Contributing Members—those who will share costs equally.
Others can be marked as Reimbursement-Only if they paid for something but won't
contribute equally to the overall costs.
3️⃣Track Expenses
Add expenses as they happen. Mark who paid, how much, and whether the expense should be
reimbursable or not. The app automatically calculates how much each contributing member owes.
4️⃣Build the Treasury
Accept donations into the shared Treasury. These donations offset costs for everyone sharing
the load. Donors can choose to be anonymous or publicly acknowledged.
5️⃣Settle Up
View the Settlement page to see who should contribute to the Treasury and who should be
reimbursed from it. The app shows exactly how much each person owes or is owed.
Key Concepts
👥Contributing Members
People who agree to share the event costs equally. The app calculates each contributing
member's fair share based on total reimbursable expenses divided by the number of contributors.
💰Treasury
A shared fund that holds donations from members who want to contribute more than their
fair share. Treasury donations offset costs for everyone, reducing what each contributing
member needs to pay.
🎁Treasury Donations
Direct contributions to the Treasury fund. These can be anonymous or publicly acknowledged.
Anyone can donate—they don't have to be a contributing member. This is perfect for
generous individuals who want to "be a hero" and help offset costs for everyone else.
💸Direct Donations (to Expenses)
Money given directly from one member to another to help pay for a specific expense.
This reduces the amount that needs to be reimbursed from the Treasury.
🚫Non-Reimbursable Expenses
Some expenses shouldn't be shared (like personal purchases or optional add-ons).
Mark these as "Non-reimbursable" and they won't be included in the settlement calculations.
📊Settlement
The final calculation showing who should contribute to the Treasury and who should be
reimbursed from it. This page shows exactly how to settle all debts fairly.
Common Scenarios
Example: Family Vacation
Three siblings plan a week-long beach house rental. They're all contributing members who will
split costs equally. Their parents want to help but not split costs—they make a $500 Treasury
donation. This reduces what each sibling owes from $400 to $233 each.
Example: Wedding
The bride and groom are contributing members. Parents pay for major expenses but are marked
as reimbursement-only (they should be paid back but aren't sharing ongoing costs). Friends
contribute Treasury donations as wedding gifts. The app tracks who paid what and calculates
how much the couple needs to reimburse parents after accounting for Treasury gifts.
Example: Conference Booth
Five team members share booth costs equally. One member offers to contribute extra and makes
a $200 Treasury donation on top of their fair share. Another team member pays for lunch and
marks it as non-reimbursable (it's their treat). The Treasury donation reduces everyone else's
share by $50 each.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What's the difference between Treasury donations and Direct donations?
Treasury donations go into a shared fund that offsets costs for all contributing
members equally. Direct donations are given from one specific member to another
to help pay for a particular expense.
Q: Can someone donate to the Treasury if they're not a contributing member?
Yes! Anyone can contribute to the Treasury—they don't need to be splitting costs. This is perfect
for supporters, sponsors, or generous friends who want to help offset expenses.
Q: What if someone paid for something but doesn't want to be reimbursed?
Mark the expense as "Non-reimbursable." This records who paid for it but doesn't include it in
settlement calculations. Perfect for gifts, treats, or optional personal expenses.
Q: How does "Reimbursement-Only" member status work?
Reimbursement-only members have paid for expenses and should be reimbursed, but they're not
expected to contribute equally like contributing members. Think of parents paying for wedding
expenses—they should be paid back, but they're not splitting ongoing costs.
Q: Can I use this for a simple event with no Treasury donations?
Absolutely! Just add members, track expenses, and view the Settlement. The app works perfectly
for straightforward cost-splitting even if no one contributes extra to the Treasury.
Q: How does the app calculate each person's share?
The app adds up all reimbursable expenses, subtracts Treasury donations and direct contributions,
then divides the remaining amount equally among contributing members. Each person's balance shows
what they've paid minus their fair share.
Q: What's the difference between Free and Pro versions?
Free: Track one event locally on your device (no cloud sync).
Pro: Create unlimited events, sync across devices with Firebase, and share events
with others using invite codes so everyone can see real-time updates.
Q: Can I share an event with other people so they can see the costs?
Yes, with Pro! Swipe right on any event to generate a 6-character invite code. Share that code
with others and they can join the event to see real-time updates as expenses and donations are
added. (Requires Pro subscription and all participants to be signed in.)
Q: Can I edit an expense after adding it?
Yes! Tap the expense on the Expenses page to edit its details—description, amount, who paid,
notes, or whether it's reimbursable.
Q: What if I make a mistake?
You can delete any member, expense, or donation by swiping left on it in the list. You can also
edit expenses and members by tapping on them.