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The DeliBabki Blog

How to split expenses with friends, flatmates and family — without arguments or spreadsheets. Explainers, how-tos and honest app comparisons.

Featured

Splitting the Restaurant Bill Fairly

Four ways to split a restaurant bill and when each one fits: three rules for a fair cheque, the diner's dilemma, and a 30-second split with no arguments.

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Инструменты и аналоги приложений

7 min read

Is Splitwise Free? Limits, Pro and What Changes

What the free Splitwise plan limits, what Pro charges for, whether the trial auto-renews, why some debts stay hidden, and what users in Russia should do.

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5 min read

What Is the Porovnu App, and Why It Is Not a Bill Splitter

The Porovnu app is listed as a trips and shared-expenses service, but it is an Alfa-Bank mobile client. Where the confusion comes from.

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6 min read

Russian Apps for Splitting Bills and Shared Expenses

Russian expense-splitting services in 2026: Porovnu, Holder and DeliBabki, plus bank SBP collection links and Telegram bots.

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6 min read

Which Bill-Splitting App to Choose in 2026

Splitwise, Tricount, Settle Up, Splid, Porovnu and Holder: which bill-splitting app makes sense in 2026. Prices, limits and how each works in Russia.

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6 min read

Tricount vs Settle Up vs Splid

Tricount, Settle Up and Splid compared: what is genuinely free, offline mode, multi-currency, export, and the one limitation all three share.

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7 min read

Expense Splitting Strategy 2026: Guide to Apps

Why Splitwise and Tricount added limits, and what to use instead in Russia. A tour of expense-splitting apps and the transfer-minimising algorithm.

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7 min read

Best Free Splitwise Alternatives in 2026

Free Splitwise alternatives compared for 2026: daily limits, ads and availability in Russia. Four apps for tracking shared debts without a subscription.

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5 min read

How to Replace Splitwise and Tricount in Russia in 2026

Splitwise and Tricount restrict access and payment from Russia. What to replace them with: expense splitting without a subscription, VPN or foreign card.

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5 min read

How to Split Expenses in Telegram: Bots and a Group Link

Splitwise alternatives inside Telegram: which expense-splitting bots exist, their trade-offs, and why dropping a group link into the same chat is simpler.

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5 min read

Shared Expenses Spreadsheet: Excel and Google Sheets Template

A ready shared-expenses template for Excel and Google Sheets: who-owes-whom formulas, setup instructions, and when a spreadsheet stops being enough.

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5 min read

How to Split a Bill by Photo: Review of Receipt Scanning Apps and OCR

How receipt-scanning (OCR) works: splitting a bill from a photo without typing items in by hand, and why the algorithms still misread some receipts.

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5 min read

Offline Expense Trackers: How to Split Bills without Mobile Internet

How to keep a shared budget on a hike, in the mountains or abroad with no mobile internet and no roaming, and where PWA apps help.

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5 min read

How to Calculate Who Owes Whom: Minimizing Transfers

How to work out who owes whom in a group and collapse dozens of transfers into a handful. The debt-simplification algorithm explained without formulas.

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Кафе, рестораны и застолья

7 min read

What a Separate Check Is and Whether the Restaurant Has to Split It

What a separate check is, how it differs from splitting kitchen and bar, whether a restaurant must split by guest, and what to do if the waiter refuses.

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6 min read

Can You Refuse a Restaurant Service Charge? The Law and How to Ask

Is a service charge in the bill legal: clause 19 of Rules No. 1515 and article 16 of the consumer protection law, and how to politely ask for it to be removed.

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5 min read

Creative Tip Jar & Card Collection Ideas: 30+ Funny Topics

Creative captions and ideas for tip jars, card collections and SBP QR codes, for bars, coffee shops, offices and groups of friends.

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5 min read

Why Restaurants Split the Bill Between Kitchen and Bar

Why restaurants issue separate cheques for food and alcohol, whether it is legal, how EGAIS and tax rules drive it, and how to split such a bill fast.

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5 min read

How to Split a Bill by Items: a Step-by-Step Guide

How to split a bill exactly by items when everyone ordered something different: a step-by-step method, shared dishes, service charge, done in a minute.

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6 min read

Who Pays at a Restaurant: Etiquette for Dates, Business Lunches and Friends

Who pays at a restaurant by etiquette: dates, business lunches, birthdays and groups of friends. Phrases for proposing separate cheques before ordering.

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5 min read

How to Split a Bill for a Large Group of 20–30 People

Splitting a bill for a banquet or a party of 20-30: how to collect the money, what to do about shared dishes and latecomers, and how to settle without chaos.

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5 min read

What Is a Restaurant Service Charge and How to Split It

What a restaurant service charge is in plain terms, what it covers and how it differs from a tip. Reverse tip formula and how to split the charge fairly.

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5 min read

I Didn't Drink That: How to Split a Bill When Someone is Sober

How to split a bill fairly when someone in the group is sober or vegetarian: restaurant etiquette, the alcohol dilemma, and polite phrases that work.

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4 min read

Online Tip Calculator and Bill Splitter

A free tip and bill-splitting calculator. Enter the total, the tip percentage and the number of people, and get the per-person amount instantly.

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5 min read

How to Split Dacha and Barbecue Costs Fairly

Barbecues and weekends at the dacha: how to split food and meat costs fairly, account for non-drinkers and vegetarians, and collect the money without arguing.

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Путешествия и поездки

Праздники и события

8 min read

What to Give a Manager from the Team: Ideas by Budget

What people give a director or manager for a birthday or milestone, what amount is considered normal, how to present it, and which gifts create awkwardness.

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9 min read

What to Give a Colleague from the Team: Ideas by Occasion

When cash beats an object: what a team gives for a wedding, a new baby, a milestone, a farewell or a housewarming, and which gifts almost always miss.

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7 min read

How to Ask for Money Instead of a Gift: Ready Wordings

How to ask for money instead of a gift for a birthday, milestone or wedding: a three-part formula, wordings for guests and the work chat, and replies to objections.

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6 min read

Chat Group Name Ideas for WhatsApp and Telegram: 140+ Options

Ready names for chats and groups: colleagues, parents' committee, kindergarten, trips, birthdays, weddings, neighbours. Funny and neutral options.

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5 min read

Thanking Colleagues for a Newborn Gift: 30 Ready Messages

How to thank colleagues for congratulations, a gift and the money collected for a new baby: short and longer texts, plus humorous versions.

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6 min read

How to Treat Your Colleagues: Office Treat Etiquette for Birthdays, Newborns, and Farewells

Office treat etiquette: what to bring and how much, how to invite the team for pizza or cake in the chat, rules for remote staff, and coping with a small budget.

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6 min read

Announcing Your Newborn or Wedding to Colleagues: Personal Messages and Etiquette

How to tell colleagues and your manager about a new baby or a wedding yourself: a formal note upwards, a warm message to the team chat, and thanks for the gift.

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7 min read

What to Write on the Envelope, in the Card and in the Payment Note

What to write with a cash gift: envelope and card wording for a new baby, wedding, milestone or farewell, and what to put in the payment reference.

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8 min read

Announcing a Colleague’s News to the Team: Email Templates for Every Occasion

Ready announcements for the team: wedding, new baby, milestone birthday, retirement, parental leave and bereavement. Structure, subject line and tone for each.

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5 min read

How to Give a Monetary Gift to a Colleague: Etiquette & Speech Ideas

The etiquette of handing over a cash gift from the team: what to say at a farewell, a milestone birthday or a new baby, and how to present the envelope.

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5 min read

How to Track Gift Collection Lists in Group Chats Politely

How to keep a list of who has paid in a work or parents' chat: neutral wording, checklist formatting, and why posting a list of debtors backfires.

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7 min read

Colleague Birthday and Milestone Gift Collection: 15 Ready Messages

Ready announcements for a colleague's birthday or milestone collection: how much to give for a big one, how to state the amount and deadline, and how to collect.

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6 min read

Collecting for a Colleague’s Wedding: How Much and What to Write

How much to give for a colleague's wedding, cash or a present, and who runs the collection. Ready texts for the team chat and for the email round.

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6 min read

Funny Gift Collection Messages: 30+ Templates With Humour

How to ask colleagues for money with a joke: funny announcements for birthdays, parties and farewells, light-hearted reminders, and where the humour should stop.

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6 min read

March 8 Gift Collection: How Much to Chip In and What to Write

How much to chip in for gifts for female colleagues and teachers on March 8, when to announce the collection after February 23, and ready chat messages.

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6 min read

February 23 Gift Collection: How Much to Chip In and What to Write

How much to chip in for gifts for male colleagues and boys in the class on February 23, when to announce the collection, and ready chat messages.

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5 min read

How to Ask Colleagues to Split a Gift for a New Baby: 12 Templates

Ready messages for a new-baby gift collection at work, from a formal HR note to a light message in the team chat. Etiquette and how to sign the card.

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5 min read

How to Collect Money for a Boss's Gift: Etiquette and Templates

How to announce a collection for the boss's gift without awkwardness: hierarchy, an amount nobody resents, and six ready templates for colleagues.

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8 min read

How to Collect Money for Farewell or Retirement Gifts for Colleagues

Ready notes for a leaving, retirement or maternity-leave collection: how much to chip in, when to announce it, and what makes a good parting gift.

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8 min read

Going on Parental Leave: Farewell Letters to Colleagues and Clients

How to say goodbye before parental leave: a message for the work chat, a client email, a last-day speech and a thank-you for the gift. Fourteen ready texts.

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5 min read

Creative Group Chat Names and QR Code Captions for Gift Collections

Fifty-plus creative names for gift-collection groups in Telegram and WhatsApp, captions for SBP QR codes, and subject lines for the email round.

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5 min read

How to Split Costs for a Corporate Party and New Year

How to collect and fairly split the cost of a company party or New Year dinner: a transparent kitty, a formula for non-drinkers, and handling late payers.

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5 min read

Shared Budget for a Wedding, Bachelorette, and Bachelor Party

Running a shared budget for a wedding, hen or stag party: who pays for what, how to collect from guests, and how not to fall out over the money.

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5 min read

How to Collect Money for a Gift for a Colleague, Teacher, or Friend

How to organise a group gift collection: how much to chip in, how to collect from everyone transparently, and how to chase late payers without awkwardness.

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5 min read

How to Announce a Gift Collection: Message Templates

What to write to colleagues about a gift collection: ready chat messages, how to state the amount and deadline, and how to collect without awkward reminders.

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8 min read

How Much to Chip In: Benchmark Amounts for 2026

How much to chip in for a colleague's gift, a wedding, a new baby, a funeral, March 8 or the class fund. Benchmark amounts for 2026 and how they get set.

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7 min read

Congratulating a Colleague on a New Baby: 25 Messages

Ready congratulations for a colleague's new baby: formal from the company, warm for the team chat, for a daughter, a son or twins, and what to avoid saying.

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7 min read

We Are Short: How to Ask for a Top-Up Without Annoying Everyone

How to say the money collected fell short and more is needed: twelve texts for parents' chats, the office and trips, and when to cut the budget instead.

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6 min read

Collecting for Coffee, Water & Office Supplies: Templates and Automation

How to run a recurring office collection for coffee, water and paper without friction: ready announcement texts and a simple way to keep the records.

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Школа и детский сад

7 min read

What Is a Class Fund: Purpose, Legality and How to Run It

The class fund in plain terms: how it differs from one-off collections, what it pays for, whether it is legal, and how to run it openly.

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7 min read

Parent Committee Spreadsheet: Budget, Contribution Log and Excel Template

How to keep a parent-committee spreadsheet: sheet structure, a budget for the school year, a who-has-paid log, the balance formula and an Excel export.

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7 min read

Kindergarten Graduation Budget: Cost List and Collection Schedule

What a kindergarten graduation costs: an itemised list, a sample budget for the group, a month-by-month collection schedule, and what to do with the leftover.

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7 min read

Teacher's Day Money Collection (October 5): Budgets, Gifts, and Parent Chat Templates

The Teacher's Day collection: how much a class usually raises, what to give subject and class teachers, the legal gift limit, and ready parent-chat texts.

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6 min read

Collecting Money for Kindergarten Teacher Day (September 27): Gifts, Amounts and Chat Templates

Running a collection for Kindergarten Teacher Day on September 27: comfortable amounts, gift ideas for keyworkers and assistants, and twelve ready chat texts.

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7 min read

What Goes into Class and Kindergarten Needs: Checklist and Budget Template

A full purchase list for a parents' committee: stationery, cleaning supplies, water cooler, first-aid kit, gifts. A yearly budget with prices and justifications.

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7 min read

Collecting for Teacher's Flowers and Gifts on September 1: Templates & Etiquette

Collecting for the teacher's flowers and gift on September 1: one bouquet from the class, the Children Instead of Flowers campaign, and twelve ready chat texts.

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8 min read

Parent Committee Treasurer Guide: Collecting Money and Managing the Class Budget

A step-by-step guide for a parent-committee treasurer: where to collect the money, how to avoid 115-FZ account freezes, and how to keep records without spreadsheets.

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8 min read

School Renovation, Curtains & Furniture Collections: Legality, Budget & Templates

How to legally run a collection for classroom repairs, paint, flooring, curtains or windows: what the law says, a sample budget, and twelve diplomatic chat texts.

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8 min read

Class Fund for the New School Year: Budget Template and Amounts

How to open a class fund for the new school year: a nine-month budget, benchmark amounts for year one, and announcement texts for the parents' chat.

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8 min read

The Graduation Collection: Budget, Timing and Announcement Templates

How to run a graduation collection for years 4, 9 and 11 or kindergarten: what the budget covers, when to start, and ready announcements.

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8 min read

School Money Collections in Russia: What Must Be Free and Can You Say No

Must parents pay into a class fund, what schools must provide free under Russian law 273-FZ, how to decline politely, and where to complain about pressure.

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8 min read

Collecting Money for Schoolbooks, Workbooks and Stationery: Templates

Ready notes to parents about collecting for workbooks, atlases and stationery: what the school must supply free, what a set costs, and how to buy in bulk.

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6 min read

Class Fund Collections: Parent Chat Announcement Templates

Ready announcements for a parents' committee collection: class needs, water and stationery. Typical amounts, how to report back, and handling non-payers.

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8 min read

Parent Committee Financial Report: Templates and Leftover Money

Sample parent-committee financial reports: after a purchase, per term and per year. How to account for the leftover, keep receipts and hand over the pot.

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6 min read

Kindergarten Group Fund Collections & Yearly Budgeting: Templates

Announcement templates for a kindergarten group fund: the yearly pot, cleaning supplies and stationery. How to draft a budget and raise the contribution calmly.

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5 min read

Collecting Money for Teachers and Coaches: Group Chat Templates

How to run a collection in a parents' chat or a sports club without conflict. Ready messages for a teacher, a nursery keyworker and a coach.

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Дом, семья и соседи

7 min read

Family Budget: Shared Finances Without Arguments

How to run a family budget: the main budgeting models, the mistakes couples repeat, and how to automate tracking shared spending with a partner.

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7 min read

Shared Budget with a Partner or Roommates

A shared budget with roommates or a partner without spreadsheets: debt minimisation, two-minute bookkeeping and a separate group per expense category.

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5 min read

How to Split Utilities and Rent Costs with Roommates

How to split utilities, rent and shared shopping in a flatshare: what to divide equally, what to meter, and how to keep records without arguments.

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5 min read

Who Pays Utilities in a Rental: Tenant or Landlord

Who pays utilities in a rental by default, the arrangements a lease can set, what to record at move-in, and who owes the debt run up before you arrived.

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6 min read

The Equity Formula: How to Split Expenses with Unequal Incomes

How to split shared costs fairly in a couple when incomes differ a lot. The proportional budget, the formulas behind it, and a share calculator.

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6 min read

Renting with Friends: How to Fairly Split Rent for Different Room Sizes

How to split rent fairly when rooms differ in size or two people share one: the maths, the shared-space share, and how to make it feel fair to everyone.

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8 min read

Money Collections in a Building Chat: Intercom, Barrier, Concierge

How to run a collection among neighbours: ready notices for the intercom, the barrier, the concierge and helping a neighbour, and what needs a residents' vote.

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5 min read

Tax Risks: Do You Need to Pay Income Tax on Regular Card Transfers?

Russian tax rules and the 115-FZ anti-laundering law: are regular transfers from friends for rent or dinner taxable, and how to avoid a card being frozen.

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8 min read

Where to Collect the Money: Card, Collection Link, Jar or Cash

Where to take contributions for a class, a gift or an event: a personal card, a bank collection link, cash or a separate card. Trade-offs and 115-FZ risk.

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Деньги и отношения

6 min read

How Much Colleagues Contribute for a Funeral: Practical Guidance

How much colleagues usually contribute for a funeral: benchmarks by closeness, who takes part, and how to announce it without naming a sum.

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6 min read

Thank You Messages for Condolences and Financial Support: 18 Templates

How to thank colleagues, friends and family for financial help and condolences after a loss: ready texts for the work chat, messengers, email and in person.

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6 min read

Financial Aid Collection When a Colleague Loses a Family Member: Announcement Templates

How to announce a collection tactfully when a colleague loses a parent, spouse or child: sample messages, rules of tact, and amounts nobody finds awkward.

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7 min read

Memorial and Funeral Notice Templates: 15 Announcements for Work, Neighbours & Social Media

How to write and post a notice of a death and the time and place of the service: sample obituaries for colleagues, building chats and social media.

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7 min read

Medical and Emergency Aid Collections: Templates for Colleagues, Parents and Social Media

How to announce a collection for treatment, surgery, rehabilitation or fire and accident relief: consent, documents, open reporting and fourteen ready texts.

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7 min read

Can You Say No: Declining an Office Money Collection

Do you have to join a collection for a colleague or the boss, how to decline politely, and what to say under pressure. Twelve refusals and rules for organisers.

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6 min read

Thank You Messages for Money Gift from Colleagues: 20+ Templates

How to thank colleagues for a cash envelope or a gift for a new baby, a birthday or a farewell: ready messages for team chats and email.

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6 min read

Funeral Collection Announcement Templates: 12 Examples

Ready texts for a funeral collection for a colleague or their family: chat message, formal email, wreath collection, payment note and the report afterwards.

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8 min read

A Public Funeral Fundraiser: How to Post It So People Trust It

How to post a public funeral fundraiser so people trust it: what to write, how to verify the appeal, guard against swapped payment details, and report back.

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5 min read

How to Write a Message for Employee Financial Aid or Condolence Collection

How to announce a funeral collection or financial aid during illness or emergency: typical amounts, who organises it, message templates and what to avoid.

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5 min read

How to Repay a Friend and Keep the Friendship

How to remind a friend about a debt and get your money back without damaging the friendship: why it feels awkward, scripts, and how to log debts upfront.

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6 min read

How to Politely Remind Someone About a Debt: 15 Templates

Ready message templates for chasing a debt without damaging the relationship: first reminder, follow-up, large sums and overdue debts, plus what backfires.

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7 min read

Reminding People Who Have Not Chipped In: 16 Templates

What to write to a parent or colleague who has not paid: a general chat nudge, a private message, and when to close the collection. Why debtor lists are off-limits.

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5 min read

How to Avoid Money Arguments with Friends and Partners

Why money divides people who are close, and how to prevent it: transparent tracking of shared spending, group ground rules, and tools that defuse tension.

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6 min read

What to Do When a Friend Always Forgets to Split the Bill: Polite Strategies

How to remind a friend about money politely, stop feeling awkward about asking, and automate reminders without conflict or passive aggression.

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