If you've rented a vacation house with others

how did you work out the food situation? I'm renting a house in the outer banks this summer with a few other families and just thinking about how to take care of the food. Shop here, shop there, one person buys and the others give money etc. Advice?

Re: If you've rented a vacation house with others

We went away with my whole family last summer so 4 separate groups. Many of us brought a lot of food (dry food) and condiments in coolers and then we placed an order online for lunch meats and such and split the cost 4 ways. We all took a turn preparing a dinner and were in charge for buying/bringing all the stuff for that. I think we made 1 more trip to the store for a few more things but it wasn't much.

Re: If you've rented a vacation house with others

I do a big family trip every year. I instruct families to bring the favorites they can, like if your kid only eats peanut butter... bring it. If you have to have pancakes every morning bring the mix. We do a meal plan like taco night, burger night, pasta night and we do 1 huge shopping trip when we arrive for all that & split it evenly.

I look for deals on ketchup, juice boxs, cereal etc. & pack that too.

Re: If you've rented a vacation house with others

We were each assigned things to buy.

Each family would cook one night and do breakfast another.

We also took turns treating for dinner out.

Re: If you've rented a vacation house with others

We'd make a list before we went and do a big food shop when we got there for the week. If you had things particular to your family, you brought that from home.

Re: If you've rented a vacation house with others

We go every year with family. Someone brings breakfast, we bring lunch and someone else brings dinner. Works out great.

Re: If you've rented a vacation house with others

It depends on who we are going with or where we are going. If we do Fire Island for example, the wives get together, plan a menu and then do Peapod and split the bill equally. We have also had each family be responsible for one night and they bring what's needed. Then everyone will also take either breakfast items or lunch items (like we will bring eggs, bacon, frozen bagels while someone else will bring cereals and someone else will bring lunch stuff).

Re: If you've rented a vacation house with others

We each took a day for dinner. We planned the meal and then sent and ingredient list to the person who organized it. Then we made a separate list of breakfast, lunch and snack items that each person needed. To that list we added cups, napkins, juice boxes, soda et. Each family was assigned a pack of beer and bottle of liquor too.

Some of that list was divided by the group and was shopped for before they came. Non-perishable.
Then each family put something like 150$ into a kitty. That money covered the dinner items and anything perishable on the second list. The mom's went food shopping for that stuff as soon as we got down there. the dads and kids stayed behind. As needs came up that week we took from the kitty. When it ran out each family kicked in like 25$ more something.

Message edited 6/8/2015 7:32:57 AM.

If you've rented a vacation house with others

we ended up paying one family member for our portion of the stay (I think it was $100/pp), but ended up doing $125 each so that there was an extra $25pp included for food shopping. That family member is going to do all of the food shopping so that we don't duplicate food items (like last year, lol). We are just bringing our own drinks

If you've rented a vacation house with others

We go away every year with 8 or 10 families. We usually talk a bit about dinners for each night and then one person does the majority of the shopping. Some here (at costco) and again near the house. That gets added to the total cost and split. Everyone brings snacks, drinks, and any other personal must haves although we all share.

If you've rented a vacation house with others

We haven't planned anything yet but we are in the talks about renting a vacation home with about 4 other families we are close friends with and we said for meals that the girls will go food shopping when we get there while the guys stayed with the kids. For snacks we will all bring a bunch snacks and just share everything amongst the kids. There will be 10 adults and 12 kids.

Re: If you've rented a vacation house with others

We vacation with other families every year. We plan loosely ahead of time, and divvy up who buys what for dry goods/non perishables. Then when we get to destination the chicks go shopping together for all the fresh stuff and we split costs.

On the way to the Outer Banks, there is a BJ's shortly before you cross causeway, great spot to stop and load up bulk items at a lower cost.

Re: If you've rented a vacation house with others

We always would pool money together and do a group shopping trip once we arrived.

Re: If you've rented a vacation house with others

we used to go away with the whole family, with 5 siblings and my parents (parents covered the rental.) each sibling was in charge of a cooked dinner for 5 nights. the other days we ate out. for that dinner we brought our own food and/or shopped local. breakfast and lunch was help yourself/bring your own. most nights it worked except one family did not know how to cook for 20 people, so we were all starving that night and had to go out to eat.

Re: If you've rented a vacation house with others

we did this for a few days I think everyone just brought what they wanted but each family was responsible for a meal a day.

Re: If you've rented a vacation house with others

Re: If you've rented a vacation house with others

We've always done something 4th of July weekend with a huge group of people.

The easiest way was to have a few people go shopping once they arrived. Then just split the bill per family/couple.

Re: If you've rented a vacation house with others

Thanks so much for the ideas!

Re: If you've rented a vacation house with others

We made a list of things we could buy before and split it up
All the receipts for the shopping we did down there went in a glass and we just divided it at the end of the week.

Re: If you've rented a vacation house with others

If it's just a night or two, we usually just make a list and everyone brings stuff from their list- one person will do all breakfast foods, one person deli meats, bread and snacks, and one person brings something for dinner. Everyone brings some beer or a bottle.
When we used to go to New Hampshire, it was a little far to be dragging food. Once we were up there, the girls would go food shopping and everyone would split the bill.

If you've rented a vacation house with others

We rented with my cousin and her husband but had many guests through the week. We got together beforehand planned our dinners. Then we went to Costco and split everything. Worked out well.