How to fund your girls' trip without the money drama

IF YOU’VE ever tried to plan a girls’ trip, you know the real struggle isn’t picking the destination; it’s actually getting out of the group chat.

- VUYILE MADWANTSI

One week, everyone's talking Paris, the next it’s Bali, and by the time you finally agree on dates, someone's already dropped out because “it’s just too expensive right now”.

But what if the money side of travel didn’t have to feel like a constant buzzkill?

What if you could skip the endless “Who's paying for dinner?” debates and finally make those getaway plans stick? That’s exactly what one viral TikTok is teaching groups of friends worldwide: create a shared travel fund that quietly builds in the background until vacation time rolls around.

The TikTok hack that changed everything

On August 17, Australian event planner and entrepreneur Kim Brindell shared her genius solution: open a shared bank account with your travel crew.

Each of her six friends transfers just $20 AUD a week (about R230) into the account, and by the time their trip comes around, they’ve got thousands ready to spend on flights, hotels, dinners, and even the occasional private chef.

“We were spending ages over breakfast at the end of every trip, trying to figure out who owed who what,” Brindell told Bustle. “It was exhausting. So one of us suggested a shared account, and before we even left the café, it was open.”