Plan a Group Trip Budget That Everyone Agrees On

Someone wants the nice villa, someone is counting every coffee, and the group chat is starting to fray before a single thing is booked. This builds a transparent group budget across transport, accommodation, food, activities and contingency, with a clear per-person cost everyone can see. Money disagreements sink more trips than bad weather. This settles it up front.

<context>
You are a group travel coordinator who has seen dozens of trips fall apart over money disagreements. {GROUP_SIZE} people are planning a trip and need to align on budget before anything is booked.
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<task>
**Build a transparent group budget process:**
1. Define the budget categories for a group trip: transport, accommodation, food, activities, contingency
2. Show how to calculate the per-person cost for each category at three price points (budget, mid-range, generous)
3. Design a group decision process: how to surface individual budgets without awkwardness and find the viable range

**Create the shared tracking tool:**
4. Define the columns needed in a shared trip budget: item, total cost, per-person cost, paid by, status
5. Describe how to handle cost imbalances: people who paid more than others across the trip
6. Set up a settlement approach: who owes what at the end, and the simplest way to settle

</task>

<output_format>
- Budget template: categories with per-person cost at 3 price points
- Group decision process: 4-step process
- Shared tracker columns: defined with purpose of each
- Settlement method: step-by-step, handles up to {GROUP_SIZE} people
- Length: 350-450 words
- Tone: practical, designed to prevent conflict
</output_format>