How to plan a Thanksgiving dinner with friends and split the costs

Start with who hosts. The host needs a table big enough for everyone and an oven for the main dish, so agree on that before anything else. Then set the time and confirm who is coming, because the guest list decides how much food you need.

Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November. If that is a work day for part of the group, or you live somewhere it is not a holiday, celebrate on the weekend instead. A Friendsgiving on Saturday works just as well as a dinner on Thursday.

Turkey is the classic, but a whole turkey is big, slow to cook, and expensive for a small group. A baked ham or a roast chicken can be easier. If someone at the table does not eat meat, plan a vegetarian main so they do not make a meal out of side dishes.

If the group cannot agree, put two or three options in a poll and decide in a day. Whoever cooks the main dish should have the final say on what fits their oven.

A Thanksgiving dinner works best when everyone brings something. Make a list of what the table needs, such as the main dish, mashed potatoes, stuffing, a salad, bread, dessert, and drinks, and let each person write down what they will bring. That way you do not end up with three pies and no stuffing.

Ask about allergies and dietary needs when people sign up for a dish. It is easier to plan around them a week before than at the table.

Save the address, the arrival time, and what to bring in a note everyone can check. If the plan changes, update the note as well as telling the group in chat. A reminder the day before helps anyone who still needs to shop for their dish.

Decide early which costs the group shares. A common setup is that the host buys the main dish and the drinks, and everyone else brings a dish they pay for themselves. If the dishes cost very different amounts, the group can share every purchase instead, so nobody pays much more than the rest.

If someone pays for something big in advance, like the turkey or a catering order, record that expense the same day. Whoever paid should not have to remind each person what they owe.

Record each shared purchase as it happens: who paid, how much, and who shares it. If two people do not drink, leave them out of the wine. At the end of the night, everyone can see what they paid, what their share was, and who owes whom.

Pay each other back through whatever the group usually uses, such as a bank transfer or a payment app, and mark each debt as settled. The dinner is over, and nobody has to chase anyone.

Planamis brings all of this together in one shared space for your dinner. Your friends join with a link or a code, without downloading the app. Add polls, notes, and expenses as you need them, and at the end Planamis shows who owes whom. Splitting is free.

The Thanksgiving template comes with Plus. Choose it from the occasions when you create the space, and it starts with an expense card for the dinner, a dish sign-up, a note for what everyone is thankful for, and polls for the main dish and the time.