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Managing household expenses (ghar ka kharcha) as a family

Updated 10 October 2026

Why household money gets confusing

In most homes more than one person spends from the same money: one buys rashan, another pays the bills, someone tops up the gas cylinder or pays the maid. Each payment is small, nobody writes it down, and at the end of the month the question is the same: kahan gaya?

Decide three things first

• Which money is shared. Usually rashan, bills, rent, the maid and school fees. Personal spending stays out.
• Who adds entries. Everyone who pays from the household money adds their own, the same day.
• One place for the record. A shared book, not a family WhatsApp group where receipts get lost.

Set up a shared household book

1. In Tijaorii, sign in and create a book called “Ghar”.
2. Tap Invite someone and send the code to your spouse, parents or siblings. Everyone who joins sees the same book.
3. Add the fixed costs once and set each to repeat every month: rent, bijli and gas bills, school fees, the maid’s salary.
4. Set a monthly budget for the categories that run away, such as groceries and eating out.
5. Everyone adds daily spending by keypad or voice, for example “sabzi 450”, with a note when it helps.
6. At month end, open the summary together: total spent, the biggest categories, and how this month compares with last.

If you share a flat with friends

The same book works for roommates and hostels: one book for the flat, everyone adds what they paid. Tijaorii does not yet work out who owes whom, so at month end add up what each person paid (put names in the notes) and settle the difference. Exporting the book to CSV makes this a two-minute job in a spreadsheet.

Habits that keep it working

• Write it before you put the phone down. Entries added later are entries forgotten.
• One person checks the summary every Friday. Five minutes a week beats one argument a month.
• Keep personal spending in a separate book, so the household book stays honest.

Questions

Can my whole family use the same book?

Yes. Create a book, share its code, and everyone who joins sees and adds to the same entries. Each person needs the app and a sign-in for shared books.

Does it calculate who owes whom?

Not yet. It records who paid what (use notes for names) and totals the month. For flatmates, export to CSV and settle the difference.

Is our data private?

A shared book syncs to Tijaorii’s servers and to the people in that book, nobody else. Nothing is sold or used for ads.

Is Tijaorii free?

Yes, including shared books. It is on the App Store now, and Android is coming soon.

This guide is general information, not financial advice.