Sharing Vacation House Expenses Is Easy With Pool

Travel is back — and bigger than ever. According to a 2025 survey, Americans plan to spend 31% more on travel this year than last, averaging $5,915 per person. Along with this surge in travel, the demand for the perfect vacation house is on the rise, too.

No matter where you go or who you travel with, you need a place to kick back, relax, and get out of dodge. But it's not always relaxing collecting vacation house money from friends and family. On the contrary, it's usually hard to discuss money, let alone making sure everyone contributes their fair share.

It's also hard to keep track of everyone's payments and stay on top of the bookkeeping. Don't let money sour your vacation house before, during, or after your stay. Use Pool. Pool is where you collect, manage, and spend vacation house money with your family or friends.

Keep reading to discover:

• 7 popular reasons to book a vacation house right now
• How to collect money and split vacation house payments with Pool

7 popular reasons to book a vacation house right now

With U.S. short-term rental demand growing 6.8% in 2025 — compared to just 0.3% growth for traditional hotels — it's clear people are choosing vacation homes over standard accommodations. Here are seven popular reasons why.

1. Multi-generational family trips

People are prioritizing time with loved ones and refusing to miss another opportunity to gather. Vacation houses make this easy:

• A vacation house is a neutral spot where everyone shares responsibilities, and no one bears the brunt of it all
• A vacation house can be the perfect halfway point where people experience something new together
• A chalet or cabin is an idyllic backdrop to disconnect from work and reconnect with loved ones
• A vacation house lets people stay near amusement parks for the kids' entertainment and rewards parents with a much-needed soak in the jacuzzi

2. Try an area before you relocate

Remote work makes relocation an attractive prospect for many folks. And if you're thinking about relocating, your vacation can double as a reconnaissance mission.

Whether you're thinking about moving to a new neighborhood, city, or state, book your vacation house there and try it on for size.

• How do you like the local community?
• How do you like the overall infrastructure?
• Does it have what you and your family need?
• Could you live here?

With this approach, you don't have to rely on city guides or travel blogs — you get to see what a place is like firsthand, from the comfort of your vacation house.

3. Work remotely with friends

Maybe you're not interested in relocating, but you sure do want to get out of dodge — especially if you've been working from home. You don't have to go alone. Book a vacation house. Together with your work-from-home friends, you can balance work with a little rest and relaxation. After a long day on your laptops, you can unwind with homemade cocktails, a dip in the pool, or a walk into town to try the local cuisine.

In fact, bookings of seven days or more increased 28% in 2024, driven largely by remote workers embracing the "workcation" trend.

4. Try impact travel

Impact travel is a growing trend. It describes travelers who want their tourist dollars to make a positive impact on both the environment and the local community. A recent report from American Express shows that 81% of people agree that when they travel, they want their money to go back to the local community.

And what better way to do that than by staying in a vacation house? Your tourist dollars certainly have a positive impact on individual homeowners. Plus, it feels more personal.

5. See the world as a local

The American Express report also found that the same percentage of travelers want to immerse themselves in local culture. With a vacation house, you can feel more like a local and less like a tourist. Staying in someone's home is a far more intimate way to steep yourself in local culture, and it also gives you a chance to glean lots of insider tips on the:

• Best restaurants, bars, and coffee shops in town
• Best hiking trails and excursion guides
• Best driving routes
• Best times to visit must-see locations

6. Rejuvenate with wellness retreats

Vacation goals differ. Some people like to do challenging, adventurous feats, like 3-day hikes in Hawai'i. But other people travel to participate in wellness or yoga retreats. Booking a vacation house facilitates the ultimate unwind.

With vacation houses offering saunas, hot tubs, and spaces for meditation sessions and yoga practices, you can experience a true break and come back feeling refreshed and recharged.

7. Save money and help others save, too

Renting a vacation house with others is a smart way to get away without breaking the bank. And you're not the only one saving money — every time you choose to book a vacation house, you're also helping someone increase their income.

A vacation house is a win-win for you and your host. Plus, it puts you in the backyard of some of the world's most beautiful places, like national parks, ski lodges, beaches, and more.

How to collect money and split vacation house payments with Pool

You know who you're traveling with. You know where you want to go. You even picked out the vacation house of dreams. Now you need to secure everyone's contributions and book it before someone else does. Make it happen with Pool.

What is Pool?

Pool is a smart new tool that lets you collect, manage, and spend money with other people. It's a dedicated place where everyone can pitch in and keep vacation house money safe and separate from personal accounts.

Adding money to the Pool is easy — everyone can contribute with debit cards. Spending Pool money is easy, too. Every Pool comes with a free digital debit card so you can spend funds everywhere Visa is accepted. You can order a physical card at any time, too.

Set up your Pool in a jiffy

Sign up at Poolmoney.com — your Pool is free to set up and free to use. There's no catch. Pool doesn't check your credit and never reports anything back to credit bureaus. It is required by law, however, to verify your identity to collect and spend money on Pool.

Personalize your Pool

Once you start your Pool, personalize it. Give it a fun name, add a photo, and write a brief description so everyone knows exactly what it's for.

Invite people to join your Pool

Now that you have your Pool, share it! You can invite members with their email.

Once they sign up at Poolmoney.com, they can join the Pool. As Pool admin, set permissions so they can view Pool transactions, spend with the Pool card, allow others to spend, and more.

Keep vacation house money separate from your bank account

When it comes to group travel, one person usually has to foot the bill and get reimbursed later. If you've ever done this, you know how stressful it is to keep track of everyone's money.

With Pool, contributions stay separate from your bank account. They gather in your Pool instead. Together with other Pool members, you can keep track of funds and keep personal finances out of the picture.

Spend pooled funds with your Pool card

Whether your vacation house is on Airbnb or Vrbo, or you're booking a special stay at a resort hotel, you can pay for it from your Pool. Every Pool comes with a virtual debit card that allows you to spend funds wherever Visa is accepted. There are no transaction fees, maintenance fees, or overdraft fees.

You and other Pool members can spend 100% of your funds together. From your Pool, you can track spending, adjust spending permissions and limits, or freeze the card — all on Poolmoney.com. You never have to call a customer service center and wait on hold to make these changes.

Collect money and pay for your vacation house with Pool. With this convenient and collaborative tool, vacation house money can feel as relaxed as you do in the hot tub.

Sign up at Poolmoney.com and create a free Pool to collect contributions, manage vacation house expenses, and keep your group travel budget organized from start to finish.