How to Run a Stag Do Kitty (Cash vs App)
A kitty means nobody's fumbling for change at the bar and the rounds just happen. Run badly, it's a mystery pot that vanished by 9pm. Here's how to do it properly.
The free tool
💷 Stag Kitty Calculator
Work out exactly how much to pool for drinks, food and taxis — by city and drinking style. No email, instant answer.
Try it free →Decide what the kitty covers
A kitty is a shared pot for group costs: the rounds, the taxis, entry fees and the groom's drinks. It is not a slush fund for personal whims. Agreeing exactly what it covers — group rounds yes, your own late-night snack no — prevents the most common kitty argument.
Cash vs app
Cash is simple, works everywhere and needs no signal, but it vanishes without a record and is easy to lose track of. A splitting app keeps an automatic record and avoids carrying a wad of notes, but needs everyone set up and a working signal.
The pragmatic answer most groups land on: use an app or shared record for the big pre-paid costs, and a modest cash float for the night itself. You get the record-keeping where the sums are large and the speed where it matters.
Keep it visible
Nominate one relatively sober kitty keeper, agree a top-up rule in advance (“when it's low, everyone chucks in another twenty”), and call out the running balance now and then. A visible kitty is a kitty nobody accuses of being mismanaged.
Frequently asked
How much should each person put in a stag kitty?＋
Enough to cover the planned group spending with a little headroom — often £40–£80 a head for a night, more if you're covering entry and a big round schedule. Work it out from your actual plan rather than guessing.
Who should hold the kitty?＋
A trusted, relatively sober member — the 'kitty keeper'. Rotate the role on a long weekend if needed, but never leave the pot ownerless.
What's the safest way to collect a kitty?＋
Keep the money transparent and itemised, and avoid funnelling a large float through one person's personal current account, which can trip a bank's fraud checks. Collect what you need, when you need it.
Stop reading — start planning.
Put this into practice with the free stag kitty calculator — instant, no faff. Or create a free account and run the whole stag.