Committee calculator: working out the pot, the turns and the totals

A committee has only four numbers in it. Once you can see how they move together, setting one up takes about a minute.

Short answer. Pot = members × monthly amount. Length in months = number of members. Total each member pays = monthly amount × members, which equals the pot they receive. So everyone pays in exactly what they take out; only the timing differs.

The four numbers

Number	How to get it
Monthly pot	members × monthly amount
Length	one month per member
Total each member pays	monthly amount × number of months
Total each member receives	the pot, once

The last two are always equal. That is the whole design.

Common sizes

Members	Monthly	Pot each month	Runs for	Each member pays in total
6	PKR 5,000	PKR 30,000	6 months	PKR 30,000
10	PKR 5,000	PKR 50,000	10 months	PKR 50,000
10	PKR 10,000	PKR 100,000	10 months	PKR 100,000
12	PKR 15,000	PKR 180,000	12 months	PKR 180,000
20	PKR 10,000	PKR 200,000	20 months	PKR 200,000

Choosing the size

Work backwards from what the money is for. If somebody needs about PKR 100,000, then ten members at 10,000 gets there — or twenty at 5,000, which is easier on each person but takes twice as long and carries twice the risk of somebody dropping out.

A rule of thumb that holds up: more members is easier monthly and harder overall. Every extra member is another month somebody has to keep paying, and another person who might not.

When the amount is not the same for everyone

Some groups collect a fixed total instead — the community needs PKR 60,000 a month and splits it between whoever is in. That is a different model, and the arithmetic reverses: each member's share is the total divided by the member count, and it changes as people join or leave. Laqfiz supports both, and calls them fixed (a set total, split) and dynamic (a set amount each, so the total grows).

Common questions

Does taking the pot early make it worth more?

In cash terms, no — you receive the same figure whenever your turn comes. In value terms, yes: money now is worth more than the same money in ten months, which is why an early turn is usually treated as a favour and a late turn as a service to the group.

Can a committee have two people sharing one share?

Commonly, yes. Two people split one monthly payment and split the pot when their turn comes. Record it as one share with two names so the arithmetic stays simple.

Laqfiz is free, and runs in your browser Start a community, invite the people in it, and every payment leaves a receipt everyone can see. No card, no download unless you want one.