Sep
5
It’s Time to Start Planning Your Thanksgiving Travel or Party
Filed Under Entertaining, Holiday, Travel | 1 Comment
Don’t hate me for mentioning Thanksgiving before we’ve even passed Halloween, but you do need to start making your holiday plans, especially if they include that most miserable of experiences: Thanksgiving travel. Even if you’re staying home, you need to do a little prep work now. You don’t have to drag out the pie pans, but here are a few things you should do now to prepare for the festival of food.
Book Thanksgiving Flights in Early September
Recently I attended a party where someone said she was considering flying home for Thanksgiving, but wanted to see if airfares would come down. I advised her to book now. I flew home for several Thanksgivings and know the prices will only go up. To get the best price, you probably should have booked your ticket in August, but you can still get a good deal in September. Don’t wait until October or November. If you can even find a flight, it’s guaranteed to cost both arms and legs. Use these tips to save money on holiday travel and find travel deals.
Reserve a Hotel
If you can’t stay with friends or family, then book a hotel now. You’ll have a wider range of options in your budget and more flexibility in dates if you make a reservation in September.
Set Your Thanksgiving Budget
What? A budget for Thanksgiving? Yes, if you plan to travel, host a dinner, or go out to dinner, then you need to set a budget. That will help down the road when you’re tempted to order the Thanksgiving cornucopia and fall flower extravaganza as a centerpiece, but only have room in the budget for a large gourd because you decided to serve 15 side dishes and an organic kosher free range pre-prined turkey.
Consider Who You’ll Invite
If you’re hosting a dinner, figure out how many people you can invite within your budget. It’s fairly traditional to ask people to contribute dishes, so that may make it easier to invite more people. However, if more people requires renting tables, chairs, or serveware, then you need to factor that into the budget.
Consider the Menu
Again, you should consider your menu when creating your budget. Although you’ll save some money by having friends or relatives contribute, you’ll at least be on the hook for the turkey and some wine. Having a menu in mind will also make it easier to divvy up the remaining responsibilities.
Review Restaurant Options
If you like to eat out for Thanksgiving, you should start looking for a restaurant now. Compare prices and again review your budget. Will eating out at the five-star restaurant blow your Christmas budget? Although you don’t have to make your dinner reservations now, you should make them by early November at the latest unless you enjoy eating at 11 AM or 10 PM. Don’t be surprised if you’re asked to supply a credit card to reserve your table.
Other than booking your travel arrangements now, you don’t have to go to major effort to plan for Thanksgiving. Thirty minutes of quality time with a pen and paper or restaurant review site should be all you need to set your budget and at least form a general plan for the biggest eating day of the year. Remember, also, that you don’t need to plan the feast of a lifetime. This is a day for family and friends, not for fancy recipes. As long as you have turkey, potatoes, and a can of jelly cranberry sauce (with ridges), your guests will be content. They probably won’t remember anything other than that anyway.
Aug
29
8 Frugal Labor Day Activities
Filed Under Entertaining, Holiday | 2 Comments
Judging by the light traffic this week, a lot of people have gone on vacation already, but if you’re one of the people staying home this Labor Day, here are a seven frugal activities to keep your family entertained and your wallet full.
Attend a Friend’s Barbecue
The barbecue is one of the most popular and traditional Labor Day activities. You probably know at least one person hosting one. Although you should bring a bag of chips or something as a contribution, attending a barbecue hosted by someone else is a very frugal way to enjoy the day.
Host a Barbecue
If you like to be the host, then pick up some packs of chicken breasts, kosher hot dogs, and hot dog buns from the local warehouse store. Ask your friends to bring the drinks and sides. I’d avoid burgers, because they usually end up flat, dry, and charred unless you’re an experienced griller. Use my other party planning tips to prevent an end-of-the-summer budget buster.
Attend Community Events
Like July 4, Labor Day is a popular day for community events. Check your local online calendar or Sunday paper for free live music events or low-cost street fairs. Pack a picnic in order to avoid the over-priced food they often sell at these events.
Go on a Picnic
Labor Day is usually nice day; not too warm, but not too cold. It’s perfect picnic weather. Pack some healthy foods that can be eaten semi-chilled or slightly warm, then head to the beach or park for some fun in the late summer sun.
Go on a Hike
Summer is too brutal for some hikes, but Labor Day is a great day for a hike if it’s started to cool off in your region. Pack water, snacks, and sunscreen for an early start on the trail, then head home afterwards for sandwiches and chips. After all those calories you burned, you earned them!
Eat All the Berries You Can Stand
Berries are the quintessential summer fruit, which unfortunately means they’ll soon be disappearing from both bushes and markets. Stock up now if you want to have berries in mid-winter. Lay them out on freezer trays, then drop frozen berries into freezer bags. If you like to stick to in-season fruit, then buy enough to serve over shortcake or with cream this weekend. Yum.
Pick Your Own Fruit
Apples are coming back into season just as other fruits fade. This Labor Day, give the farmers a break and pick your own fruit. You’ll be amazed how good it tastes fresh off the tree. You can also bake it into a pie or cobbler. Nothing says Labor Day like fresh fruit pie. Visit PickYourOwn.org to find a farm near you.
Learn How to Can
Canning is a lost art. When I was growing up, we had several fruit trees in the yard. Canning, making jam, and dehydrating were regular activities during the summer. If you’ve brought in your last harvest or went overboard at the You Pick farm, borrow a book about canning from the library. Once you’ve made your own fresh jam, you may never want to go back to the store-bought kind again. You’ll also love being able to eat peaches in the middle of winter without having to buy imported fruit.
These eight frugal activities ought to keep your holiday weekend pretty full. You won’t even want to go near the mall sales. Avoiding big spending is probably the best way to celebrate Labor Day.
Aug
14
10 Frugal Anniversary Ideas (That Are Also Romantic)
Filed Under Entertaining, Holiday, Marriage and Money | 4 Comments
My husband and I aren’t very big on anniversaries (or birthdays). We’re very open to time-shifting them, skipping gifts, or holding one combination celebration for all our anniversaries and birthdays together. That doesn’t mean we don’t want to recognize our marriage, though. So here are ten frugal yet romantic ways we’ve celebrated our anniversary.
Focus on You, Not on Gifts
The first few years we were together, we gave each other gifts for our dating anniversary. Then we both started grad school, so instead we exchanged cards. That’s not to say that I’d say no to an upgraded engagement ring for our tenth wedding anniversary. It’s just that I don’t need some little trinket every year to remind me of our love. Instead, we use the money we would have spent on gifts to do other things, like start our house savings. I’d rather have a house than receive a teddy bear.
Merge Several Celebrations into One Larger Occasion
If you celebrate both your dating anniversary and wedding anniversary, celebrate them together on the same day. We’ve only been married for three years, but we’ve been together for ten. Our dating anniversary also falls near our birthdays, so we plan one nice evening to celebrate all three of those occasions together.
Take an Affordable Trip
My husband stayed at a bed and breakfast for our first dating anniversary, but we haven’t traveled for our anniversary since. This year, in celebration of ten years together, we’re using airline miles and a Luxury Link package to take a luxury trip at an affordable price. That trip will also be our Christmas and birthday presents to each other.
Return to the Location of Your First Date
I can’t do this anymore, because the location of our first date has closed, but it’s a popular one with many couples. Even if it’s just the McDonald’s you ran into after a late movie, being there again on your anniversary will spark some romantic memories.
Do Something Silly
Instead of being uber-romantic, head out to do something silly. Go the mall and take pictures in a photo booth, go to a carnival, or play mini-golf. Laughter’s a powerful aphrodisiac and takes the pressure off being romantic.
Look at Photos from Your Years Together
Before our wedding, I compiled photos of us together into one small photo album. (We’re not really camera people, so there weren’t many.) If you don’t already have a photo album dedicated to you as a couple, pull your favorites and compile them into a book to share with your sweetie.
Make Lists of the Things You Love about Each Other
This one takes some advance planning, but list one thing you love about your partner for each year you’ve been together, then exchange the lists on your anniversary. By the time you get done reading the list your partner made about you, you should be in a very romantic mood indeed.
Cook a Fancy Dinner
We do enjoy nice dinners out, but eating out is complicated for me. So rather than taking our umpteenth trip to P.F. Chang’s, this year I’m making us a lovely steak dinner at home. We’ll light candles, enjoy a bottle of wine, and watch our wedding video. Someday, we’ll finish our wedding album so we can look at that, too.
Take a Bottle of Nice Champagne to a Restaurant
If you’re set on celebrating in a nice restaurant, consider bringing your own bottle of champagne. One year a friend gave us a very nice bottle for Christmas. We took it to the restaurant and the manager waived the corkage fee when we explained the reason we’d brought it. Even if they charge corkage, the $25 you spend to open the bottle is much cheaper than the $100 you’d have to spend to buy a nice bottle from the restaurant.
Enjoy a Picnic in an Unusual Setting
If your anniversary is in the summer, shift the celebration to the weekend so you can go on a nice picnic together. Pack fancier fare than sandwiches and trail mix, and bring a bottle of wine. Then get in the car and pick a direction. Drive until you find a neat place to stop. You could find yourself near a cornfield or on a cliff, the point is to do the unexpected. If you have kids, don’t bring them. If your anniversary is during the winter, send the kids to a friend’s house and picnic in the living room in front of the fire.
No matter what you decide to do, the key is to spend some time together remembering your years together and looking forward to the years you have left.
Jul
24
Most first-time brides look forward to the bridal shower, but the person charged with hosting it probably isn’t looking forward to the costs it entails. I’ve been to big showers, and small showers, and come up with a few ideas for hosting a bridal shower on a budget. Rest assured, these bridal shower tips won’t look cheap, but they’ll save you a pretty penny on the bride’s celebration.
Choose a Free Location
I’ve been to a bridal shower held in a restaurant, and it seemed like a lot of expense and hassle. I much prefer showers held in homes. I hosted my sister’s shower at my mom’s house, which allowed us to do all the cooking and set-up in advance. We also didn’t have to bring multiple cars to get the gifts home from the party. If you don’t have access to a home, consider a park or low-cost community center with a kitchen. Avoid restaurants if you can - not only are they expensive, but they limit the amount of time for the party.
Recruit a Co-Host
My aunt offered to host the bridal shower with me, so we split the minimal costs. We were also able to use items and ingredients we, or my mom, already had on hand.
Keep the Guest List Reasonable
Unless the bride or groom has a huge family, invite less than 20 people to each shower. That’s a manageable size for talking and gift opening. More than that stretches your ability to serve the guests good food and keep the gift-opening portion to a reasonable amount of time. If the bride has numerous friends and relatives, she should have several showers, only one of which need be hosted by you.
Keep the Menu Simple
It’s easy to find simple, affordable recipes that look fantastic and expensive. My aunt and I started off with grand ideas for multiple dishes, but we settled on serving everyone the same thing. This was our menu:
- Goat cheese mousse with crispy polenta and parmesan crisps
- Blue-cornmeal chicken on a bed of lettuce with black beans, kernel corn, bell pepper slices, and a buttermilk dressing
- Ginger-berry lemonade
- Ice cream cake
While this menu looks expensive, we bought the lemons, ginger, and peppers at a farmer’s market and the raw chicken came in a value pack. All the other ingredients were cheap or something we already had on hand. We even made the ice cream cake ourselves.
Limit the Beverage Options
To keep the costs down, we served champagne with the appetizers, wine and water with lunch, lemonade while opening presents, and water and iced tea with dessert (it was hot, no one wanted coffee.) No one expects full cocktails at a bridal shower, so choose a few affordable options.
Borrow Dishes from Friends and Family
My aunt has gorgeous glassware, platters, and linens. My mom had the china and more glassware. If you don’t already own these things, ask your friends and relatives what they have. Odds are you know people who will lend you everything you need for a bridal shower. You don’t need everything to match. Mixing dish sets is trendy now.
Skip the Theme
As far as I’m concerned, “bridal shower” is the theme. Plan the décor around the bride’s colors and skip everything else. Use your favors as the centerpieces at the table, if you feel you need to have centerpieces at all.
Choose Simple, Cheap Shower Favors
At my shower, the guests received small votives and candles and in my wedding colors. They probably cost about $1 each. At my sister’s shower, we filled small flower pots with flower foam and fresh herbs from my mom’s and aunt’s gardens. The pots cost less than $1 and I already had the foam.
Skip the Games
I took a quick poll of a few women and determined that none of us like bridal shower games. Maybe we’re all spoilsports, but I find the games to be expensive and a waste of time. Just let your guests enjoy each other’s company.
Everyone enjoyed my sister’s shower, and neither my aunt or I spent a fortune on it. If you’ve got a shower to host, use these bridal shower tips to keep the costs in check. You can also use them for a baby shower or even an adult birthday party. If you don’t have to host the shower, but have a wedding to attend, use my previous advice for saving money during wedding season.
May
23
9 Nearly Free Ways to Entertain at Home
Filed Under Entertaining | 7 Comments
As I said yesterday, summer is a time for throwing parties. But, with all your money going into your gas tank, you might not have anything left for entertaining. Or you might just be bored and need something to do now that there’s nothing to watch on TV. Here are 9 nearly free ways to entertain yourself, your family, and your friends at home.
Host a Game Night
Drag out all those old board games (or fire up the Wii if you have one), and invite everyone over for a game night. Ask your friends to bring snacks and drinks. Use your regular plates, cups, and utensils to avoid buying them. You can also do this with the family. Rather than a full dinner, make nachos and then play a game together.
Open that Bottle Night
Technically, Open That Bottle Night falls in February, but that’s nine months away, so do it now. The theory is that everyone has a bottle of wine they never opened. Maybe they were saving it for a special occasion that never came or they just forgot about. Invite all your friends over to open those bottles. Even if some are crap, you’ll still have plenty left. Serve veggies, finger foods, cheese, etc. Since your friends are bringing wine they already have, they can bring snacks, too.
Open the Freezer Night
This is a great one for barbecue season. Ask everyone to dig a grillable out of the freezer, thaw it, and bring it to the party to share. Assign the buns, side dishes, and drinks to the guests and you’ll have an instant party for little cost.
Silly Movie Night
Each family member or friend picks a DVD they love (the sillier the better). Put them all in a bag and draw one. That’s the one you watch with lots of popcorn and other junk food.
Have a Treasure Hunt
Write names on dollar store goodies and hide them in the yard, then send your kids or friends out to hunt for them. The challenge is that they have to find their own name, and can’t help anyone else. If you hide them well, this could fill hours.
Play Obstacle Croquet
This one’s good for a weekend day. You probably know someone with a croquet set. Borrow it and set it up in your backyard or a nearby park. Up the ante by introducing obstacles like a wooden bridge (just two small planks leaned over another piece of wood), or a tough root to get around. In my epic set-up, my friends had to hit the ball up a seam in the concrete, up a grate, across the deck, down a gravel path, across the lawn, over a bridge, through a tunnel, and then go through all the wickets. The winner got the glory.
Play Farmer’s Market Bonanza
Take the whole family to the farmer’s market and have each person choose one ingredient. Then you all have to figure out how to combine them into a delicious meal that you cook together.
Tapas Potluck
Ask your friends to bring hors d’oeuvres, preferably in bite-sized pieces. If it’s you and the family, plan a dinner of appetizers while you play a game or cards.
Backyard S’mores
S’mores don’t have to be a camping food! Get out the supplies and roast them over the BBQ. Use a gas burner if you don’t have a BBQ. Sit around whatever flame device you have eating s’mores and telling ghost stories.
If you invite friends to share in these activities, then they’ll have to drive to get to you and spend a little to provide snacks, but it will still keep the costs pretty low for everyone. If you stick to your family, then your costs are slightly higher, but you don’t have to drive far, so it’s still pretty cheap.
Do you have any ideas for entertaining for free or nearly free? Tell me in the comments.
May
22
Year-Round Budget Party Planning Tips
Filed Under Entertaining | 2 Comments
Summer and the winter holidays are the two biggest times of year when people host parties. If you’re planning a party, and are worried about busting your budget, use these tips to keep the party costs in check.
Plan Early or Plan Late
If you plan for the party early, you have plenty of time to plan an affordable menu, schedule the party prep, and scout out affordable supplies. If you wait till the last minute, you’re pretty much guaranteed to be serving simpler and cheaper fare and paring down on the decorations. It seems to be the middle of the road planning that gets people into trouble with their budget - there’s not enough time to scout deals, but plenty of time to decide on a gourmet menu for twenty.
Avoid Meal Times
Unless you’re holding a simple barbecue in the summer — where chicken, hot dogs, and burgers are expected — hosting your party during a meal time can quickly eat up the entire party budget. Instead, schedule a cocktail party from 4-6 or after 9. That way people will know not to expect a meal. If you don’t want to limit the hours, indicate that it’s an “open house” party, which means people can drop in and won’t expect a big meal.
Skip the Theme
Some parties lend themselves to a theme automatically - red, white, and blue for Independence Day, holiday décor for Christmas. The rest of the time, skip the theme. Simple decorations you can use at another party are the best way to go. Think low candles in votive holders and a few flowers. Maybe some twinkle lights for an evening party.
Stock Up On Cheap Supplies
First, drag out all of your current platters, pitchers, and glassware. It’s fine to mix and match. If you’re hosting a large gathering, you’ll need to buy plastic cups, paper plates, and plastic utensils. Visit Costco, Target, or a dollar store to nab deals. Don’t go to a party store unless you want to overpay.
Use Free Invitations
Unless this is a formal event like a shower or wedding, use evite or just email your friends. Paper invitations are easily misplaced, and most people are fine with electronic invitations these days.
Hold a Potluck
For several years, my friends and I rotated New Year’s Eve duties. Most of the time it was a potluck - everyone brought a favorite dish. That also keeps your costs down as the host. You can do the same thing for a dinner party with friends - everyone brings their favorite to share.
Have a Buffet
For a large party, a buffet is pretty much the only way to go. Be sure to choose simple foods that taste good at room temperature. Think veggies and dip, chips, cold cuts and bread. Avoid items that must be kept hot, like soup. If you want to serve something cold, set it on a bowl of ice. Finger foods are best - it’s too hard to deal with a fork, a plate, and a cup if you’re not sitting down. Most of these can be found cheaply at a bulk store like Costco or Smart & Final.
Limit the Liquor
Stick to one kind of liquor that goes with several mixers, or skip the hard stuff all together and limit the options to wine and beer. The standard rule of thumb is 2-3 drinks per person. A bottle of wine gets five servings, a bottle of beer is one serving, and hard liquor is usually 1.5 oz. per serving. When buying, remember that many of your guests will bring a drink or snack. That means you can buy a little less than recommended without running out. Be sure to provide some bottled water and soda for the non-drinkers.
Make Your Own Music Mix
Create a music mix in your iPod or computer, hook it up to speakers, and you’ve got free music for the whole evening.
Formal Parties for Less
Formal parties are a little different. For events like showers, guests will only bring a gift for the guest of honor, so buy enough wine for everyone. Although you will probably need to serve a meal, you can still serve it buffet style. Look for menu items that can be prepared well in advance and are made with affordable ingredients. Again, skip the big theme. Simple, elegant decorations in the bride’s color are best. Skip the games, too. They usually require supplies and no one really enjoys them.
Some people think they must go all out to host a party - plan a huge theme, make tons of food, and schedule out activities. The truth is, most people go to party to relax and talk with their friends. Keep it simple and you and your guests will be happy. Your budget will be happy, too.
