Saving money with the holidays has been on my mind this week. I've decided that I'm going to send as many emails with our Christmas letter as possible this year. After watching two episodes of hoarders a few weeks ago (which I still need to write about), I am very reticent to send too many letters out. I am one of those people who keeps the letters everyone mails out, but I know most people don't keep them. Not because they don't care, but because they don't have the room =)
The holidays in our house are always coupled with the girls birthdays. I've ended up planning multiple gatherings for them this year because only a few kids could come on the original day I'd planned. I try to be simple about their parties and be creative about the planning. After all is said and done, I'll post what I did and how it all went =) It is interesting to me, though, how something we purchase for convenience really can quickly suck up all the money for the party. On Monday, I bought two bags of chips and a package of Capri Sun 100% juice pouches. In all, the two items cost $16. I got home and realized that I needed to be much more careful this month, so on Tuesday I took them back. Two bottles of apple juice costs $2.50 and 2 bags of chips from Aldis will only cost $2.50-$3. Total: $5-$6 which is a lot less than $16. Yes, it is a birthday party, but it isn't the juice and chips that will make the party =) it's the fun that the kids will have being together and playing games.
Smart move. We found $15 half sheet cakes at Costco, and I was so happy :)
ReplyDeleteFor my kids' parties one year I used the "take and toss" straw cups and put all the kids names on them. Then they were used for the juice at the party and as a take home favor. I think people liked the idea and it was not terribly expensive (because it was a small party
ReplyDelete;-)....and nothing disposable. And I make my own cakes....I'm no professional...they come from a box, but I enjoyed decorating them in ways I felt represented what my kids were into at the time. They looked homemade, but they looked lik they were made with love :-)