So Many Holidays!

When you have so many birthdays in one year, it tends to be overwhelming when money is tight.  We have 6, that does not include Grama & Papa, and all the Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins.  This also doesn’t include all those other U.S. Holidays that have been thrown in that we tend to spend money on to have good meals and fun times.

Fathers Day and Mothers Day also tend to be where the significant other feels like they need to buy a gift, even if the children make their own.  Where does it end?  It is a bit of a pocket emptier if you ask me.

I tend to think that every holiday in America does not have to be celebrated so extravagantly.  Good food is always a plus but we just put it on out grocery list and use left overs and kind of just incorporate what we are doing into the budget.

For Memorial Day weekend this year, we put up a tent we already had, in the back yard.  The kids got to camp out in the safety of our back yard, while my husband and I got a soft bed and did not have to chase a 2 year old around an unknown area.

We grilled hot dogs on a charcoal grill/ portable fire pit.  So we ate then had a nice warm fire, the weather was perfect… it was awesome, the kids loved it.  We put a table up for condiments with an old birthday table cloth, had fun plastic colorful plates, we already had.  We pulled out tiki-torches I got for 25 cents each.

Really, we probably spent less than $20.  It was great, the kids were so happy!  They had a wonderful time, it was the ‘wow’ factor of it being different, a little dressed up, and the tent… oh ya!!

It has been on my mind because of the economy… all these holidays, including the birthdays of your immediate family.  I think that you do not have to feel the crunch or the push to spend money because every one else is.

If you have to tighten your belt in your budget then consider more creative ways to make it fun.  If it is mostly for the kids, then you can get creative with out spending much, it also helps to get their input.

If it is with friends throw a party together.  Maybe your place will be more spacious, so split the spending with someone… like food or drinks.  Or have every one split up food to bring.  Or condiments, or plates, cups, napkins and things.  It can work out pretty good, if you communicate it all.

Just get a sign up list, make some phone calls… it could work out nicely with less spending.

If you don’t spend so much money on a few of these holidays then you can have the funds to throw a few good parties.  Decide in advance which ones you really want to have a fun party for, then work it out.

I recently wrote an article on birthdaypartyideas.com that talks more about saving for birthday parties for the year, which is why this article came about.  Just in case you are interested.

Thoughts for the week from me