By Cynthia Martínez of My Barely Famous Life
In December we are usually willing to meet with our loved ones to share. We do not question whether or not we are going to meet them at their home. In some cases we feel a little guilty, due to financial constraints, to make our home the venue for that activity. Perhaps you are not the only family member who feels a little pressured by money and chooses not to spend time together because of it. I want to tell you that there are so many opportunities for the memories that will be created as a family not to be affected. That’s why today I want to give you strategies for hosting a family dinner on a budget.
The first steps to staying true to budget are:
- Choose your guests and confirm them ahead of time.
- Use creativity and understand that less is more.
- Evaluate the consumption per person and assign some responsibility to support you in the party.
Then we move on to the coordination details:
1. Budget:
Set a budget ahead of time and be guided by that. Don’t overspend. Something that is very beneficial for your pocket is to buy the essential things FIRST and THEN those things you want for pleasure. CHECK what things you can make yourself or a family member and save money. Pinterest and YouTube are excellent social networks that give you a world of ideas.
2. Food and beverages:
Think that each guest will eat a number of pieces per person and based on that you choose the quantity and/or variety of the hors d’oeuvre table. Additionally, take into consideration the time of the activity. If the time is too early, it is very likely that they will have lunch and dinner at your home on Thanksgiving Day. Another option to spend less is to have your family and guests cooperate by bringing drinks or something to eat to contribute to the dinner, thus effectively dividing the expense. Something that works well in my family is that we take a poll on what we prefer to eat. This way the group knows in advance what they are going to receive without having to give so many options that end up in the cupboard.
3. Details before the activity:
Make sure you have everything ready the day before the dinner as last minute shopping makes us go over budget.
Don’t limit yourself for material things. Memories with your loved ones are worth more than your financial limitations. It is important to make responsible decisions with our money and accept that creativity is the mother of invention. Learn to see possibility where others see walls. At the end of the day the memories we create with those we love are what make us value life more and more, focusing on what is most important on a personal level.
About the author
Cynthia M. Martinez is a speaker, strategist, and entrepreneur with 12 years of experience in the direct selling industry. She has trained leaders, salespeople, and entrepreneurs to reach their full potential through strategic leadership and innovation for massive results. She is leading a positive revolution in social media by providing tools to help others achieve an extraordinary life with a blog called: My Barely Famous Life.
