Party people
A few weeks ago, I sent a graduation card to my cousin’s son. He graduated from high school with honors and will be going to UCSF 
this fall. The family is very proud!
Seems like we’ve had quite a few parties to attend lately—graduations, weddings, bridal showers, and baby showers. Plus, more are on the way. While I'm very thankful to be included in all the celebrations, I can’t help but notice that things are starting to add up!
It's not just the cost of the gifts. When you add in the cost of flights, hotels, outfits to wear at the parties, etc., celebrating can get expensive. Even gas is becoming a factor as I just paid $4.55/gallon to fill up my tank!
I’m trying to balance these kinds of expenses while still sticking to a budget, but admittedly, I'm struggling.
How do you budget for celebration expenses? Or do you have any ideas to keep costs down? Share your ideas here.
Editor’s note: Speaking of celebrating, the Student LoanDown team is taking the next few days off to fete the 232nd birthday of our nation. A very happy Independence Day to everyone! We’ll be back the week of July 7.
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Comments (4)
Found in Budgeting, Paying, Post-college, Saving
Comments
I know hhu prices are expensive but hang in there. It is everywhere your not the only one.Where having problems.
Posted by: shandraMy | July 5, 2008 12:23 PM
Maybe you would like to consider applying for an unsecured visa card which will give you back rewards for your purchases. Try finding out more from a banker at your local bank.
Posted by: Ruth | July 8, 2008 01:30 PM
I think we need to put our fuel prices in perspective. People in the UK are paying twice or more what we pay here. We've built our entire culture and infrastructure around cheap oil, and the end of that is in sight. The fact that we don't seem to be planning for that is likely to mean the US becoming a second-rate power within a generation.
Now, as for budgeting, I've become a lot more thrifty since I became a husband and father. My wife and I each get $20/week to spend as we wish, and everything else is a joint decision. We ride herd on one another pretty tightly, so our money reserve has been climbing slowly but steadily. However, the fact that my parents live in Florida means that once or twice a year we have to bite the proverbial bullet and shell out fifteen hundred dollars or so for airfare.
It just becomes a question of priorities. Stephen Covey says "don't prioritize your schedule, schedule your priorities." It's the same with budgeting: you decide what's most important, and you plan around that. Desiderius Erasmus said "When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes." I guess we each have to decide where our priorities lie...
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Posted by: Rob | July 15, 2008 07:20 AM
Rob, I hear you on putting our fuel prices in perspective. I just reconnected with a college friend who now lives in Trondheim, Norway. Gas there costs between $10-12 per gallon, and one-way bus fare runs $6. Yikes!
Posted by: Staci Schiller | July 15, 2008 12:08 PM