Lifestyle

Get Togethers For Less

Most of us are lucky enough to have several events to celebrate a year. It might be a wedding, graduation, Christening or just a family catch up. They are a wonderful opportunity to let our hair down and reconnect with those that are important to us. But they can quickly become a costly affair. Travel and accommodation costs, restaurant bills, alcohol and gifts and take away the joy of the event if we are worrying about money.

 

If you are saving for something specific, the problem can be even worse. You may still really want to attend an event or even throw one ourselves. But if you are saving for a honeymoon, funding your dream home, or have an unexpected expense, things can become stressful. However, help is at hand. Several party and get-together ideas can spread the cost effectively or cost next to nothing. Not only are many of them more creative and original than the ways you might normally celebrate, but they help to take financial pressure off. Browse the list below for inspiration for unforgettable life events for less!

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Birthday Party: Picnic In the Park

A birthday party can be a difficult time to narrow down a guest list. Friends, relatives, and even colleagues may be aware our birthday is coming up and want to honour us. A picnic in the park can be the perfect way to cater for a larger group with no feelings of claustrophobia or friction. Keeping the cost down here is simple. Simply encourage everyone to bring a dish or shareable snack to the party along with whatever they would like to drink. It keeps them involved in the planning and creates a friendly, laid-back atmosphere. Not only will it save money, but it is also a skilful way of side-stepping issues like allergies and intolerances. If you wish to drink alcohol, double-check the regulations for drinking alcohol outside. Or make a punch that you carry in your own container so as not to cause offence. Juices, water, and tea are just as fun and special though, and even children can enjoy them. If it’s a sunny day, bring an ice box and maybe a beach umbrella to create shade. With some music from your phone or portable speakers, you can create a great party outdoors! If it’s a cooler day or even Winter, don’t be discouraged! A Winter picnic can be cosy and exciting with a little forward planning. Everything brings an extra blanket or cushion and you cosy up together under trees or umbrellas. If anyone has a pop-up tent, they can also make a great little shelter-fort. Couple with flasks of hot tea, coffee, and homemade sausage rolls, and you’ve got a memorable event!

 

Engagement Party: Old-Fashioned Sleepover

After the exciting news of an engagement, it is natural to want to surround ourselves with friends. It is popular to take city breaks, spa visits or elaborate restaurant dinners. Right before other expenses like the wedding itself, these can be financially risky. It can also put additional pressure on your friends who may have just put funds towards a gift for your wedding, or booked travel for the day itself. Why not take the pressure off all of you by having the celebration at home? An old-fashioned sleepover is a great way to celebrate friendships that may have lasted a lifetime. And newer friends in your life may never have had a sleepover with you! Sugary snacks and drinks and guilty-pleasure TV or films are the order of the day. If you’re dying to relax, then it can become a pamper opportunity too. Everyone can bring their own nail polishes and face masks, then gather round in the dressing gowns and get to work! If the girly scene isn’t for you, have a sleepover and watch a major sports event or awards ceremony and combine it with your own celebrations. The boys in your life might also enjoy this and can all still huddle down in sleeping bags or sofa to keep the party going.

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Christening Or Welcoming A Baby: The One-Pot Dinner Party

The birth of a baby is always a cause for celebration, but it can be hard to think of a suitable way. A night out seems out of the question for new parents, as does a trip away, or even an expensive meal. The baby will be at the forefront of their (or your) minds and so the best solution is to stay at home! A cosy one-pot dinner party is a great way to gather loved ones with minimal effort. A pasta bake, casserole, or stew is a hearty and popular one-pot crowd-pleaser. It can be placed on the table as a centrepiece while guests help themselves. Don’t be afraid to ask everyone to bring an extra something, perhaps some fresh bread or a salad. You can wile away the hours in wonderful company, with the baby close at hand, without overspending.

 

Family Gathering: The Great British Walk

A good old-fashioned bracing walk in the countryside is a favourite British pastime. In Austrailia, we’re fortunate enough to have some of the best public walks in the world. But wherever you’re located, a long walk with all the family is a great way to chat, relax, and get some exercise. Many walks specify what level of fitness the walkers should be. Many also incorporate a pub or cafe into the route. If you’re meeting with elderly relatives and relatives with children it can be tricky to achieve the right balance. Anyone not up to the walk can remain in a cosy corner of the pub with tea and biscuits, ready to be joined afterwards by the whole family. It is natural to want to spend the whole day together as a family, but in a town setting this can mean shopping and frequent snack stops too. Pack a small lunch and a flask yourself, so that when the conversation is flowing, the coffee can be too! Finish in the pub for a cheap but unforgettable day for all the family.

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