4 Tips for Planning a Cost-Efficient Family Reunion

Spending time with family is important as it means you get to stay in touch with everyone from cousins to aunts and uncles. If everyone doesn’t live in the same area, then it can be difficult to get together aside from holidays or other special occasions. When you want to enjoy time with your family and even let your children learn more about their relatives, consider a reunion that is cost-efficient by using a few budgeting tips.

An Affordable Venue

The first step in planning a family reunion is finding somewhere to have the event. A church fellowship hall is an option to consider or a community center as these locations will likely be free to use or only require a small fee. You’ll be inside for the reunion, so you won’t need to worry about the weather, and most locations like this have a small kitchen that you can use to prepare food. Another option would be to have the reunion at someone’s home or at a park.

Save the Date

Once you have found the perfect venue and booked the spot for the dates that are available. Put down your deposit to confirm your reservation. Send out email invitations instead of spending money mailing them. Tell everyone as soon as possible to schedule the time in their Family Organizer so that they can book time off work and book travel in order to maximize the number of people that are able to attend.

Fun and Games

When you go to a reunion, you want to have fun with each other. Set up a few games that you can play with things that you have around your home. Get a few pillowcases to have a sack race. Fill some water balloons so that kids can have a fun war if the reunion is held in the summer months. Have a karaoke contest or a talent show as this will allow you to laugh at each other while learning about the talents that family members have. This will also save money on entertainment.

Filling Food

An expensive component of a family reunion can be the food that you serve. An option would be to ask everyone to bring a favorite dish or two or plan a meal or two, if your family reunion extends over a longer period of time. This will keep you or someone else from buying everything from their own money. You could also ask for a donation that can be used toward a meal. A hamburger bar is an inexpensive option, especially if everyone provides condiments and side dishes, such as chips or salads. Kaiser buns can be used instead of traditional hamburger buns to keep the reunion sophisticated. These buns can also hold more ingredients without falling apart.

Decorations and Paperwork

Make your own decorations using paint and everything from paper plates to cardboard. Another way to make decorations that you can hang at the reunion is to have everyone make a tie-dye shirt. While the shirts are drying, you can look at the beautiful colors that are on display.

A family reunion is a fun time when everyone can come together who you might not see during the year. Keep the costs associated with the reunion under control by making as many things as you can yourself or with the help of others. Remember that a reunion is about spending time with family instead of seeing how much money you can spend.

By Emma Sturgis