Life goes at a faster pace in May. School is a whirlwind of projects and trips. Baseball is in full swing. And with 5 kids, we often have a First Communion to celebrate in addition to a birthday!
It’s hard to save money in May, and even harder to keep up with my favorite Friday series. Which is why the blog might seem a little lonely right now! But don’t worry, building these memories with our family just gives me more material for you (my favorite readers!).
On Fridays we like to reflect on the ways we saved money. This series helped us pay off over $20,000 in credit card debt!! (Get the best money saving tips we used to accomplish that giant goal here!)
The 5 Ways We’ve Saved Money This Week
As promised, today I’ll share the ways we pulled off a fun First Communion gathering with family and friends. But you don’t have to celebrate a First Communion to use these tricks! Don’t let your frugal nature keep you from hosting your favorite people when you want to celebrate.
Potluck
We are fortunate to have friends and family that often offer to bring food along to gatherings. Several people pitched in to help use have enjoy food to serve everyone.
If you’re looking for suggestions, this list of summer potluck recipes is just what you need!
Menu
We kept the menu simple and didn’t even require catering! Here’s what we served:
- Pulled pork with barbecue sauce (Kroger had a nice variety of sauces from around the country, so we were able to have some fun with the sauce!)
- Hot dogs
- buns
- beans
- potato salad
- mac & cheese
- cole slaw
- broccoli salad
- fruit
- chips
- cake
- sweet tea/lemonade
Flowers
White decor is just the thing for a spring party! You can find supplies like this at the Dollar Store (look in the wedding section).
For a centerpiece, I wanted some pretty white flowers. Everything seemed to cost more than I wanted to spend. Then I happened upon a bouquet of white tulips. They were beautiful, and far more affordable than anything else!
Clothes
Turns out waiting until just a couple of weeks before the big day isn’t a great idea. We had a slim selection of dresses to choose from, and they were all pricey!
Had I thought ahead, we probably could have picked up a great deal on a slightly used flower girl dress. Luckily, we did find a good deal on shoes. And she wore the veil my mother made me to wear at my own First Communion!
Borrowed
Friends and family loaned us things like tables and a roaster so we could pull off our party. It’s great to have people you can lean on!
Those are the 5 ways we saved money this week!
You can have a fun spring party without spending a lot of money!
If you’ve ever struggled to pull together a meal plan, then I think you’re going to love the latest blog post. Grab your monthly meal planner, recipes and ideas for every meal for an entire year, and more tips for saving both time and money!
How did you save this week?
I'm Jamie, and I want to help you afford a beautiful life with your family. 
