How We Prepare Financially for Celebrations

Originally posted in my old blog, Coffee With Kim, on October 13, 2012.
Minor revisions were done on June 26, 2013.

I think the problem of being dubbed as the favorite is that people automatically assume that you don’t have to work for anything because whatever you want will be given to you – no explanations needed. I’d know because there are people who think that I am my grandmother’s favorite. And believe me, I’ve heard a good amount of harsh statements because of that.

In my defense, I don’t really feel like I’m the favorite. It’s just that I’m the kind of person who would find ways to get what I want to get… on my own.

Of course, no matter how many times I tell them that I don’t get anything from my grandmother, they still believe that I do.

What they don’t know is…

That I worked two jobs online so we can save for our civil wedding and Kelly’s birth.

That Daddy A biked from Cainta to Makati when he used to go to work there because it’s less expensive.

That we stopped eating out, watching movies and going out altogether for months to save for Kelly’s birth.

That after Daddy A’s duty at the fire station, he’d work online for extra money.

Which brings me to the real topic of this post (sorry for the rant): How do we prepare (financially) for celebrations?

The latest big event that we prepared for is Kelly’s first birthday party. We initially planned a party with a budget of P30,000, but since we felt that we should make it extra special for the little girl, we went over the previously agreed budget. Parents, learn from us. Stick to your budget! You can make your kid’s party special without having to spend twice the money you are willing to burn. What’s done is done so I’m moving on. 😀

We celebrated Kelly’s first birthday at Club Manila East. We paid for the entrance and food (from Shakey’s) for 100 guests. Plus, we rented one of the pavilions from 7 in the morning to 10 in the evening since we also hired a magician and a clown for entertainment and we wanted the guests to have a place to leave their things while they enjoy the resort. The end result? We were P75,000 poorer. It’s not what we had planned. Again, learn from our mistake! The good thing is that we put away enough money to pay for such a big celebration.

How did we do it?

  1. Kelly’s birthday is in the month of May. However, we started preparing for it financially five months before. The holiday season is a good opportunity to gather the funds. Why? This is when we get our bonuses and the kids get presents and cash gifts. Instead of spending our bonuses and the money that Kelly received, we put it away for her birthday.
  2. To make saving encouraging, we decorated a glass container with Kelly’s photo with a label “Kelly’s Bday” below it. Daddy A and I were required to deposit P500 per week each for Kelly’s birthday. Since it looks really cute and Kelly likes walking around with it (the sound of the coins amaze her), other people – especially her grandparents – would find it adorable and deposit money as well. From January to March, Kelly saved roughly P13,000 just from her makeshift piggy bank.
  3. We also turned to our automatic savings account for extra funds. Thank you, BPI Save-up and AFPSLAI!

 

Come May, we had more than enough for Kelly’s birthday party. Of course, I should thank my parents for sponsoring the giveaways, my cousin for getting us a discount at Club Manila East and my best bud, N, for hosting the party for us. Their help really made the preparations less stressful!

That’s how we prepare financially for celebrations. Next time, though, I promise to stick to the budget!

Kimberley Reyes

Kimberley Reyes is an Online Business Manager for entrepreneurs who are ready to get off the hamster wheel and step into their CEO shoes. On top of helping her clients get organized and scale their businesses, she is also happily busy raising her five kids with her firefighter husband.

This Post Has 3 Comments

  1. tina dalay

    hi ms.kim, I can totally relate. I am a Fireman’s wife too and just like you, we overspent for our kid’s bday party. ang hirap kasi magstick sa budget.

    1. Kimberley Reyes

      Hi Tina, nice to have a fellow fire wife here! It may be difficult to stick to a budget, but it is possible. You just need some self control! 🙂

  2. Mary Joy

    naku guilty ako dyan! Kasi tayong mga mommies we want the best for our kids kaya talagang minsan sobra sa budget ung nagagastos. Iba talaga yung may plan. Nice tip, mag gawa din ako ng ganyan para moivation sa pagsa save.

    thanks Ms. Kim! =)

    http://happinessofjoy.blogspot.com/

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