Planning a Reunion on a Budget
Reunions for me are always nostalgic. Whether it’s with friends from high school or family you haven’t seen in awhile, these events are a great time to reconnect and renew old friendships. The only problem is organizing this get-together. If you find yourself in the position of organizer, you’re going to have your hands full especially if you have financial constraints. Here’s how you can organize a reunion despite being on a budget.
Listmania
If you are obsessive compulsive about organizing, then you know the importance of lists. Make a list of all the things that need to be done. Note down the items that need to be purchased and the possible venue for your reunion. You should also take note of the costs of the items needed as well as the venues.
If you’re thinking of a themed party, write down all the possible themes you can so that you can present these ideas to the other alumnae and you can do a poll on what will be the agreed theme. Don’t forget to list down all the names of the people who are going to the reunion so you can prepare the invitations and determine who will be attending and those who won’t be able to make it.
Delegate Tasks
Once you’ve listed the tasks that need to be done, you need to delegate these to other people in the planning committee. Being the organizer doesn’t mean you have to do everything single-handedly. You need to delegate these tasks so you can finish all the preparations in time for your reunion party.
Assign a person to be in charge of contacting the people in the invite list. If people moved away without leaving behind their new address, you can always use Facebook to try and track them down. You can also use the search by zip code function of the online social database MyLife to locate those who have moved to a different state.
Raise Funds
If you feel that the budget for your reunion party needs some supplement, you can organize fundraising activities like a bake-a-thon or a weekend car wash service. Tap into the generous hearts of alumnae or relatives and get solicitations. A friend of mine once organized a reunion for her high school friends but funds were a little hard to come by. There were those who donated anonymously but still it wasn’t enough.
Drastic times called for drastic measures. Though it went against her nature, she emailed the names of sponsors and the amount they gave. Just like pandora’s box, wallets magically opened and donations poured in because other people also wanted their pledges to be acknowledged.
Utilize Existing Resources
If you have high school friends who’ve achieved success, maybe you can tap into their resources and see what they are willing to offer to help make your reunion a success. Perhaps one of them has a villa you can use for free for the venue of your party.
Perhaps another has a catering service that can offer you discounted rates for the food. Utilize all the resources available so you can have a party to remember despite being on a budget.
About the Author
Based in San Diego California, Tiffany Matthews is a professional writer with over 5 years of writing experience. She also blogs about travel, fashion, and anything under the sun at wordbaristas.com, a group blog that she shares with her good friends. In her free time, she likes to travel, read books, and watch movies. You can find her on Twitter as@TiffyCat87.
Category: Family Finances, Saving Money
