Little Ways to Save Money on Special Occasions

The highest use of capital is not to make more money, but to make money do more for the betterment of life.
Henry Ford

It's fun to entertain and to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries and but it's also expensive. These events aren't often accounted for in our budgets, and it's always a challenge to mark these special times without breaking the bank.

GRATIS GIFT WRAP When buying gifts, ask about free store gift wrapping or decorative store gift bags.

ALMOST HOMEMADE Use a cake mix and canned frosting to make a birthday/anniversary cake for a cost of about $3.00.

ARTISTIC LICENSE Buy a cake from the bakery that is frosted by not decorated at substantial savings over a decorated bakery cake. Decorate the cake yourself. You don't have to be an artist to create a beautiful design. Use plastic toy figures, photos, silk flowers, candies (M & Ms, gum drops, jelly beans), candy letters, designs cut from greeting cards, or coconut dyed with food coloring.

SPECIAL SUPPER Make the birthday boy or girl's favorite meal for dinner. This requires a little advance planning, but children rarely ask for a complicated meal.

BIRTHDAY BREAKFAST My mother bought packages of the individual-sized cereal boxes for our birthdays. The birthday child got first pick of the cereal. We only had these small cereal boxes for birthdays, and they brought a special start to a special day. A gesture doesn't have to be extravagant to be noticed.

INTIMATE GATHERINGS Children don't need a large birthday party every year. When they're not having a birthday party with all their friends, have them choose one or two friends and an activity such as swimming, bowling, a movie, or going out for pizza.

WEIGH YOUR OPTIONS If you find you end up frequently mailing gifts to the people in your life, weight counts. While a young child will undoubtedly enjoy unwrapping a gift, an older child or adult will enjoy receiving a gift certificate or your check in the mail. (Don't mail cash!) You can mail a check or gift certificate with one first class stamp. If you send a check, it's more likely to be put into a savings account than immediately spent as cash would be. Also, your bank statement will acknowledge receipt of your gift even if you don't receive a personal thank you from the recipient.

COMPUTER CARDS Birthday cards have increased in price over the years so, unless I find an absolutely perfect card for someone in the store, I make a card on my computer. They're fun, personal and inexpensive.

ONE MORE TIME I also keep on hand a supply of what I call "recycled" cards. I remove a design from a used card with one of my scissors which cuts a decorative edge. I then glue it to folded card stock and write my own message with a calligraphy marker. These also make good thank you and note cards.

HALLOWEEN HELPERS Buy Halloween costumes the day after Halloween for the coming year at 50% (or more) off. Use your imagination when selecting the costumes. A little red riding hood cape can be used as a Superman cape (with the hood tucked in) the next year and as part of a devil costume in years to come. An angel costume could be reused as a bride or princess costume with a few different accessories.

COSTUME COLLECTION Be on the lookout for any items that might possibly be of use for a Halloween costume. My school was giving away old football pants, so I added a pair of those pants to my costume box. I also kept the disposable black gown I wore at my college graduation for use as graduate, judge or clergy costumes. If you have a child who takes dance lessons, used dance costumes can be the basis for beautiful fairy or princess costumes.

BONUS BUCKET Look for gallon ice cream pails with a Halloween design to use as a trick-or-treat bucket.

BUNNY BASKET Ice cream pails are also available with Easter designs. These can double as Easter baskets.

ACCEPT ALL OFFERS When entertaining, if one of your guests offers (and sometimes they insist) to bring food, take them up on it. Every little bit helps. Also, there's nothing wrong with issuing a BYOB invitation as liquors costs can quickly add up when you're trying to accomodate everyone's preferences.

A CLEVER CAKE FOR MANY OCCASIONS I appreciate recipes which are quick and easy to make and require few ingredients that you wouldn't already have on hand on a pantry shelf. Below is a cake recipe that was a family favorite when I was growing up. I'm never quite sure if it looks more like cake or bars, and I think it would also be a good coffee cake. People don't often bake cakes from scratch these days, so it's something special. You don't frost the cake which makes it a time saver. We like to eat it with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or a big glass of milk.

CANDY BAR CAKE

2 C flour
2 C brown sugar
1/2 C butter or margarine, softened

Cut shortening into flour and brown
sugar. Reserve 1 C of this mixture
for topping.

1 egg
1 C milk with 1 tsp. soda mixed in
1 tsp. vanilla

Place these three ingredients into
another bowl. Mix in the crumb
mixture by hand. Put the batter
into a greased, floured 9 x 13 inch
cake pan. Sprinkle cup of crumb
mixture on batter. Break 6 milk
chocolate English toffee bars
and sprinkle on top. Bake at
350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

(I used to place the candy bars inside at least two plastic bags and break them up with a small hammer. Now there are milk chocolate English toffee baking bits. They're sold in a 6 oz. bag, and I use about 2/3 of the bag or 4 oz. You'll find this product next to the chocolate chips in your grocery store.)

BEST BET BEVERAGE When entertaining a large group, punch is an economical choice. Any large serving bowl can be used as a punch bowl, if you don't own a bowl made for that purpose. Put some greens, flowers or fruit around the base for a decorative touch. Don't set the punchbowl on your favorite tablecloth as spills are likely. Make ice rings from gelatin molds ahead of time. Place sliced fresh fruit in the water before freezing. To avoid diluting your punch, freeze a portion of the punch in ice cube trays or a mold and use instead of ice ring. Float sliced fruit in the punch. Here's a recipe I've used: (It's bright red in color and coordinates with your decorations on many special occasions.)

CRANBERRY PUNCH

32 oz. cranberry juice
6 oz. can frozen lemonade, thawed
12 oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate,
thawed and diluted per package
instructions
1 liter ginger ale

Mix first three ingredients at any time
before the party. Put in punch bowl
and add ginger ale and ice at the last
minute. You'll probably need to double
the recipe for more than ten people.

Ginger ale gives any punch a kick. The trick is to add it at the last minute so it still has its fizz.

HOMEGROWN GIFTS Take cuttings from your favorite houseplants to start new plants. Search garage sales and flea markets for interesting "pots" for your little plants such as teacups, mugs, bowls or any other appropriate containers. You could also buy clay pots and decorate them with sponge, rag, or splatter painting, stencils or spray painting for a unique gift.

SEE RED Use that red tablecloth, candles and napkins you bought for Christmas when you entertain on or around Valentines Day (mix with pink, white and lavender acessories), Memorial and Independence Day (with white and blue accessories), and in September with an apple theme. It's also a good color for celebrating birthdays and anniversaries.

PARTY PLANTS Inexpensive, live party favors can be made with a some advance planning. Plant flower or plant seeds (grass seeds works very well and grows quickly) in recycled containers such as margarine tubs, aluminum cans, or plastic or paper cups. You will need to start the seeds several weeks before your party. Place the containers in a group in the middle of the table and surround with greens to make a centerpiece. Your party favors can also serve as place cards holders by gluing the place cards to popsicle sticks. Insert a stick into the soil of each container and place one by each guest's plate.

AN UNMATCHED SET You may have inherited china that is missing a few pieces or perhaps you've broken a dish or cup. There are companies which specialize in completing china sets. A more inexpensive and simpler solution, however, is to complete your set with unmatched pieces. The Salvation Army, garage sales, and second hand or antique shops are good sources for partial sets of china. You should look for china with at least one feature that will help it blend with your set. I searched for a leaf patterns with a silver-colored rim. I was pleasantly surprised at the ease with which I was able to locate pieces. Similar flower patterns also look delightful together in a place setting. Mixing and matching china is now considered stylish, and I think it's a very interesting look.

CLASSIC CHOICES If you are presently looking to purchase china, steer away from trendy and toward timeless styles. Thirty years ago, I chose china in a white-on-white pattern, and I never tire of it. It coordinates with all holiday decorations, and I'm not committed to any particular color scheme in my dining room. I add some color to my table with napkins, tablecloths and centerpieces.

FESTIVE FABRIC Make your own cloth napkins from fabric. Look for fall, spring, patriotic, flower, heart, star, and Christmas patterns. Cut fabric squares with a pinking shears or serge the edges to finish. You could end with up with a whole "wardrobe" of special occasion napkins for very little money.

PRETTY PAPER Paper napkins are perfectly presentable, also. Buy the dinner-size napkin. You can do interesting folds and other presentations with paper as well as fabric napkins.

OBJECT OPTIONS Look for interesting items to use in place of napkins rings. Cookie cutters would work well. Raffia or wired ribbons could be tied around your napkins. You could also tuck a flower, leaf or dried plant into the bow. Buy plain napkin rings and hot glue objects to them. I glued buttons which matched my stoneware onto wooden rings. You could use shells or silk flowers. If you plan to cover the napkin ring with material all the way around, you could forego purchased napkin rings and simply cut empty toilet paper rolls into strips of about an inch-and-a-half and go to work with your glue gun.

FORGET FLOWERS...I love fresh flowers so I hate to say this...but a floral arrangement can be the single most expensive item you purchase for a special occasion. With a little imagination, you can come up with a centerpiece that will fit your theme and will be remembered long after flowers would be forgotten. A fall get-together could feature a natural centerpiece of branches, dried weeds, cattails, and colored leaves. If a more formal look is desired, the dried materials could be spray painted gold or silver. A fresh fruit centerpiece is beautiful any time, and you can eat it after the party is over. A grouping of candles in different heights and sizes surrounded by greens would provide an interesting look. Or place candles on a mirror or mirror tile to multiply their light.

...OR NOT If you simply must have live flowers on your table, consider planting a cutting garden. Plant a variety of seeds and plants that will produce flowers throughout the growing season such as tulips (spring) and mums (fall). You can also check around your neighborhood to see if someone may be willing to share their bountiful harvest of beautiful flowers. Be sure to thank your green-thumbed friend with a plate of cookies or some fresh bread.