Saving Money With House Guests

The holidays are upon us and that means more house guests. It also means more groceries, more water used and even more toilet paper gone. As much as house guests ROCK, they are also a drain on your finances. Thank God I love my house guests because it’s totally worth it, but I still try to do my best to save money while having guests. Here are some things I am doing right now as we have family visiting from far away.

1. Plan ahead. I had freezer meals ready so we don’t have to worry about going out to eat. We are planning to go out one night, but we’ve decided to get a babysitter so the kids don’t go. That alone will save us some money.

2. Research activities. There are a lot of activities going on right now for Halloween. We are hitting 4 carnivals that are free and clear. What a great way to spend the day with the kids and not spend any money.

3. Do a continental breakfast. You don’t have to make every meal and burn yourself out. Your guests won’t care if you provide the food and they make it themselves. Most just want something to eat and they are good to go!

4. Borrow what you need. Are you missing extra blankets, pillows or air mattress? Don’t go buy it, ask your friends if you could borrow theres.

5. Don’t be afraid of downtime. Don’t feel like you need to keep your guests entertained the whole time. They want downtime too. Don’t over stimulate them.

What are some ways you save money on house guests?