Comments on: Seven Ways To Save Money Preparing For Houseguests http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/ Financial talk for the rest of us Sat, 16 Feb 2013 01:14:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: stressed http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-234490 stressed Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:56:06 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-234490 I just want to thank everyone for their posts. My husband and I live in an apartment with two bedrooms, and my sister in law, her husband and our two neices (ages 5 and 1) are coming to visit us for an entire month in june. I need all the help I can get with this. My sister-in-law wants us to get her everything for the kids, stroller, car seats, crib,ect. They are visiting from another country, and don’t want to travel with the little ones stuff. So we need to find these items to borrow from people we know and fit them all into our apartment. Being a household of 6 opposed to 2, will definately be a challenge. I need all the helpful tips I can get!
I was always taught to be very appreciative to people putting you up at their place. We always buy meals out, groceries, clean up when we stay at someone’s place, and help out where ever we can. When we get back home, we send a gift to our hosts along with a card, (even though we already have left hidden notes and sweet messages all over the place for our hosts to find when we are gone).

]]> By: Kathy http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-181243 Kathy Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:42:09 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-181243 If your guests would like to go out to eat, then that is what you should do. You are the host so you should have food readily available but you should be able to go with the flow. If you don’t have the cash just explain that, if your friends/family can’t understand that they why are they visiting you? We have small children so when we go to grandma’s etc. she makes them dinner and my husband and I go out. When they come to visit I make food unless they want to go out or get take out. Sometimes we will all go grocery shopping together and that way everyone eats what they like. The last time my mom was here I made her Osso Bucco (one of my specialties) because she never had it. It is expensive so she volunteered to buy the groceries.

]]> By: Lisa Braithwaite http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-57419 Lisa Braithwaite Wed, 15 Aug 2007 04:29:09 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-57419 When hubby and I travel, eating out is part of the fun and part of the way we experience a place. I don’t want to be forced to eat in every night, especially because we’re vegetarians and most people we stay with don’t know how to cook for us anyway.

When our hosts eat out with us, we always pay (or at least offer to. . . sometimes we can’t wrestle the check away from them). But sometimes we just go out exploring on our own and we make sure our hosts know when we’re going to be off on our own so they don’t expect us for meals.

On the flip side, as the host, I do like the idea of preparing meals in advance in case we are home at lunchtime or dinnertime. We eat out more than most of our guests, so we do plan to cook at home for several meals if everyone agrees.

]]> By: map http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-56943 map Mon, 13 Aug 2007 23:18:50 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-56943 You can tempt people into staying at home with you by claiming that you are preparing a special meal for them that they just HAVE to taste. Or planning stay-at-home activities like board games. Heck, you can even plan to go ‘out’ if the weather is nice by springing a picnic on them and already having a cooler full of food ready to go.

]]> By: infomancy http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-56801 infomancy Mon, 13 Aug 2007 12:48:29 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-56801 Don’t forget about your local library!
Check your local library to see if they have any museum or attraction passes that you can check out for a free or reduced admission. The local rural library has a “family pass” for for the 30 minute away city art gallery that offers a big savings as well as free admission for some local attractions.
A quick search on Google reveals quite a few libraries that have a museum pass program.

]]> By: Derek Wong http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-56617 Derek Wong Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:28:53 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-56617 Great tips! I took a vacation a while ago and did some of this stuff while I was there (I was the one visiting). We ate in a lot, but it was great because we had things that were unique to where we were (Hawaii). It was relaxing and in the end it allowed us to have good food and even splurge at the end on a fancier restaurant.

In any case, it’s a very practical list for those hosting guests. I also really like the tip about ice. It’s something so small, but I don’t think that I’ve ever heard it!

]]> By: Another Southerner http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-56596 Another Southerner Sun, 12 Aug 2007 23:15:26 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-56596 I was always taught that when you had guests you took care of everything, including meals, for them. The logic is that they had to pay, in money and travel time, to come visit you. Most meals were eaten at home and seen as a treat to have the hosts cook their local meals.

I also had a lot of great-aunts and uncles from Greece, and they always made a point of giving us kids candy and cash (yep, good all greenbacks) when we walked in the door and gave them hugs. Sadly, that tradition died with them as my generation hasn’t started pumping out new family members. As soon as I have nieces and nephews I’ll start that one back up again. :)

]]> By: Laura W. http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-56577 Laura W. Sun, 12 Aug 2007 21:55:53 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-56577 Maybe I’m just older, but when I grew up it was polite for the houseguest to treat the host to dinner out as a way of thanking them, at least once during their stay.

]]> By: wintersweet http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-56572 wintersweet Sun, 12 Aug 2007 21:39:10 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-56572 >>What’s the problem with houseguests who want to eat out every evening? You’re supplying the accommodations, so they pay for meals, right?

That’s what I was going to say. When I stay with people, if we go out to dinner, I pay if at all possible. It’s one way of saying thanks for the hospitality. And in the part of the South I’m from, that’s considered polite.

]]> By: SwingCheese http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55792 SwingCheese Fri, 10 Aug 2007 16:40:33 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55792 My relatives generally feel the same as I about eating out, so we plan a make at home menu before they arrive, and go from there. When visiting others who like to go out, however, I suggest at least one evening when I will make dinner as a “thank you”. I throw out some options, they choose which one they like best, and I buy the ingredients and cook an at home dinner. This really only works, though, if you like to cook. Otherwise, you might find yourself feeling very resentful :)

]]> By: Michelle http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55790 Michelle Fri, 10 Aug 2007 16:22:52 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55790 I make it fun for my family when they come to visit so they will want to eat in. I have the kids help decorate place cards with everyones name on them and create “menus” with what we will be having on the computer. We roll them up with some ribbon and place on the tables, so people feel like they are getting just as elegant a meal as if they were out. Plus hen they see how much trouble we went to they realize we actually enjoy doing this and they are more likely to oblige us.

]]> By: Laura http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55789 Laura Fri, 10 Aug 2007 16:15:16 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55789 @ devil: Maybe it’s my age and income level, but in our circle, it’s expected you pay for your share or else take turns paying the whole tab for the group. It’s actually worse if we go out to eat once and our friends take care of the tab, because then we know we “owe” them one, and we often didn’t want to go out to eat in the first place and certainly not twice.

It’s not just about money for us anyway. I would gain 20 pounds a year if I ate out all the time!

]]> By: Margaret http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55661 Margaret Fri, 10 Aug 2007 04:54:30 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55661 If you are spending all the rest of the time with your houseguests, why can’t they go out to eat and you continue to eat at home? That seems pretty normal to me, although of course you let the hosts know that you won’t be around for whatever meal. Of course, for me, I need some alone time every day if I am spending a lot of time with people outside my immediate family, as in the case of being or hosting houseguests.

]]> By: Karie http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55638 Karie Fri, 10 Aug 2007 03:38:01 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55638 @devil

I assume you aren’t from the South. If you have guests, you take care of them. It isn’t called southern hospitality for no reason.

]]> By: Anna http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55600 Anna Fri, 10 Aug 2007 00:49:49 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55600 il duce, don’t knock breakfast casserole without knowing what’s in it or what it tastes like. For all you know it could be the best thing you ever ate.

]]> By: daria http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55598 daria Fri, 10 Aug 2007 00:31:37 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55598 Assuming devil is incorrect and you are expected to pay for your portion, I would add a couple of additional suggestions. Don’t make it seem like an imposition to cook. Rather talk up your enjoyment of cooking and the quality of your food. For example, prior to my parent’s last trip, I talked about how good the pork tenderloin my husband just made was, how much I enjoyed the ice cream maker someone purchased us, and how we enjoy cooking whenever we get a chance, etc. (It’s not that odd, my family talks about food all the time!) They were excited to have us cook for them when they got here.

If you have to eat out, try hole in the wall options, perhaps a popular lunch spot that is slow in the evening. They might be thrilled to have a group (especially if you warn them ahead of time) and the prices can be more reasonable than the standard popular weekend fare. Or brunch.

]]> By: Mitch http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55590 Mitch Fri, 10 Aug 2007 00:06:37 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55590 If they’re coming for only five days they ostensibly want to “hang out” with the family, and in some families that means different things than in others.

But I should have put in an anchor to Wisebread because they deserve it. Sorry, I was very distracted by a bizarre parody of “Part Of Your World.”

(He says: “It’s by the Least I Could Do guy, remember his other comic, Looking for Group?” Cartoon villain proceeds to cut heads off things &c. “But I think you just need the Little Mermaid for that song.” Me: “Yeah, he really doesn’t have the vocal chops of a Jodi Benson.” Him: “But he could take them from her.” Laughing too hard to remember to hyperlink.)

]]> By: Mitch http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55588 Mitch Thu, 09 Aug 2007 23:58:07 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55588 Breakfast casserole sounds yummy! But possibly way too heavy to start the day with. Oh, and it looks like Wisebread has picked up the topic. http://www.wisebread.com/saving-money-while-hosting-guests

]]> By: devil http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55586 devil Thu, 09 Aug 2007 23:51:53 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55586 What’s the problem with houseguests who want to eat out every evening? You’re supplying the accommodations, so they pay for meals, right?

Otherwise, it’s just freeloading.

]]> By: Mitch http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55585 Mitch Thu, 09 Aug 2007 23:42:05 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/09/seven-ways-to-save-money-preparing-for-houseguests/#comment-55585 Maybe you could try something like asking some local friends over to dinner on one or two nights family is there? Depending on how comfortable everyone is, that might make it seem like more of a holiday: new people to talk to, putting faces to names, or even make an evening of it by playing games, dancing, singing songs, running through sprinklers, whatever your gang does for fun.

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