Planning a Birthday Party without losing your mind

My son's 6th birthday is in 10 weeks and I am in the full swing of planning for it. Yes, 10 weeks ahead of time! I find if I start really early and slowly work my way through all the things that need to be done, it doesn't get too overwhelming and in the end is a time saver and even a money saver! How is this you ask? Well with so much time in advance I can be sure that the first venues or supplier I call for things will definitely be able to accommodate anything so far in advance. I will not have to spend any time calling around to find an available bounce house or tables for example. Also I am guaranteed the time slots I want for everything which is huge in my household. The closely kept calendar is a MUST in our household were I need to coordinate my husbands and I weekends off (as physician's we both are subject to being on call all weekend) AND we have lots of friends and family from out of town who seem just as busy as we are so if we want them to come we need to give them plenty of notice as well. And to make this year's planning extra fun, my son is scheduled to have a soccer game on Saturday of every weekend from now until October, so his party must also be planned around this schedule. And finally there is gathering the supplies, such as the party favors, the pinatas, the gifts, the table settings and the games with plenty of time to be able to leisurely put it all together in time for the party so I am not rushed and stressed out in the end. Here is also where the saving money part comes in. When you start looking for these things so far in advance, you have time to look for the best prices, find sales and even browse the Internet for deals and then not have to rush shipping (so minimal shipping costs there too) and can even get supplies from some of the discount suppliers such as Zulily (www.zulily.com) which can take a few weeks to ship to you. I also have time to MAKE my invitations and thank you cards which saves TIME AND MONEY (have you ever tried to address 25 invitations by hand???? And stock card is really not expensive and 4-6 invitations fit nicely on just one card)

So the following is a list of my personal birthday party planning timeline:

10 weeks:

• Choose date and make sure we have the weekend off.  
• Let our friends and family know that date

9 Weeks:

• Pick the "theme" 
• Pick the location (home or book a venue)

8 weeks:

• Call for the location or the supplies needed at home such as bounce houses, tables/chairs etc.

4 weeks:

• Make the invitations

3 weeks:

• Send out invitations (Set RSVP for one week before the party so you can get the party favors put together)
• order party supplies such as games and party favors

1 week:

• Put party favor bags together (this process can take longer than you think!)

3 Days:

• order cake (if you are ordering it)

2 days:

• stuff pinata

1 day:

• pick-up balloons

• pick up cake

• pick up food

• set up tables and chairs if at home

• get party supplies together in boxes/bags if hosting elsewhere

• Make cake (if you are making it) 

One of the invitations I made. Contact information blurred out for privacy.

10 easy money saving tips for busy moms

So I thought I would write about real practical and easy money saving tips for the busy working mom. Because I don't know about you, but I do not have the time for extreme coupon clipping or growing my own foods. I have spent some time looking at other lists that are out there with money saving tips and frankly I don't have TIME for some of this stuff (selling my used items on EBAY anyone?) So here is my top 10 list of EASY time-saving tips for the frugal busy working mom:

1) Use coupons. OK I know I just said I don't have time for extreme coupon clipping and I don't, but when coupons are mailed to you or provided from your grocery store loyalty club, USE THEM! Easy! They are literally being handed to you, so stick them into your purse for the next shopping trip!

2) Buy Generic Medications. I am a physician and I can tell you that generics have the exact same active ingredients as the name brand at a fraction of the cost. I never buy name brand medications. Never.

3) Stay organized. Have you ever gone to the store to buy something again because you simply could not FIND the one you already had? Well I have and the more organized I am the easier it is to keep tract of the items I already had and therefore eliminate spending more on the second item.

4) Donate your old/unused items. Keep tract of your donation receipts as this will add up for a tax break come tax time! Much easier to do and a lot less time then listing each item for sale on websites or garage sales and though you may get less for your items, it is a money saver at the end of the year.

5) Buy quality items: Spend a little extra on quality items that will last longer and then not have to repurchase items down the road. I have always gotten my older son great quality clothes and shoes and almost all of it has been in good enough condition when he outgrew them to pass along to his little brother!

6) Buy used.  Ever been to a library book sale? $1.00 for books some of which look new! Or consignment stores with great quality gently used furniture for much less than new. Do I even need to discuss the benefits of a quality used car over a new car? Craigslist is also a great place to find used items.

7) Buy end of season/holiday for next year. I was just at the store and snagged some plates and pitchers for 75% off for "end of summer" sale. I also really love getting non-perishable items one day after holidays such as Easter, Halloween and Christmas that are typically 75-90% off! I just store them away for next year!

8)  Optimize your home. Make sure you are using power and water wisely. Ensure there are no leaks and if appliances or plumbing need replacement, get the energy/water saving options. Ensure your home is properly insulated and set thermostats a few degrees higher for air conditioner and lower for heater.

9) Pack your lunch and make your coffee. This is pretty simple and easy and does not take too much time if you prep it the evening before as you are making dinner. I usually set aside a portion of dinner in containers to take with me the next day.

10) Shop sales. This is just logical. Every time I go to any store I take a few minutes to browse the clearance and sales racks and shelves. Why pay more if you don't have to?

Coupons that were literally handed to me!