Times are a little tough at the moment, and the saying ‘every penny counts’ has never been more relevant. Still, austerity measures needn’t force you to scrimp and save when it comes to planning ideas for your hen night.
What you need is some sound financial advice:
Save before you spend
Going out and blowing money is always fun, it’s just not always wise. If you’ve got an expense that you can foresee, get saving instead. Most hen nights can be organised on a small budget, and if it’s something more extravagant you could easily put away a little money every month into your hen party pot so you aren’t out of pocket when the time comes.
Look for a bargain
If you can spend hours in the sales looking for the best deals, you can also apply a little time to choosing your hen weekend. Compare the market and note just what it is you can get for your money.
Decide a budget
Possibly the hardest thing you’ll have to do. Easy if it’s a personal budget, but a bit of a drama if you are responsible for planning the entire weekend. Only you know what you can afford, and when it comes to everyone else, the next tip will help.
Talk to your friends
Sort out early on just what the limits are. Either decide by cost or decide by activity – on a budget you can do this both ways – it’s just more likely you’ll come in below budget if you create a figure you’ll all stick to.
Do it yourself
When it comes to costumes, you can save money if you use a little imagination. Invites can be by email, and there’s no need to go crazy on dress up anyway. Your aim is to get everyone together so you can have a good time; fancy dress and frills are optional extras.
Keep it local
Travel costs. So, to help cut expenses limit your ideas to locations, activities and events that are within a reasonable distance, not a hen weekend abroad which involves travelling hundreds of miles. This way, you can do without airfares, bus fares, even taxi fares as there’s always a partner or hubby with a car – I just wouldn’t want to be that someone who’s picking you all up at the end of the night!
Book a package
Hen night providers have been doing this for some time, so as long as you pick one with pedigree you’ll be saving money. The bigger the better is usually true here as they can command discounts of their own and pass them on to you.
Remember, every penny counts. And, if you save them all back to the piggy bank, you’ll always have a separate savings account to blow on a night out with the girls – and if you’re reading this, you’ve probably got a hen party coming up…