Your son is about to celebrate his entrance into manhood. This is one of the biggest events of his life, and as you start planning for the ceremony, ordering invitations, contacting caterers, and arranging entertainment, you are going to realize that this is also one of the biggest, at least about the expense, events of your life as a parent. A Bar Mitzvah can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars if you are not careful. How can you stick to your budget and give your son an amazing experience, without depleting his college fund? Consider these tips to stick with your Bar Mitzvah budget.
Get Organized
Being unorganized when you are planning a huge party can lead to expensive mistakes. If you order too much food from the caterer, you will be paying for food that no one is eating. If you pay a DJ and forget to do the follow-up call, you could end up with money out of your pocket and no music at your party. Figure out an organizational system, and use it.
Go Cheap with the Venue
The party is not about the place. Rather, it is about the people, entertainment, and food. You do not have to have the most expensive place. In fact, you may not even have to rent a venue at all. Do you have space in your home or yard to host the party? Then do it there! Sometimes you can split the party into two, with one party the day before the event for the adults in your son’s life, and one the day of the event for the kids. This allows you to use a smaller venue, like your yard, rather than renting a hall.
Know Your Guest Limits
Your guest list is going to be one of the biggest factors of your budget. Avoid the temptation to add people without thinking about it. You are not going to be able to include everyone, so talk to your son, and choose only those who are the most important to him, with close relatives always included. Once you know the number of guests you can afford, stick to it, even if it means some delicate conversations with extended family members.
Remember, this is just one event out of many you have in your son’s life. Yes, it is important, but it is not worth going into deep debt or spending all of your savings. Create a budget, and then use these tips to stick with it, and everyone will be happy in the end, including your young man.
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