Plan ahead for houseguests

photo by Justin

Day to day, frugality is simply a way of life. Maybe you splurge occasionally, but then you dust yourself off, regroup and return to your thrifty ways. It can be particularly challenging to stay frugal when you have houseguests. They might not understand your frugality, or it could be a shock to their system when they come for a visit. Being frugal means you don’t want your choices to adversely affect the people around you. You want your guests to enjoy themselves, be comfortable and relaxed, and feel welcome.

What frugal habits do you stop doing, or how do you plan your budget, when you have company?

Here are a few common changes to plan for.

HEATING AND AIR: You want your guests to feel at home. While they can put on a sweater as easily as you can, many people aren’t used to wearing layers indoors in the winter or cooling off with open windows and a cross breeze versus air conditioning during the summer. Plan on adjusting the thermostat accordingly. During winter, you can still turn down the thermostat at night and offer extra blankets or add a heated mattress pad to the bed. And your thermal curtains, window film or draft stoppers will still work their magic. In warmer months, cook outside to prevent the house from heating up, and offer plenty of cold drinks. You can plan outings so your home temperature isn’t a factor.

ELECTRICITY: You might get away with some night lights after bedtime so guests can maneuver if they wake up during the night, but you’ll probably need more lights on than usual during evening waking hours. If you’re concerned with having a much higher utility bill, you can corral guests into a central location to help keep the number of lights on to a minimum. Or have a room or two that are “off-limits.” This will keep your home easier to pick up, too. The TV might be on more for movies, or the kids might play video games. You can counter this by playing cards or board games some of the time.

EATING: Simple meals are easier and cheaper. Think: buffet-style meals, slow-cooker meals or anything you can make-ahead, such as lasagna, casseroles or soups. If you’re tempted to dine out, you can trim costs by serving at least one lavish meal at home. Dessert doesn’t need to be fancy. Simple home-baked quick breads or cookies will be appreciated. Or simply look for cheaper casual dining that offers daily specials. Your guests are there to spend time with you and aren’t there for the food. You can post your menu plan on the refrigerator, too. This gives guests an open opportunity to help you prep meals. Keep “make it yourself”-type foods such as sandwich fixings in a bin in the refrigerator so guests can help themselves. If you have time to plan ahead, you can shop sales and pay less than waiting until the last minute. If you need to stock alcohol, you can save money by buying and serving the higher-quality alcohol earlier in the evening and cheaper alcohol later.

ACTIVITIES: Your guests will enjoy spending time with you, but you will all probably want to get out and about. Look for low-cost fun such as local parks, hiking or community events. Your guests might not know your city, so you’ll probably drive more or go sightseeing. But don’t feel obligated to entertain them daily. Provide a map, and give yourself some downtime and your guests time on their own, too.