Throwing a Party Affordably

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This is a contribution from Anne Francis, who is helping me out while I get another project ready and work on my yard – a never ending job! If you want to guest post, please email me. 

 

A party is a gathering of kindred spirits who come together to celebrate an outstanding milestone, special occasion or simply the fact that it’s the weekend. They’re festive, fun and a great reason to break out a flashy outfit that you’ve been saving for a big night. However, if you’re the one stuck planning the shindig, your party can leave you overworked, frazzled and left holding a monstrous bill. No longer is your party quite as fun, is it now? As easy as it is to get carried away during the planning stages and overspend, it’s equally easy to cut some financial corners to lower the price tag of your magical night.

1) For certain kinds of parties, the venue can be the biggest cost of all. Depending on the amount of space at your disposal, consider holding the party within the comfort of your own home.

You may want to consider purchasing decorations to dress up your house’s décor, don’t be afraid to be creative, or ask friends if they have any festive adornments to contribute.Perhaps your friend has an assortment of centerpieces you can use, while another may have an abundance of cocktail umbrellas that are left over from her Hawaiian luau. If your personal space is not an option, be unconventional when choosing a venue. Inquire to whether renting an area would be cheaper if it was on a weekday rather than a weekend, and consider approaching a local hidden gem that might gladly accept the business (and be eager to show off), instead of the hottest, most-pretentious locale in town.

2) Once upon a time, people valued the effort it took to handwrite a letter and mail it out. These days are long gone and, chances are, your expensive invitation will end up in the trash. Save yourself a few bucks and alert people about your happening electronically or, for a more personal touch, over the phone. If you pride yourself on being old-fashioned and want to provide your guests with something decorative to hang on their refrigerator, design the invitations like postcards, as this will shave off the cost of embellished envelops.

3) For many parties, the food is simply the fuel to keep your guests going rather than the focal point. To fend off hunger without splurging on a full spread of food, have trays of goodies circulating the entire night; by keeping portions small and the timing slow but consistent, it will give attendees the chance to swallow their food and feel full instead of overstuffing themselves when their eyes are bigger than their stomachs. Certain foods tend to be expensive than others, so offer these in smaller quantities, like serving a veggie-and-cheese plate rather than a platter simply of cheese. If you prefer to have a more formal dinner, provide your guests with a buffet serving style (and smaller plates), as this will also encourage individuals to practice restraint instead of loading up their platter and only eating half, as second helpings will require a little more legwork than simply reaching across the table.

4) Hold the party at an hour which isn’t associated with mealtime so guests will arrive having just eaten rather than experiencing grumbling stomachs; 2 o’clock and 8 o’clock are always safe bets. When preparing your ingredients, remember that many of us have a tendency to prepare too much rather than too little and that, if you run a little short, no one is going to starve. Prepare foods that will store well after your event is done instead of having to be tossed.

5) When it comes to the bar, forego expense in favor of presentation. When stocking up for the big night, forego top-shelf liquors and, instead, wow them with flavorsome mixers and pleasing, nontraditional garnishes. Depending on the nature of the party, consider the possibility of having a cash bar; you can provide your guests with complimentary tickets for drinks or the option of purchasing an open bar package that is easily distinguished with wristbands; this is an especially viable possibility for fundraisers, though it is common at other kinds of celebrations like weddings, Bar Mitzvahs or larger events where guests and host are not intimately acquainted with one another. There are also ways to save money on alcohol if you plan on buying liquor for your event.

So don’t let your next fiesta empty your pockets and strip you of peace-of-mind. Share in the comment section below any successful tips you have for keeping costs down when hosting your parties!

Tips on Retaining Younger Workers

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It’s common knowledge that younger workers in Generation Y and young Gen Xers are much more likely to become job hoppers than their boomer parents.

I’ve written about this before. There are many reasons behind this, including boredom, career growth opportunities, the job market, and old fashioned work environments.

Regardless of the reason, when you invest money into a worker, in the form of training, benefits, and growth opportunities, you want to see them stay at your company for a couple of years before moving along to the next big thing. Essentially, you want to see a healthy return on investment. Who doesn’t?

As a younger worker, and as somebody who has had the ability to go to school with, and work with, other younger workers, we definitely want something different from our jobs than our parent’s generation does (or did).

Of course we can’t lump together an entire generation, but studies show the things that younger professionals want in a job and a company, so there are a few things you can do to retain your up-and-coming workforce.

Allow for Opportunities for Growth (& Don’t Make Them Wait Too Long)

Gone are the days when talented professionals would stay at an organization for 20 years. If your company can’t provide young workers with the opportunity for advancement, they’ll be running out the door as soon as they’ve realized their potential in your organization.

I’ve worked for organizations who have entry level positions, in which they have placed high-potential individuals, but the only obvious career move for those individuals is to wait 5-7 years to get into the mid-level role one rung up the ladder.

Gen Y doesn’t want to wait 5-7 years, and fortunately for them, they won’t have to, considering how many boomers will be retiring and leaving vacancies behind in the next decade.

A general rule-of-thumb is to start grooming your young professional for a high rated position two years into their tenure with your company. They should be able to transition within three. Clearly, if you don’t see the potential in the individual, you won’t be doing this, but just keep in mind that three years is a long time to stay at one company for a Gen Yer without any prospect of growth.

Invest a Little

There’s no doubt that you have a few workers in your organization with whom you are not maximizing potential. Invest a in them in order to retain them. Career development opportunities are important to Gen Y’s professionals, so a small investment to send them through a program, course, or even to sponsor a mentorship program, will go a long way with your young worker. It doesn’t have to be money that you invest, either. Invest your time and foster the individual’s growth.

It will also show them that you believe they have potential and that they have a shot at a higher rated position sooner rather than later, which may keep them around for longer.

Embrace Their Different Perspectives

A diverse team is considerably more effective, and it doesn’t have to be just culturally diverse. Look for age diversity too. Don’t exclude young workers based on their age; recognize that they earned their stripes to be at the table by going to school and getting a job with you. Use your young workers in as many focus groups, work teams, and projects as you possibly can.

If you can get them to stay, they are the future of your company. They’ll remember if you discounted their perspectives because they are young (which, yes, is discrimination) which can be very demoralizing.

Put Emphasis on Work/Life Balance

Study after study concurs that Gen Y professionals crave work/life balance. Those organizations with a high level of work/life balance realize a marginal turnover rate when compared to those who don’t, particularly with young workers.

It’s 2013, not 1952, and men are spending more time with their families, women are working and still having children, and the landscape in North America is becoming more culturally diverse. In decades past, the middle class Caucasian family was the norm, with two kids, and two parents; the mom did not work outside the home while the father was the primary bread winner.

Now you have single parents, grandparents raising children, a drastic increase in twins, triplets, and other multiples, mothers being the primary breadwinners and fathers becoming stay at home parents, same-sex couples and families living in multi-generational households. You will also experience many families with not only childcare needs, but also elder-care needs.

The traditional family portrait has changed drastically, and workplaces need to be able to keep up by providing some flexibility for their workers to retain employees.

Encourage Initiative

For this one, you may need to sit down and reflect on your previous actions that may be preventing, instead of fostering, initiative with your young workers.

I’ve had managers and supervisors who likely don’t know it, but who squash their worker’s initiative quite easily and readily, even though that’s not the intention.

Young workers particularly don’t want to believe that they shouldn’t have any extra time to take on projects. If they really want to take on projects, they’ll make the extra time! Don’t make them feel as if they are wasting company resources and time by wanting to volunteer for something or start a project. Encourage initiative by rewarding it; you’ll be surprised as to how much will get done.

 

 

 

Building a Better Wardrobe

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In March, I wrote a post about cheap clothes and my new found desire to stay away from them. The plight of poorly made garments isn’t something that just recently dawned on me, but I find that when I’m in a shopping situation, I tend to want to buy better made items, but tend to shy away from them when I experience sticker shock.

I’m serious this time, mainly because I’ve put some research into the clothing industry and different fabrics and durability. I’m also sick of feeling like my clothes look tired and worn by the end of the day, when they looked fine in the morning (freshly cleaned/steamed).  Well made clothing should look good at the end of the day too; cheap clothes are the ones that stretch out and lose shape over a few hours.

clotehs

 

Pic via

Since the beginning of the year, I have only purchased one piece of clothing. That’s a full 4 months, plus some, that I’ve gone without needing a shopping fix (at the time of writing this, it’s May 12). I blame this mostly on the sheer amount of work we’ve been doing with the yard and the house, thereby lacking the energy at the end of the day to shop, but I’m proud nonetheless.

This is ideal because I’ve been losing some weight (once again, partially due to my becoming a work horse and never just relaxing).

This has also given me some time to really look at what I want in my wardrobe, what I don’t want, and to do some research behind what fabrics, fits, colours, brands, companies, and quality fits into my wardrobe plan.

One thing I’ve come to notice is that the fabric really matters.

I complimented a colleague on how well dressed she always is, and asked her what she looks for when she goes shopping. She mentioned that she shies away from unnatural fabrics, because not only do they form less to the body, but they also can be very uncomfortable (think polyester when it’s above room temperature).

When I look at the pieces in my wardrobe that I already really love, that have stood the test of time and tend to look good no matter what time of the day or how many times the garment has been washed, my colleague’s point has been proven:

Linens, (thicker) cottons, silks, and other natural fibers fit, feel, and look MUCH better than your average, synthetic material.

(this is of course comparing a synthetic to a natural fiber, similarly constructed piece of clothing manufactured by similar – if not the same – company).

I’m also hopping on the no-more “made in China” train

Thanks to Mochimac, I’ve been almost converted. This isn’t a post about sweatshops and my viewpoints on those, so I’m not going to get into it. The conditions of sweatshops is actually not completely why I am interested in staying away from clothing manufactured in factories in third world countries.

I’m one for noticing patterns (it’s my very factual, very methodical ESTJ brain) and making assumptions (theories, if you will) from those patterns.

Example: I wanted a long lasting, reliable car, and I purchased my Honda Civic instead of another model because I saw more old, beat up Honda Civics on the road than any other car. To me, it proved that they last for a long time.  

When Mochimac wrote a post about not buying items made in China, it planted a bug in my ear to pay more attention to where my items are manufactured. I noticed that the clothing manufactured in China (or Bangladesh) that I had in my wardrobe were of poor construction, in comparison to my Canadian, American, and European made clothing.

In fact, I have two cardigans that have holes in them (just from usage, I didn’t snag them on anything). Both were made in China, and I purchased them around the same time and wore them both just as much (if not less) as another cardigan I purchased made in the USA.

I also have two camisoles, both of which broke at the straps within months of their purchase. One made in China, one in Bangladesh, which haven’t happened to a Canadian made cami that I have had for ages.

I have many more examples that I shall not bore you with. To be clear, I’m not completely boycotting clothing made in China, but I’ll be sure to really, really examine the construction of the item before purchasing it if it were made in China, India, Mexico, Bangladesh, and other countries that mass produce and offer generally poor conditions for their workers.

Fit also matters a LOT

I’ve never looked at somebodies outfit that fits poorly and thought to myself “wow, I really like that person’s outfit”. Male or female, tall or short, curvy or thin, black, white, and Asian – clothes that fit properly always, always look better.

Due to some weight loss in the past couple of years, and then further loss in the last couple of months, as well as stretching of cheap clothes, lots of my clothing is baggy or at least a little too big.

Too big is sloppy. It doesn’t look good on anybody. I’m not a teenage boy and I shouldn’t be hiking up my pants all the time and wishing that I wore a belt.

I am definitely going to be paying more attention to the way the clothes fit, and if they don’t fit well but I still love the item, I’ll have it tailored.

Figuring out my body is key to this. Because my weight fluctuates so drastically on a year-to-year basis, I have a hard time really nailing down what looks great on my frame, but I’ve been really analyzing the pieces in my closet that i love and that I frequently get compliments on, and how they differ from everything else. That’s a good place to start.

I’m pretty convinced that people who are well-dressed are taken more seriously and see more success than those who don’t care about their wardrobe, especially in the business world. So while these things may seem trivial to some, it’s something I’m willing to put a little extra thought into.