Coming of age is a crucial time in any child’s life, which is why hosting a Bar/Bat Mitzvah for your child can become a huge drain on your budget. This special occasion signifies a moment in time that your child won’t experience again, which is why family and friends have great expectations for the party. You don’t have to feel pressured into hosting a huge party though. There’s actually a lot of ways you can save a whole lot of money on the celebration, which will ensure your budget won’t be strained. So, enjoy these tens tips because they may lead you down the right path during your child’s big occasion.
1. Hebrew Lessons
By the time your child’s 13th birthday rolls around, they should have already experienced some Hebrew lessons. This is important for them to be able to complete the necessary elements of the celebration. However, if your synagogue charges too much for lessons there are a few alternatives you might consider. For starters, you can find lots of software that can help your child learn faster and will ensure they will be more than prepared for the big day. This software can be found as an app, a game or even an online course. Prices range with the software, so make sure to find something that suits your child’s learning style and your budget. You can also find a cheap tutor online to help offset the price. Usually students are willing to work for less, so you should be able to find a good instructor on a college campus. Finally, you can teach your child or another family member or friend can. This will make the lessons even more personal.
2. Photography
There’s no doubt that you’re going to want about a thousand pictures of every moment of the celebration. This can be a problem if you don’t have a photographer in your budget. Usually, hiring a professional can cost a couple of grand, which isn’t always wise when you want to throw money into a party. Instead, ask a family member or friend to take pictures as a gift to your child. If this isn’t possible then you may want to consider hiring a photography student. Usually, students charge less because they need the experience on their resume. You might also consider leaving out disposable cameras and having people randomly take pictures to offer a few new perspectives to your party collection.
3. Tighten the Guest List
One of the best ways to avoid the higher price of a Bar/Bat Mitzvah is to cut down the guest list. This is going to mean less food, less seating and a smaller venue. Of course, a lot of people expect to come, but you have to keep in mind that this event is about your child’s coming of age, rather than how the community feels. You should invite close family and friends first and foremost. Then, you can consider the third cousins you never see or the rest of the members of your temple. The close knit environment will also be great for your child as the amount of people won’t be overwhelming, especially when it comes to filling out thank you cards.
4. Share the Party
There is no rule saying your child has to have the Bar/Bat Mitzvah alone. In fact, you may want to look around your synagogue and see if there are any other children that have a birthday in a close range to your child’s. If this is the case then you may want to see if the parents would like to collaborate with the party, rather than forcing everyone to do their own expensive party. This will allow you to pull out all of the stops because you’ll have more money in the pot to work with. This may even make the event more fun for your child because they will have someone to practice with before the big event. All in all, a shared party will help the community come together too, which will give even more support to your growing child.
5. Package Deals
When shopping around for items for your Bar/Bat Mitzvah then you might want to consider planning your party with one company. If you can find a company that will rope in décor, music and the actual venue then you will be looking at a great bulk deal on the big event. You should check out the same type of deals when it comes to food. If you shop around quite a bit then you will probably be surprised by how many companies can give you the full party package at a great price. This won’t just save you money but it will cut down on the stress of the event. It will even allow you to breathe easier on the big day, since you’ll know you only have to worry about dealing with one company, rather than several. You should always check reviews before you settle with the company though, so you can ensure you’re getting the best possible deal.
6. Food
Food can be one of the most important elements of the party because it is going to make your guests the happiest. Of course, food can also be one of the most expensive items too. Instead of budgeting a lot of money for food, you can always ask your relatives to bring a dish to the celebration. Many people will have a signature dish that will please everyone. You may even try your hand in the kitchen with some traditional dishes. If you don’t want to get your hands dirty then you may consider finding a catering company that does small dishes, like finger foods, rather than full course meals. This should help keep the price of food down. Another option is to consider doing brunch as this often keeps the food price down as eggs and breads tends to be cheaper than the food you would need for other meals.
7. DIY Invitations/Thank You Cards
When it comes to the party, you will need some invitations to ensure your guests know when and where to show up. There’s a whole lot of great templates to choose from when it comes to invitations. In fact, you can also cheaply have customized invitations printed for you. Even more important than the invitations are the thank you cards. These will be expected from everyone who brought your child money or a gift. Luckily, there’s a whole lot of templates online for thank you cards too. All you need to do is find a design you like and print it out. Then, your child can fill it out and send it off.
8. Borrow from Family
There are a lot of items you are going to need in order to pull off the Bar/Bat Mitzvah. For instance, you will need special candles, which can cost a fortune. Other items include a tallis, yad and Kiddush Cup. Rather than spending a small fortune on these items brand new, you may want to see if anyone in your family is willing to loan them to you for the event. Most people won’t mind. In fact, some grandparents may even be happy to pass on their items to the next generation. Borrowing may even bring even more value to your child’s celebration as it signifies growing with the family and taking one’s place on the family tree as an adult.
9. Host at Home
Another one of the big expenditures for the party is the venue. Even if you host at your temple, you could end up spending more than you’d like to. Instead of even worrying about a venue you may want to consider hosting the party at home or at the home of a friend or relative. Whether you clear space in the home or have the entire party in the backyard, you are sure to find a lot of joy in the money you saved. Not to mention, hosting the party in a home environment will also help make it easier to keep the guest list low. You will also have easy access to the kitchen if there is any food emergencies.
10. Skip Party Favors
A lot of party hosts tend to feel like they need to have party favors in order for the guests to have a good time. This simply isn’t the case at all. Sure, giveaways do help occupy some time during the party, but you could easily take the money you would spend there and put it into more games. You might also consider splurging on items to help entertain people instead of only buying giveaway prices and party favors. Typically, party favors don’t stick around for more than a month, so you’re wasting money there anyway. You would be better off concentrating on entertainment here and keeping the money you saved in your budget.
A Bar/Bat Mitzvah is a huge moment in your child’s life, but that doesn’t mean you have to go wild with the spending. These ten tips should allow you to save some money while you plan the special party. Even with all of the budget cuts the new man or woman in your life is sure to be impressed by the party you created for them.
