My sister and I discussed the family reunion for 2021. We've somewhat loosely planned a weekend in the mountains each year for family members. My dad started this tradition many, many years ago. The reunion includes one or more shared hikes and one or more shared meals. Every year the reunion includes some true successes and some not-so-good events too. It is never perfect.
As we planned this year's event, the first job was to choose a weekend. My sister did a little research and with other family members and chose a weekend. The next steps include securing places to stay--the location has a large variety of places to stay including tenting, cabins, rented homes, hotels, and motels. People can choose what matches their life place and budget. The hike date is set, and when we get closer, the weather and whose coming this year will determine the hike. The shared meal this year is planned for a local park--we'll likely order pizzas, salads, and top it off with ice cream cones.
Our children look forward to this yearly get together. It's a good time to introduce friends and loved ones to our family, and the hike is a good challenge to work up to. Early planning gives everyone who wants to attend lead time to save up and save the date too. Rarely does the entire big family show up, but usually a good crowd arrives.
This family reunion planning also led me to begin thinking about the year's budget--how will we spend our money this year? What will we save for? What will we forego and what will we decide takes priority?
The budgeting begins with looking over current bills--do we need all those bills or can we get rid of some of those services or charges? Usually I find a few extra dollars in this process.
Can we make more money? Are there ways to increase our income? Usually there are ways to make a few extra dollars via new jobs or changes in how we spend the money.
What takes priority? For our family, the typical bills, college expenses, and a family wedding take priority. Fancy vacations will not take priority this year.
What about contribution? When there are a few extra dollars, we think carefully about who or what the money will go to. I'd love to have millions to give away, but that's not the case, so we do what we can with what we have.
Creating a budget for the year ahead helps you to pay your bills and have a few good times too. It's a great activity for the start of the year, one I actually enjoy doing.