Many people choose to make their own Simcha the primary motivation being the ability to leave a nice chunk of money for their pockets. Some also find it very satisfying to bask in the fruits of their own labor, and others actually enjoy the thrill of all the frenzied preparations. But, before deciding to make your own Simcha, here are some points that you may want to give a little thought to.
- Is your primary motivation financial relief? Don’t forget the extra small costs that tend to crop in. Caterers buy in bulk and therefore can save money where you won’t. Fruit, paper goods, platters, centerpieces, and tablecloths all add up to a hefty sum. You may want to do a little math before deciding whether the penny pinching is really worth it.
- Preparation can be fun, but may turn out to be a lot more involving than you anticipated. Think about all the cooking or buying, arranging platters, organizing seating, and the before and the after clean-up hassle.
- Consider whether you’ll be able to enjoy your own Simcha, and give your relative who will be at center stage the attention he or she deserves. Don’t forget that when there’s a big spill, a guest without a seat, or the sushi platter needs to be refilled -someone is going to have to take care of it.
If you are considering making your Simcha homemade, weigh the losses against the gains carefully. You may want to consider compromising somewhere such as hiring help or buying catered food. Many find reasonable ways to lower unnecessary stress levels, while cutting costs as well.
Any ideas, friends? We’ll be glad to hear them!
A great way to cut costs when making the Simcha on your own is to accept the help offered from family and friends. Most people will be glad to help out with one or two things, and all this help can add up.
If you start planning early enough, you can take advantage of sales/special finds that you come across instead of scrambling at the last moment to get what you need.
That’s a great idea, especially since you’re turning the stresses into joy shared with friends! Here’s another one though- whenever we made a simcha, we always stuck to simple. The crowd wasn’t huge and nothing was lavish. I don’t believe that a simcha should be more stressful than joyful.