Over the course of the next two weeks, my in-laws will be visiting us and staying at our house. My family is very excited about this event as we don’t see them only a few times per year. While we are happy they are staying with us, they also have a different way of life and don’t live as frugal as my wife and I do. It is not that they are wasteful, they are just at a different point in their lives where they don’t need to be as frugal.
In anticipation for their arrival, my wife and I have been planning out meals and entertainment for weeks in an attempt to offset the added expenses to our monthly budget. I have brainstormed several expenses (direct or indirect) that we will incur while my in-laws will be visiting us. The following list details these expenses -
- Food - We will be eating for 6 people instead of 4 which will cause and increase to our grocery bill. We will also be eating out a few times over the course of the next two weeks which will cost more. Finally, my father-in-law prefers to eat more expensive foods that my wife and I typically don’t buy (i.e. steak) which will increase our grocery expenses.
- Gas - Since we have two young children and the big-bulky car seats that go along with them, we will be doing all of the driving while my in-laws are in town. We will be driving more miles than typical weeks because of pre-planned entertainment events.
- Water - My father-in-law loves to take 20+ minute showers sometimes twice per day, so there will be an increase in our water usage. In addition, we will be doing laundry for two more people in our house, not to mention added dishwasher runs.
- Electricity - Two more people equals more electricity usage. We will be running the A/C unit more to keep the house a little cooler not to mention running more ceiling fans and turning on more lights.
- Entertainment - We will be going out and doing more things than we normally would. Possible zoo, park, 4th of July, and movie events will increase our entertainment expenses for the month.
These are just a few of the added expenses that we will incur over the next two weeks while our guests are in town. I am sure that I have not thought of everything, but my wife and I are attempting to take preventative measures to help offset these expenses. Our goal is to try and offset these expenses where we can without blowing the budget. If we have a slight increase in expenses for the month, then we will be very happy. Wish us luck!
What other expenses am I missing? How do you keep your frugal lifestyle when you have house guests who don’t live the same way?
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Katharine 06.30.08 at 10:07 am
This is a great post! I have guests coming this week, and I hadn’t thought about the increased energy usage, thanks!
passivefamilyincome 06.30.08 at 10:30 pm
Katharine - Thanks. I am sure I am missing something in my list that I will realize in a few weeks. Good luck with your guests!
Ralph 06.30.08 at 10:53 pm
Ahh the houseguests… It wasn’t that long ago that my wife’s family was staying with us and they are far from frugal. The only thing I can say is that planning ahead is definitely the way to go, because it helps the guests not be involved in the decision-making. It sounds bad, but when the guests are on vacation, even if they are relatively frugal, they have a different mindset.
Scott 07.01.08 at 3:09 am
Having guests and family staying for extended periods can be stressful, especially when you may feel obligated to pick-up the check after meals. You mentioned going to the zoo. We are members of a zoo and get several free passes and free parking for guests. You might want to look into a membership as it might pay for itself and save you some money. Also, check out costco for discount movie tickets. If you wanted to shorten your inlaws shower, you could lower the setting on the hot water heater:) He’d be out in 5 minutes.
Dawn 07.01.08 at 4:38 pm
Another note on electricity and water - laundry. They may be living out of suitcases, but you’ll still have more towels and linens to wash!
I agree with Ralph about pre-planning. That way you and your wife can come up with a list of free or inexpensive suggestions for days to stem the outflow of cash. Look for things in your area that are less expensive - outdoor music performances, national parks, festivals, beaches - things like that. It probably will still cost money in extra ice cream cones, but that isn’t so bad.
Monroe on a Budget 07.07.08 at 9:45 pm
Think like a tourist and go to your local convention and visitors’ bureau, newspaper office, library and shopping mall and ask for any coupon books and tourism guides for visitors. You can get a lot of these packets for free, just by asking.
We’ll be looking up the deals in our local coupon book, and I signed up for a discount card for the nearest city, to prepare for our expected company later this month!
Value For Your Life 07.08.08 at 3:31 pm
I’m a huge fan of doing your homework and planning ahead to save money–in almost any situation.
Two things we do to help offset the cost of guests are 1.) Decrease our own use in the weeks before and after our guest arrive (shorter showers, driving less, or finding creative ways to cut back on our grocery bill) and 2.) Take charge of the situation. If you initiate some ideas that you already know are less expensive by location, time of day, or day of week, that’ll save a fair bit. For example if you know they want to go to the movies, suggest a matinee, or Tuesday night if it’s cheap night in your area.
One more idea I had is to think about creative ways to work in smaller quantities of expensive foods. You mentioned steak in your post; you could still serve it, but maybe consider using to make Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, in fajitas, in a stir-fry, or on pizza, where you’re still offering it but can get away with buying less of it.
Good luck with the visit and the budget!
Sincerely,
Amanda