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by Hope

The kids frugal birthday party was last week.  If you were watching the weather almost anywhere in the country, you could probably guess that my super frugal pool party which would have cost me less than $100 for 18 kids plus those parents that stayed did not quite happen as planned.  THE RAIN!

The night before the party, I was still holding out hope that we could still squeeze in a pool party in between down pours, but when I woke at 5am…the weather just didn’t seem to want to agree with me.  Luckily, I was prepared.  I had spent a little time the day before checking out last minute alternatives and settled on bowling.

So we met at the apartment office to complete the SURPRISE part, and boy were Princess and Little Gymnast shocked.  It was AWESOME and worth all the worry and work!  We then trooped over to our tiny apartment and ate pizza (supplied at a discount by History Buff and his job) and drank water bottles ($3.48 for a case of 24.)

Then thankfully, all the parents who stayed helped me carpool all the kiddos over to the local bowling alley where we bowled for 2 hours and had the cookie cakes (supplied by Sea Cadet and his employer who let us use his employee discount.)  Hands down the best party yet and despite having to pay for bowling was still one of my most cost effective parties I’ve ever thrown and for two kiddos at that!

Total for the Party = $211.97 which again included lunch, bowling and cookie cake for 18 kids and 5 parents. So even though I had to spend a little more than planned. I am very happy with the results and the kiddos were too.

Hope

Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.

But life has a way of rewriting your plans.

A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.

Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.

Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.

She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.