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Party Planning on a Budget

This has been a challenging year for my family. My dad had a precancerous tumor on his pancreas and is recovering slowly from the surgery to remove it. He's had a couple of setbacks, one that lasted three weeks, but we're all hopeful he'll be back on track soon.

Partly because of that, I want to host a family get-together. Mom and Dad will have their 45th anniversary this October so that seems like a perfect time to hold it. I think I have a lead on a FREE place big enough to accommodate my siblings, their kids and my parents. As for the rest -- the food, decorations and activities -- I'll have to plan according to what's on sale and when.

Immediately after that, I'll be planning a baby shower for my kid sis. I hope to get the same venue for both parties. Again, though, I want to keep an eye out for deals for decorations. There is only so much I can do about the food in advance, but I figured I'd start setting aside money for both feasts now.

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