So many ideas, so little $$$... OOT bags

[Erin6341]

I am having the same difficulty you are. I am trying very hard to show restraint, but then wonder what happens if when I all my numbers, they are not available.

[MichelleK]

I think we all have this kind of problem... A few people brought up a good point about getting some things now if there's an awesome deal, since you could always buy something similar later if you need more AND not every bag needs to have the same items.

 

I'm pretty sure the travel sections at Target keep the same kinds of this year round, (1 oz sunblock, shout wipes, hand sanitizer, first aid kits, tissues, pain meds, etc) so those kinds of things shouldn't be a problem... AND they're all around $1.

 

In our OOT bags, the only thing we spent more than $3 on were the beach towels, since we wanted to get the embroidered ($5.50 for the towel and between $2-3 for the embroidered= $ We're doing one towel per guest, but they will double as their wedding favor as well. We justify spending a little more since our guests are traveling a long way and we want them to feel special and to thank them for coming.

 

Good Luck!

[Melissa]

I have found some really good deals on little things in bulk on Ebay. Like Burt's Bees lip balm 10 for $8 Sandlewood fans 26 for $18. You just have to be patient and have the time to look. I really want to give our guests some nice little treats for spending all the money to be with us on our special day!

[Jen_S]

When we see a great deal we are guessing on the number of guests but otherwise we are trying to wait.

[briscoecrown]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunBride try to set yourself a budget per bad, and also a budget per item. Like I tried not to spend more than 20$ per bag (but I only had 8 guests and I made one bag per couple so only 5 bags!!!). I also didn't let myself spend more than 3$ per item - it just isn't worth it seeing as you really don't know whether the person will use the item or not. For example, sunscreen can be expensive (like at leat 7$ per bottle and I couldn't find any travel size ones) and I assumed that everyone would know to buy some so I didn't bother. But I figured people wouldn't necessarily think of brining aloe vera so I bought that instead. Just try to set limits because it's so easy to get carried away. For advance purchases, I would try to limit yourself to only the best deals. And I think it would be better to underestimate the number of guests, and then buy extra stuff later, rather that have tons of leftover unused stuff

I couldn't agree more... I really need to set a budget & STICK TO IT!! When I do my regular shopping, I tend to always be on the 'look out' for an OOT bag deal. Limitations are key!! Like you said, limiting myself to the best deals only & underestimating the number of guests might save myself a little heartache (not to mention $$$).

[briscoecrown]

Quote:

Originally Posted by heather007 Wow, awesome math skills. I'm at a loss when it comes to figuring out how many things to buy. I just used 40 as my magic number. LoL. ~~

I initially tried to review the guest list & determine the 'definite' people versus the 'maybes.' But I got frustrated
My magic number is 50.
Thanks, kerryjbrown for the math skills!! I'll TRY that method. KEYWORD : TRY.

[briscoecrown]

Thanks, Melissa. I didn't even consider Ebay for bulk items.

 

Michelle K - I want to do beach towels too!! However, it really depends on my total amount of guests. In my opinion, a towel is an item that has to be given to each person, not per couple. I started pricing embroidered beach towels and the average is $7-$8 for a basic quality towel. If I go with the beach towel, all the other items in the bag will have to be EXTREME BARGAINS!!!

[Thomasjsgirl]

If you find that you've bought too much of an item, or decide late in the game that you don't want to use it anymore, you can just post them on the sell thread and I bet they'll get snapped up right away.

[canadianadia]

If I see a really good sale, I just guesstimate and go for it. Some items are fairly safe to purchase in advance, if they're items that you could put more than one of per bag, or if you will use them yourself on a daily basis (ie. kleenex packets, notepads etc...)

[strutzin]

We began by buying small inexpensive things that we personalized with our picture, names, and date of our wedding. Napkins and cups were the first things we got. We thought that the cups could be reused and a constant reminder of our special day for our guests, while the napkins are an even more modestly priced party favor. We got 250 of each (our guest list is 200, so we figure we'd have a little extra). We also got regular napkins from the same site that we wouldn't have a problem using. Hope this helps!