Time and costs are constantly hanging over the heads of resident event coordinators. It doesn’t matter if you are planning events for apartments, college housing or housing associations. You are left wondering how we can do things faster and within budget?.. all while making sure the building doesn’t burn down and residents are happy. LOL. The age-old task for a coordinator.
Our three favorite sites or hacks may be expected and unexpected resources. We are giving you our insider secrets to save money while planning events. Running to five thousand stores on a lunch break isn’t fun. It will be a thing of the past. Check out our favorite sites that will help you save both time and money.
1.Pinterest
Pin! Pin! Pin! Have you ever gone on without a clear focus? Did it feel like a time-waster than a solution? The best way to use Pinterest is to clear topic search terms. For example, using “Valentines Day” and no clarity will likely lead you down the rabbit hole for planning personal activities. The Pinterest vortex will suck you without clear search terms.
Tech Boomers blog How To Search For Ideas on Pinterest states, “Pinterest employs a unique system called “guided search.” If you don’t find exactly what you’re looking for on your first try, your search terms are stored as keywords.” (https://techboomers.com/t/pinterest-search) We recommend using the keywords including tablescape, room decorations, resident gifts, quick ideas, etc within your specific search terms.
Check out some of our boards on Pinterest. Our team is constantly looking to generate ideas and concepts to add. Our inspiration boards are created at https://pin.it/6ppn6ge3gbbnfq.
2. Instacart (https://inst.cr/t/TkEduU6pT)
Has your community ever sent you on a Costco run? Do you find yourself using your lunch and breaks running to grocery stores for your events? Instacart (https://inst.cr/t/TkEduU6pT) is your solution. ‘Tis the season for not having to waste no more time or gas on store hopping. You can now order the needed items from top food providers in your area. In the past, we have used Peapod and other delivery services for our events. Instacart gives you the opportunity to order your event groceries with one simple click on your computer or phone.
The service cost is nominal to time wasted on running to stores, shorting staff and storing aggravation. The fee is like pennies when you REALLY add it up. Some areas offer FREE delivery with the membership. This tip is a resident coordinator hack for reclaiming your time.
Click here to setup a quick profile https://inst.cr/t/TkEduU6pT. You will get $10 off your first order at that link. It takes only a few minutes to have your account setup. The best part is some areas have delivery available within an hour. You can find an honest review from the Particular Pantry blog. https://particularpantry.com/instacart-review/.
In addition, online ordering helps with expense tracking and recording. We love using online resources for bookkeeping benefits. You can easily download into your portal and forward to Accounting.
3. Rakuten (https://go.ebat.es/JESED1?eeid=37244)
Have you heard of Ebates? It changed to Rakuten. Consumers Affairs states, “Rakuten is the new Ebates – With over 12 million members and $1 billion in Cash Back paid out, Rakuten is the easiest and most rewarding way to shop. Become a member today and start shopping smarter. Follow us for the latest sales, member-exclusive offers and more. 
How does it work? We pay members Cash Back when they shop at over 2,500 stores, plus find them the best deals and coupons.
Join today and start earning Cash Back at your favorite stores such as Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Macy’s, Sephora, Nike and more.”
Our team has been using Rakuten for 3 years. We love to use Target, Amazon, and Walmart’s cashback features. The key to getting cash back is downloading the alert to your computer. We recommend Rakuten to help communities earn cashback from stores they are already purchasing. The percentages can range from 3-15% on a purchase.
Curious about Rakuten? Get a $10 bonus when you sign up with my invite link and spend $25. It’s free! 🤩 https://go.ebat.es/JESED1?eeid=37244. You won’t regret the quarterly check from your online shopping.
We hope these resources are helpful for your planning. Coordinating can be the ultimate multitasking role. We hope these hacks help with saving time, money and resources.
Which hack is most beneficial to your property? Comment and let us know.