As any military family would know, frequently moving to a new state (or even country) is par for the course. Just last year we moved to North Carolina and already, my husband was offered a job in Washington DC (we’re probably going to stay here in NC for a bit longer – usually you don’t get a choice but this time, thankfully, he did). Constantly moving around will definitely imply having guests sooner or later and one has to know how to be prepare for out-of-town guests.
In addition to frequent military moves, my family lives in Australia. This means that whenever we see our family, it usually means that we stay at their house or they stay at ours.
I LOVE having house guests. I love that I get to spend so much time with the people I love while they’re staying at my house, I love staying up until all hours chatting (and we really stay up late!), and I love preparing for their arrival.
Some people fall into the trap of thinking that hosting out of town guests is stressful and expensive when in reality, it doesn’t have to be either!
You don’t have to spend a fortune preparing for your house guests – I definitely don’t. Before I purchase anything, I always check Ibotta to see their current deals. Right now Ibotta has some great Summer Home Essential deals, including:
- 4% cash back from Big Lots
- 4% cash back from Belk
- Up to 4% cash back from World Market – online and offline
- Up to 3% cash back from Sears
- 2.5% cash back from Pier 1
Plus, when you sign up for free here with Ibotta, you’ll get up to after $20 in welcome bonuses after you redeem your first cash back offer.
With that being said, here’s how I prepare for house guests without stressing out or overspending.
How to Prepare for Out of Town Guests (Without Losing Your Mind)
1. Make Up The Spare Bed
If you have a spare bed, then make it up nicely with fresh, clean bedding. If you’re using a blowup bed, make sure you test it before your guests arrive to make sure there are no large holes or slow leaks. You don’t want the bed to deflate in the middle of the night. If you’re in need of a high-quality air mattress that won’t break the bank, Sears has a great selection – make sure you use Ibotta to get up to 3% cash back on your purchase.
2. Add Some Extra Blankets and a Bedside Lamp
I always like to put a few extra blankets in the spare room when I have guests – I don’t want my guests to wake up freezing cold and not know where to find a blanket. Additionally, it’s always nice to put a bedside lamp in the room – Pier 1 usually has a great selection of soft blankets and bedside lamps and right now, you can get 2.5% cash back at Pier 1 through Ibotta.
3. Find out the Wifi Password
It’s something that you probably use everyday, but a lot of people don’t actually know their wifi password, probably because it’s a “set once and forget” type of thing. Make sure you figure out what your wifi password is before your guests arrive so they can hook up to the Wi-Fi.
4. Clear Some Space in the Closet
If my guests are staying for longer than a night or two, I like to clear some space in the closet so they don’t have to be living out of a suitcase.
5. Buy Some Extra Toiletries
I always make sure to buy a tube of toothpaste, some extra rolls of toilet paper and set aside some mini bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion for my guests. I like to lay out a couple of spare towels on the bed and arrange the toiletries on the top of the towel. Money-saving tip – this is the perfect time to use the little bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion that you take home from hotel stays.
6. Ask Guests if There is Anything Specific They’d Like
Finally, I always ask my guests ahead of time if there are any specific items they’d like me to have at the house – things like tea, a certain type of milk, etc. Again, I always check Ibotta for cash back on these sorts of items.
It’s as simple as that!
There you have it – that’s all you really need to do to prepare for guests. It doesn’t have to be stressful and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Try to make your guests feel comfortable, but remember that they are there to spend time with you, so don’t worry about your house being absolutely perfect! You can always put them up to a treat with our vast selection of recipes!
Later, winter. Summer is coming! Freshen up your home and patio for warm weather, and earn cash back while you’re at it. Check out the app now to get started.
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