What this tool does
One page for Thanksgiving, Easter or Halloween: a guest tracker with a budget column, a shopping or grocery list, and a to-do checklist. The section wording changes with the occasion.
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Feedback
Spotted something off with this tool?
Three sections, one page
A tracker table at the top — who is coming and what they are bringing, with a budget column and a done tick. A shopping list beside or below it. A to-do checklist at the foot.
Twelve tracker rows by default, eight list lines, eight to-do items, all adjustable. The currency for the budget column is yours to set.
The wording changes with the occasion
Pick Thanksgiving and the tracker becomes a guest and dish tracker, the list is a grocery list, and the columns read "Guest" and "Dish / bringing".
Pick Easter and it becomes a guest and treat tracker, with "Treat / basket idea" against each name. Pick Halloween and it turns into a costume and candy tracker, with "Person" and "Costume / candy idea".
Same layout, three vocabularies. The underlying problem is identical in all three cases: a list of people, a list of things to buy, and a list of things to do before a date that is not moving.
Who is bringing what
This is the column that prevents the classic failure, which is four desserts and no vegetables.
Write it down as people offer, and write down what you have asked for as well as what has been volunteered. A host who is tracking it can say "actually, could you bring a salad instead" in October, which is a much easier conversation than the one held over a table on the day.
The budget column is not there to be mean about it. It is there because a large meal costs considerably more than people expect, and knowing the number in advance is how you decide what to cook rather than discovering it at the till.
The to-do list wants dates
Eight boxes, and most of them are not for the day itself.
Order the turkey. Confirm numbers. Check whether the good tablecloth needs washing. Buy the thing that always sells out. Work backwards from the date and put a deadline against anything with a lead time, because those are the items that fail, and they fail silently until the week before.
Print it early and stick it up
A planner in a drawer does nothing. On the fridge, it collects information from everybody in the house rather than only from the person who wrote it.
Print a second copy a fortnight before if the first is a mess. It usually is, and that is a sign the sheet has been used properly.
Related
For Christmas specifically, the Christmas planner and gift tracker. For a birthday or a party rather than a holiday, the party and event planner.
FAQs
Quick answers
Which holidays does this planner cover?
Thanksgiving, Easter and Halloween. Pick one at the top and the section labels reword themselves to match. A guest and dish tracker for Thanksgiving, a treat tracker for Easter, a costume and candy tracker for Halloween.
How many people can I track?
Choose between 8 and 16 tracker rows. If you are hosting for more, simply print a second copy.
Does the tracker total my spending?
No. It is a printable worksheet, so you add up the budget column with a pen. Keeping the figures visible helps you stay on budget.
Which currencies are supported?
GBP (£), USD ($) and EUR (€). The chosen symbol appears in the budget column header.
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