So, last year you were a little, and now it’s time for you to become a big. In sorority terms, this means you will be a big sister, a role model, and a mentor for your little sister. It also means you get the opportunity to send them shady text messages as you sneak into their dorms in East to decorate and spoil them with gifts. 

Big/Little week is full of decorations, t-shirts, candy, and tinsel that you will find hidden in your room for months to come. Every sorority is different when it comes to how their week works or how littles are decided, but the concept is the same.

There are three days where you as a “big” must decorate your “little”‘s room. This requires some sneaky skills. Your little must leave her door open, and you must schlep the boxes and bags of crap you bought into her room.

Now, all of these things add up and cost some moolah. Your parents probably don’t see hundreds of dollars in candy and streamers as an “emergency” credit card charge. Here are a few tips to cut down on spending, yet still make big/little week incredible.

There are usually themes, which range from Princess Day to Under the Sea to Candyland. In my case, I went the other route: Trash Day. This way, decorations were free. Spread from ceiling to floor were various newspapers (The Daily Collegian, The New York Times, and USA Today) and trash bags.

Instead of going to Wal-Mart and spending hundreds on table cloths, tinsel, streamers, tape, posters, markers, and other decorations, I trekked to the Dollar Store right next door. There, I found all kinds of goodies from fake flowers to variety packs of assorted candies and bought glass jars and cups to fill with candy and add to the decor. They even had tinsel and balloons of all colors for only one dollar!

Another part is giving your little “hand-me-down” t-shirts that you do not want anymore, as well as passing down items you were given during your big/little week. Depending on your theme, this can include toys and silly trinkets that you were given.

A good tip is to head to the Greek Store downtown or order from www.somethinggreek.com because, if you and your friends order in bulk, they offer discount prices as well as clearance items. This a good place to get random items with your sorority’s letters on them.

Whether you have a little in the fall or in the spring, these tips will help you save money while still giving your little the best week of surprises ever.