Jola's Backup Plan
- Apr 8
- 3 min read
Updated: May 6
Jola's Backup Plan is part of the Jola's Celebration: Money Habits story arc
The Spark felt quieter than the high street.
No flashing price tags.
No “Party Deal!” signs.
Just long tables. Soft chatter.
And Jola’s shopping bag resting in front of her.
She tipped everything out carefully.
Snacks. Plates. Cups. Banner.
Cupcakes in their box.
And the receipt.
£30.60.
She smoothed it flat.
Just under £20 left.
That part felt steady.
The cousin part did not.
“What if someone brings a cousin?”
Reena had said it lightly.
But the question had followed them inside.
Ju Won pulled out her notebook.
“Okay,” she said calmly. “Backup plan?”
Jola sat up straighter.
“It’s fine,” she replied quickly.
She tapped the cupcakes. “Twelve.”
She tapped the drinks. “Five litres.”
She tapped the plates. “Twenty.”
She folded her arms.
“That’s enough.”
Ju Won didn’t argue.
“How many people is that for?” she asked instead.
Jola counted quietly. “Eight friends. Me. That’s nine.”
“And if someone brings a cousin?” Reena added, swinging her legs.
“Ten,” Jola said.
She looked at the cupcakes again.
Twelve had felt roomy in the shop.
Now it felt exact.
Exact felt different from safe.
“It’ll probably be fine,” she said.
Guessing was quicker than checking.
Guessing meant you didn’t have to redo your list.
Ju Won tilted her head slightly.
“How long is the party?”
“Two hours.”
“And in two hours,” Ju Won continued gently, “does everyone only have one drink?”
Reena snorted. “No.”
Jola looked at the bottles.
Five litres had sounded big earlier.
Now she imagined cups filling. Refilling.
Her stomach dipped.
Not panic.
Just noticing.
She reached for her list.
“Okay,” she said slowly. “Let’s estimate.”
Ju Won nodded.
They drew three columns.
People. Item. Amount.
“Ten people,” Jola wrote carefully.
“Two hours.”
Reena leaned closer. “And some people spill.”
Jola added a small plus sign next to drinks.
She scanned the table again.
Plates. Cups. Banner.
Her eyes widened.
“Napkins.”
Reena gasped dramatically. “Cake crumbs everywhere.”
“And candles,” Jola added.
She had compared properly in the shop.
But she hadn’t planned everything.
Buying wasn’t the same as preparing.
She looked at her running total.
£30.60 spent.
Just under £20 left.
She added new lines.
Napkins - maybe £2.
Extra drinks - around £3.
Candles - about £1.
They weren’t exact numbers.
But they were thoughtful ones.
She added them to the running total.
The total grew.
She paused.
Still enough.
Still steady.
Reena placed a bright sticker at the top of the page.
“Official party planning station,” she declared.
Jola laughed.
“Okay,” she said. “Essentials first.”
She circled food, drinks, plates, napkins, candles.
Then she wrote underneath:
Extra just in case
Ju Won glanced at her.
“How does it feel now?”
Jola looked at the neat columns.
At the numbers she understood.
At the space she had made.
“Calmer,” she admitted.
Because the buzzing in her head wasn’t loud anymore.
It was organised.
Reena leaned back in her chair.
“Well,” she said casually, “if someone does bring a cousin… they’re lucky.”
Jola smiled.
And this time, she didn’t freeze.
She simply added one extra guest to her estimate.
Just in case.
This story continues in Jola's Quiet Worry
Key Takeaways
Comparing helps when you shop. Estimating helps when you prepare
Guessing might feel quicker - but planning feels calmer
The number of people and the length of time can affect how much you need
Adding a little “just in case” space can reduce stress
You don’t need exact numbers - you need thoughtful ones
Reflection
Jola's Back Up Plan encourages you to consider how you can make your plans more flexible so it can be solid even with last minute changes.
Planning something soon? Try this:
1. Write down how many people are involved
2. Think about how long it will last
3. Estimate how much each person might use
4. Check if anything important is missing
5. Add a small “just in case” margin
Notice how it feels to check your numbers instead of guess.
Does it make your plan feel steadier?
Have you ever thought something would be enough - but didn’t actually check?
How might planning ahead change how you feel next time?
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