How to Host an Awesome Party on a Budget
Are you the one that loves to host all the parties? I know I do, but I don’t always have room in the budget to go over the top with purchasing food, decor and more! Here you will find how to host any kind of awesome, heartfelt party on a budget!
Check out the tips below to make the most of your budget when planning your next party!
Some of the links included below are Amazon affiliate links, meaning, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products that I use and love!
Timing
If you are wanting to cut the cost of food, plan your party to start and end at a time in between meals. When planning an outdoor party, don’t forget to take the weather into consideration.
Try to plan the party around the most comfortable times of the day according to the current season. My go to option is an outdoor party because I love being able to tie in elements of nature with my decor, and use patio furniture for comfortable seating. If the weather is hot, I plan an evening party and plug in a few fans around the party area. If the weather is cold, then I do it during hours of sunshine.
E-invites
Nowadays it is totally okay to send party invites via text or email. I don’t know about you, but I often misplace paper invitations which leads to me either missing the party, or not having the address to the location. I’ve found that people are more inclined to attend when an invite is sent to them via text. I typically send out the invitation graphic 3-4 weeks in advance, and then resend the invite 2-3 days before the party as a friendly reminder.
It might seem intimidating to design your own invitation graphics, but it’s actually not as hard as you may think. I use the invitation layout option on Canva.com to design my e-invites. After you choose a free design, you simply type your information into the text boxes and download the graphic to your phone or computer once you are finished. You are then able to save it as a picture on your phone, and simply text or email it to your guest list!
If designing with Canva intimidates you, Microsoft Word could always be used to design a simple invite.
Another great option is to get creative and design your own invitation using pen and paper. Once you have completed your handwritten invitation, take a great picture of it on your phone and send it out to your guest list via text or email.
The best part about e-invites is that you spend absolutely no money on printed invites, envelopes or stamps!
Recruit Help
Often times as a mom we love to appear as if we have it all together, but over the years I’ve learned to accept help when it’s offered. I especially say yes to help when I know it is a reliable person that will actually follow through with their volunteered task.
Depending on the type of party you are hosting, it is often appropriate for you to recruit help!
For example, I recently hosted a going away party for some friends. So many women offered to bring finger foods that I did not have to worry about prepping any food for the party. I focused on decorations, drinks, seating and the photo backdrop. It was amazing to all come together to host a great party to honor our friends that were moving away.
Buy Discounted Paper Goods
Paper goods can be found for very affordable prices at places like Marshalls, Dollar Tree, Tuesday Morning or your local grocery store. My favorite time to buy paper goods is when they go on sale after a season is over at my local grocery store.
For example, I found some solid red plates after Valentine’s day for only .25 cents per package. I bought them all knowing that I would be hosting various parties throughout the year! If you host parties frequently, I encourage you to peruse the seasonal aisle at your local grocery store and see if they have anything to offer from the season that has just passed.
Also, head to Dollar Tree if you are looking for solid color plates, cups and cutlery. They have a great variety of solid color options, and it’s pretty hard to beat their prices!
Decorate with Household Items & Incorporate Nature
The week before a party is happening at our house, I start wandering through my home to see potential decor pieces for the upcoming party. My favorite thing to put in a centerpiece is greenery from the yard of our home. You will save so much money by using this method, rather than buying decorations and fresh flowers or greenery which can quickly run your bill much higher than you’d like.
Some ideas of household items that make adorable centerpieces are: mason jars, classic glass milk bottles, teapots, vases, pitchers or watering pails. Hopefully, after reading that list, your creative juices are flowing and you are coming up with some great decor pieces in your home that you can use at your next party.
On the day of your party, add water and greenery from the yard to the decor pieces you have chosen.
If I am hosting a themed party, I may purchase 1-2 pieces of decor that goes along with the theme. If I am going this route, I either use a coupon or find the decorations on sale somewhere.
Save on Drinks
Serve budget friendly drinks such as water, tea, lemonade, fruit infused water or coffee.
I rarely ever serve soda at a party because of the difference in price, and the fact that guests rarely finish their drink at a party and most of it ends up being wasted. I brew or purchase a few gallons of tea before a party and make crystal light lemonade with a little fresh fruit in it.
If you need ideas on some fruit infused water combinations, check out this post: 4 Amazing Fruit Infused Water Recipes!
Buy Food That’s On Sale
Oftentimes, this is where I save the most money. The week of the party, I look on the app of our local grocery store, Kroger, to see what’s on sale. I also load coupons to my account in order to save on other items I may need to purchase that aren’t currently on sale. I then plan the menu of the party based on the sales paper. If a certain item is having a large sale then I quickly Pinterest some ideas using that piece of food to come up with a recipe or display for the party.
The ideas pictured above are examples of what I did with foods found on sale the week of the party!
15 Minute Chocolate Chip Brownie Cups are also an easy, yet adorable dessert to make for a party.
Let’s talk about skewers! One of the EASIEST ways to dress up your food trays! You can put veggies, fruit, marshmallows, brownies, cheeses, olives, meats and more on a skewer and it adds so much class to your party food!
Make Your Own Photo Backdrop
This is one of my favorite parts of decorating for a party. I love to find things around my house that can become a photo backdrop!
Pinterest has tons of photo backdrop tutorials if you need some ideas on what type of backdrop you’d like to create!
Here’s a photo of the most recent backdrop I made. All I used was a DIY chalkboard frame, Crayola Chalk and an accent chair from my bedroom.
Make a Kid’s Area
I love doing this for kid friendly parties because it gives the children something to do while their parents enjoy the company of the other party guests.
The kid’s area can be made for next to nothing! I typically find a free printable coloring page to add to the table with a couple boxes of colors. I also like to include sidewalk chalk if appropriate, a few toys and a pack of juice boxes.
Pin the image below to save these tips for your next party!
Other posts you may love:
4 Amazing Fruit Infused Detox Water Recipes
Nautical Themed Birthday Party Food
15 Minute Chocolate Chip Brownie Cups
The Ultimate Gift Guide for Men
We would love for you to join us on Instagram, Pinterest & Facebook!
How do you keep your parties budget-friendly?
Let me know in the comments below!