Christmas parties are a tradition that everyone loves. During the holiday season, many people show their love for these celebrations by spending a lot of money on their parties.
However, if you’re working on a budget, you can still have a fun and festive party without breaking the bank. There are a variety of ways that you can host a budget-friendly party.
Hosting a fun holiday party is still possible without emptying your savings. We’ve got ten tips to help you throw a great party while keeping costs low!
1. Know Your Numbers – Before planning a Christmas party, consider how much money you’ll need to spend. Then, set aside a realistic amount of money you can spend on the event. Keep track of all of your spending as you plan and execute the party.
2. Know What You Want – Before you start planning a Christmas party, make a list of all the things that you want to buy. These include decorations, food, and paper goods. Once you have a list of all the items you want to buy, focus on the ones you really want to have at your party. Knowing what you want in advance will allow you to save money and focus on the important things you want for your party.
3. Send Invitations Online, Skip the Mail – If you’re on a tight budget, then using an online service is the best way to send out your invitations. You can also create a Facebook event or send an email. However, so many free services can provide you with beautiful digital invitations. These services allow you to track the people who have already signed up and create lists of people attending the party.
4. Serve Small Plates & Treats – Just because you’re having a party doesn’t mean you have to serve a full meal! Consider appetizers that can be prepared in mini sizes or bite-sized portions. The same goes for desserts! Make a few options that require minimal ingredients, and you’ll get more bang for your buck!
5. BYOB is ALWAYS an Option – If you’re planning on having alcohol at your party but cannot afford to spend a lot of money, consider having guests bring their own alcohol. Set up a bar cart near the food with plenty of mixer options, glassware (or plastic), and ice, and you should be good to go!
6. Band or DJ? – Do you really need either of those to have a great party? No. Save some cash and choose your own music! Prepare for the party by making your own playlist. This will definitely save you some cash! Even if your list includes holiday songs filled with dance music or Christmas carols, uplifting and happy music will make your gathering more enjoyable. Pandora, Spotify, Apple Music, or Amazon Music can help you create the perfect playlist for the party.
7. Make the Decor Simple – We all want to deck the halls in every room of our home or office. However, having all the decorations in place can be very expensive. To avoid this, focus on a few high-impact pieces that will stand out in the crowd. These can be placed strategically around the entryway, the buffet table, and the front door.
8. Skip the Brand Names – Do you need the fanciest chips when they’re being poured onto a serving platter? Does anyone really notice the brand of juice you’re buying for the bar cart? Who cares if the cups come from the dollar store? Save your money for the essential ingredients (consider higher quality cheeses or meats) and worry less about the minor details.
9. Ask Others to Contribute – Everyone always asks if there is anything they can bring to a party! This can be as simple as asking people to bring their favorite wine or holiday treat to share. Or, ask everyone to contribute their favorite Christmas cookie for the dessert table. You could even go all out and make it a potluck.
10. Choose the Right Time – Although you might think of a party as a night-time affair, a daytime get-together is often less expensive than a big event on the weekend. While you still have to provide food, these items can often be less expensive. Or, even consider hosting your holiday party AFTER Christmas in January. January can also be a slow month for businesses, and many holiday supplies will be marked down to prepare for new inventory. Not to mention that people’s December calendars book up quickly!
If you’re feeling stressed out and overwhelmed by everything you need for a holiday party, take a deep breath and remember what the season is all about. Genuine hospitality is all about sharing moments with those around you. It’s not about spending money. Instead, it’s about making the most of these moments. If planning a holiday party is important to you, by all means, do it!
Focus on the things that matter most, and you can hopefully stay under budget with a few of these tips!
Do you host a holiday party at your home or office? What are your favorite holiday party memories?
Christmas parties are a tradition that everyone loves. During the holiday season, many people show their love for these celebrations by spending a lot of money on their parties.
However, if you’re working on a budget, you can still have a fun and festive party without breaking the bank. There are a variety of ways that you can host a budget-friendly party.
Hosting a fun holiday party is still possible without emptying your savings. We’ve got ten tips to help you throw a great party while keeping costs low!
1. Know Your Numbers – Before planning a Christmas party, consider how much money you’ll need to spend. Then, set aside a realistic amount of money you can spend on the event. Keep track of all of your spending as you plan and execute the party.
2. Know What You Want – Before you start planning a Christmas party, make a list of all the things that you want to buy. These include decorations, food, and paper goods. Once you have a list of all the items you want to buy, focus on the ones you really want to have at your party. Knowing what you want in advance will allow you to save money and focus on the important things you want for your party.
3. Send Invitations Online, Skip the Mail – If you’re on a tight budget, then using an online service is the best way to send out your invitations. You can also create a Facebook event or send an email. However, so many free services can provide you with beautiful digital invitations. These services allow you to track the people who have already signed up and create lists of people attending the party.
4. Serve Small Plates & Treats – Just because you’re having a party doesn’t mean you have to serve a full meal! Consider appetizers that can be prepared in mini sizes or bite-sized portions. The same goes for desserts! Make a few options that require minimal ingredients, and you’ll get more bang for your buck!
5. BYOB is ALWAYS an Option – If you’re planning on having alcohol at your party but cannot afford to spend a lot of money, consider having guests bring their own alcohol. Set up a bar cart near the food with plenty of mixer options, glassware (or plastic), and ice, and you should be good to go!
6. Band or DJ? – Do you really need either of those to have a great party? No. Save some cash and choose your own music! Prepare for the party by making your own playlist. This will definitely save you some cash! Even if your list includes holiday songs filled with dance music or Christmas carols, uplifting and happy music will make your gathering more enjoyable. Pandora, Spotify, Apple Music, or Amazon Music can help you create the perfect playlist for the party.
7. Make the Decor Simple – We all want to deck the halls in every room of our home or office. However, having all the decorations in place can be very expensive. To avoid this, focus on a few high-impact pieces that will stand out in the crowd. These can be placed strategically around the entryway, the buffet table, and the front door.
8. Skip the Brand Names – Do you need the fanciest chips when they’re being poured onto a serving platter? Does anyone really notice the brand of juice you’re buying for the bar cart? Who cares if the cups come from the dollar store? Save your money for the essential ingredients (consider higher quality cheeses or meats) and worry less about the minor details.
9. Ask Others to Contribute – Everyone always asks if there is anything they can bring to a party! This can be as simple as asking people to bring their favorite wine or holiday treat to share. Or, ask everyone to contribute their favorite Christmas cookie for the dessert table. You could even go all out and make it a potluck.
10. Choose the Right Time – Although you might think of a party as a night-time affair, a daytime get-together is often less expensive than a big event on the weekend. While you still have to provide food, these items can often be less expensive. Or, even consider hosting your holiday party AFTER Christmas in January. January can also be a slow month for businesses, and many holiday supplies will be marked down to prepare for new inventory. Not to mention that people’s December calendars book up quickly!
If you’re feeling stressed out and overwhelmed by everything you need for a holiday party, take a deep breath and remember what the season is all about. Genuine hospitality is all about sharing moments with those around you. It’s not about spending money. Instead, it’s about making the most of these moments. If planning a holiday party is important to you, by all means, do it!
Focus on the things that matter most, and you can hopefully stay under budget with a few of these tips!
Do you host a holiday party at your home or office? What are your favorite holiday party memories?