7 Ways To Save On Your Holiday Party…

If you have memories of workmates using the photocopy machine for more creative than ordinary parties, than you know the holiday party season is here – whether at home or in the office.

As the season has arrived, your friends and family might be nudging you to throw the annual party this year. Are you tight for cash? Who isn’t these days? Nonetheless, you can still throw a pretty great party on a tight budget. They key is to spend less on the details (and hopefully with the holiday eggnog, most won’t know it is missing). I make large dinners regularly for 20+ people and often at the end of a meal I realized I forgot to serve something and it bums me out. I only served 3 main dishes – when I actually had 4. In truth nobody except me knew it was missing.

The same thing goes for a holiday party. Don’t worry about the small stuff. Don’t spend money in areas that most people don’t care about. Set it up so when people walk in they are impressed – then lower the budget elsewhere.

Here are a few save money on your party this year:

Send electronic invites.
For me, getting a paper invitation for anything but a wedding is a waste of time. If I get it online, through email, Evite.com or Facebook, then I can copy the info right to my calendar and not have to retype it. So save money and make it easier for your friends by sending electronic invitations. Some of your friends might not be on Facebook yet, but it’s great for those you know are on 12 times a day. Just set up an event and send it to your friends.

Can you say “Pot-Luck”?
I know it sounds cheap to be the host and ask people to bring food, but most people don’t mind bringing something. Just call is a Recession Holiday Party. As the host, make sure you get the main dish (unless you have a friend or sister who is an amazing cook and wants to show off her talents), and prepare your own menu for side dishes and desserts. Then, give guest a specific dish to bring. They will be happy just to follow directions than having to think “What should I bring?”

Cheap Wine, Kegs, Sangria.
If you are having alcohol and you have a lot of beer drinkers coming, don’t buy cases of bottled beer. Buy a keg and dress it up nicely in Christmas attire. If you’ll be drinking wine, ask guests to bring their favorite bottle and make sure to have some on hand.
A great drink I like to make is

Sangria -
1/3 fruit juice OJ and Grapefruit
1/3 cheap wine and 1/3 seltzer

People love it, and it is very reasonable. Just make sure they know it is alcoholic. I have had friends drink 3 glasses and then ask if there is liquor inside.

Costco, Sam’s Club…
Buying at a supermarket is crazy for paper goods – even items like chips. You can save up to 75% by getting items at a wholesale store such as Costco or Sam’s Club. Just be careful not to buy a lot of items that you don’t need, as these stores are very fun and very addictive.

Make your own decorations.
Don’t succumb to the pressure of buying a bunch of extra holiday decorations – unless you can get some great stuff at the $.99 store. Use what you have, and make extra decorations.

Think and plan ahead.
Make lists of what you need and type them on the computer – or better yet on your phone if you have a PDA. Then you can add items or thoughts as they come up – and also be on the lookout for specials as they come up. So, if your local store has $.79 sodas, stock up.

Cap a Price.
Make a budget and stick to it. This way you have to prioritize what is important. If you want to throw a holiday party, start planning for it now and create a budget for it. Put a fixed dollar amount for how much you want to spend on it.

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