Party Planning On A Budget

WARNING: PARTY PLANNING ON A BUDGET MAY NEED EXTRA CREATIVITY

The 1^st part of planning the party, is…..

The Party Itself: RESEARCH! Research a party?? YES when planning a party use Google, use Pintrest, go through old magazines…anything to give you ideas and bring our your creative side! You may find a theme you like…recipes…decorations you can make.

Give yourself enough time to plan: But not too much time!!! I have learned that planning a party too far in advanced not only leads to OVER planning…but OVER spending! Picking up a few things here and there in advanced is wise….but when your doing it over a span of 4 months, you have $100.00 of “here and there” items..most of which you find you wont even use!

Have a Themed Party: This will help limit you to a specific food and drink palate. It also gives your guest a chance to get involved! Let them dress up, request that each guest brings a specific item (weather it be a wine, or a certain type of appetizer)

What will you eat? Giving yourself enough time to plan allows you to shop your store ads! Also, take advantage of seasonal items. But, first things first….Check what you already have in your cupboards!

Decorations: Giving yourself a theme will also make it fun and easy to decorate. But for extra convenience …give yourself a “seasonal theme” What month is your celebration in? what upcoming holidays are there? What will the weather be like? My birthday is in May…and so is Cino De Mayo and Mothers Day. May is also around the time stores start setting out their Summer decorations, pool and beach items and back yard decorations. So naturally im choosing to have a Backyard BBQ party. And once again!……what items do you also ready have that can be utilized?

Homemade decorations also help cut down on cost and 99.9% of the time…they are better looking!

*Paper Pom poms

*candle holders+ a dollar plate = a custom cake stand

*scrapbook paper and ribbon to make a banner

*use picture frames to display a menu

Desserts and Drinks: In both cases its always cheaper to make your own! In the store 24 cupcakes will cost your 5x as much as it would to make your own! And you also have the added benefit of customizing them to match your theme! Same goes with drinks. Make your own drink packets and dress it up by adding fresh fruit, freezing fruit in your ice cubes.

Guests: When celebrating we sometimes over do it and tent to invite EVERYONE we know! But when it comes to planning on a budget this can be risky. Try to only invite those you KNOW will come like your closest friends and family. Try to add an RSVP deadline.

Enjoy :)