If money weren’t an issue, throwing a party would always be fun. Whether you’re planning an event for a birthday party, anniversary, holiday or something more formal, chances are that money is an issue. You can’t spend more than you can afford, but how can you throw a fun party when you’re on a tight budget?
Bigger is not always better. Focus on these tips to throw a great bash even if you have a low budget.
Choose Your Theme
If you think that a themed party is unnecessary, you’re wrong. While a theme is fun, it really does have a bigger purpose than just adding fun. It can also work to keep you on track when it comes to the decorations you buy or make.
Pick a Signature Drink
Drinks can be expensive, especially if you’re supplying everything. Rather than trying to have a huge variety of drinks, consider picking a signature drink for the night. This will mean you only have to buy a few varieties and your party-goers will still enjoy the beverages.
Make it a Potluck or Forgo Fancy Foods
Don’t feel like you can’t ask your guests to chip in on the food and drinks. Making the party a potluck will really help you stick to your budget. If you don’t want your guests to be bothered to bring anything, avoid any food that is too expensive.
Focus on Your Guests
If the bulk of your budget goes to making your guests feel comfortable, everyone will have more fun. This can come in the form of icebreaker games, bonfires, comfy chairs, and tasteful music.
Make Everyone Feel Safe
Another way you can focus on your guests is by making sure that everyone feels safe. Depending on the size of your party, that may mean you have to talk to an insurance agent to learn more about the policies you should get for your party.
Think About the Kids
Make sure that there are a few kid-safe zones at the party. You can set up a coloring station or an area to just run around.
Forget the Paper Invitations
Invitations are another big ticket item. You can make the invitations a lot cheaper if you just send out an email invitation. You can design your own invitation and send out a portable document format (PDF) to all your invitees.
Go DIY
Consider making your own decorations if you’re crafty. Doing do-it-yourself (DIY) projects can save money, but it does take a bit more time.
Get Planning
If you want to throw a party on a budget, you have to make a plan. A cheap yet nice party isn’t going to just fall out of the sky. Figure out what your maximum budget is, and then look at what your big ticket items are going to be. By focusing on the guests and trimming your budget where you can, you will find that you can throw a fun party with less money.
Parties don’t have to cost a small fortune. Save your hard earned money for when you need it. Be creative, stick to a theme, make your own decorations and food, and focus on your guests. These tips will help you throw parties on a budget.
What’s your secret tip for throwing a party on a budget?
24 comments
Great tips.these are going to be helpful for many people who think u need billions for a nice decent party
I think the Theme is the driving factor to keep everything else in budget. I once did a Winter Wonderland theme for a Christmas Cookie Exchange in my home. There were so very many options for the decor, food and games. I was able to stay in budget and have a great time. These are all great tips, now I want to throw a party!
Those images! But I do have a post in the making similar to this regarding my kids birthday parties. I just have not gotten to finish it yet. I always choose a theme and try to stick to it, too. have not thought about safety insurance, though. That is a new one. But it has been a while since I threw an adult theme party (at least with many guests). Thanks for sharing these tips. Pinning!
I love this post! People don’t come to parties for the fancy, expensive foods or whatnot. They come to share time with you Great ideas!
We throw a lot of parties (think 7 kids, 2 adults, Snoopy, & football lol) while on a tight budget. Dollar Tree & Party City are our main stores for fun yet inexpensive favors & decor. I make most of the birthday cakes or cupcakes in the theme chosen by the birthday person. I love to have a stash of party items I find on sale as well. Next up is hubby’s birthday & super bowl, then a nice break from birthdays until June.
Great tips! I think we often stray away from the idea of throwing a party because of the expense, but these are really great ways to celebrate on a budget. Thanks!
Great tips, I live for a good party. I am all a bout a theme; the thrill for me is making it look like a million bucks while spending as little as possible.
These are great tips for throwing a party while on a budget. I always love making my own decorations. It’s fun to be crafty. And you can personalize everything that way!
These are great tips for party throwing!! We love hosting get togethers, I know potlucks are always perfect it seems for any get together.
This is important to think about when throwing a party. There will be a lot of outdoor get-togethers come spring so this helps!
These are all wonderful tips as parties can get quite expensive if you don’t watch your budget.
These are all great tips for how to throw a party on a budget. The potluck idea for food is what we do for our family get togethers usually. It really does save to do your own decorations too because they can be costly. I love the cupcakes by the way.
I always spend a fortune on parties… it’s so hard for me to hold back! I also LOVE paper, so not sending a paper invitation is almost impossible for me. I always say I’m going to send an evite, but I just can’t do it!
I love snail mail, too, and I have a problem holding back.
These are really budget saving tips. I haven’t thought about sending email invites but it makes sense and that’s what I’ll do from now on.
Love these tips! We plan to have a couple get-togethers this year and I’ll be using these tips for sure!
Great tips! We don’t generally do parties. Not because of price, but just because we don’t do them. But my kids are at the ages now they want to start having parties, so this is helpful.
My house is always the go-to house for parties, and to be honest, I love throwing a great party. My grown daughters are bringing stuff to my Super Bowl Party today. I won’t have to cook as much as I usually do.
Money is usually the biggest hurdle for me when it comes to throwing a party, so I’m loving this list. I love the potluck option, because not only does it make more financial sense, it also gets everybody involved and inspires creativity (especially if there’s a theme).
Such a wonderful tips, we don’t do party always but we do it maybe once or twice a year, This could help.
omggg i am totally drooling over those cupcakes and what great tips on saving money.
These are all wonderful tips, when throwing a party!! I will consider these tips in future!!
Wow I love this tips for throwing an awesome party! Thanks for sharing and help everybody to make their partys better
These are such wonderful tips for throwing an awesome party while on a budget! I will be honest, while I know I can do this on a budget, it’s still stressful for me. I always seem to find something that I absolutely want and think I need, but it doesn’t fit into the budget.