10 ways to host a party without breaking the bank!

If there's one thing I like, it's saving money! I also love to host parties at our home, too, so combining the two is something I've really gotten better at! Recently, we've had quite a few parties here at our place and we have lots of people over all the time! No, I'm not an expert, but I want to share ten ways I've found to host a party without breaking the bank! How can you host a party on $150 or less?

 

1.  Keep it simple. 

When you're having a party, it's not about going over board and buying lavish decorations. Sometimes, less is more, and it's just easier to incorporate your seasonal decorations into your party. Here you can see how I took some candles and wrapped ribbon around them. They are sitting on a cake stand I already had, with ornaments around them. 

2. Keep the guest list small. 

The more people you have, the more money it will cost you to feed them. Pick those who you really want to spend your time with or choose a group of people that you’d like to get to know better. Keeping the group small will give you more intimate and meaningful conversations. Having pre-planned questions to ask your guests can also help ease the awkward lulls you might encounter during the party.

3. Make your own decorations.


Finding printables online to print and hang up, or coming up with cute banners that you cut and paste with letters, are fun and add to the feel of the party. Whatever season it is, incorporate that as part of your party colors or decor. Even making your own pom poms to hang can be easy and very inexpensive with tissue paper. Make place cards simple by cutting out shapes and sticking into a fork, as below.

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4. Be creative. 

Look around your place to find things that you can use to create an intimate feel. Take white Christmas lights and string them up in a unique way. Dim the lights for a beautiful evening effect. Take an old suitcase and open it up and use for display. Something old and unused can be a pretty way of decorating once you set it up on display around a buffet table.

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5. Have an open house. 

Instead of a traditional party where people are invited at a specific time, have an open house party. This is where you can have an open ended time for those to come in, stay a bit, and leave when they need to. This works great for a housewarming party, especially. You don’t have to worry about a lot of seating, since most people will only stay a short time, and you can serve small appetizers instead of a large dish for each person.

6. Go online! 

Instead of mailing out invitations, use an online invitation. Use can even use Facebook and set up an event on there, too!

7. Find inspiration. 

I find a ton of my inspiration online, from blogs, and from Pinterest. Sometimes just getting some good ideas plants a seed in my head of what I could do with some of the supplies I already have around the house.

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8. Ask for help! 

Gather everyone around the kitchen to help with food preparations. Oftentimes, I find that most of my guests actually WANT to help out, but don’t know what I need. Have a potluck and ask others to bring a small dish or a bottle of wine. 

9. Move things around!

Consider moving your furniture around in an unconventional way. If you are inside or outside, try to move things around to make it set the scene for your party – doesn’t  cost a penny! When I had my daughter’s party, we moved our outdoor couch to set up on the driveway for a cozy feeling when they watched the movie outside. Move your kitchen table into your living room and push other furniture against the wall - or move couches around. Or use pieces already in the room as buffet servers.

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10. Plan ahead. 

With a little bit of planning, you can find the time to make decorations, get your place in shape, ask for help, send out emailed invitations, without going crazy or breaking the bank!


I hope you feel like you can host a great party with a small budget in any space! I have partnered with Apartment Guide for their “Small Space, Savvy Budget: How to Host a Pint-Size Party". I hope you've enjoyed these few tips I've come up with to help you out!

I have partnered with Apartment Guide to share tips about entertaining on a budget!

 

• Check out Apartment Guide on Facebook, on Twitter and Google+ for real-time tips and updates on making the most of your space.  
• Whether you're living, looking, or moving Apartment Guide offers how-to tips for entertaining and making the most of your space on a budget. 
• If you're ready for a whole new space or looking to move, Apartment Guide has the photos, floor plans, features and tips to help you find the perfect apartment community.
• Want to find even more entertaining tips for your home? Apartment Guide has budget-friendly ideas for people in any sized home on Moving Today and the Apartment Guide Blog.

Apartment Guide and owner Consumer Source, Inc. partnered with bloggers such as me to participate in their monthly blogger programs. As part of that program, I received compensation. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products used, and believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.


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