Christmas parties are one of the most exciting parts of the holiday season. Not only can you get together with friends, you can enjoy festive music, food, and more. Christmas parties, though, can be very expensive affairs. Thankfully, there are ways to throw great Christmas parties on small budgets. By being creative with how you supply food and drinks, not going overboard with your location or entertainment, and saving money on decorations, you'll be able to throw a great Christmas party.
Steps
Part 1
Part 1 of 4:
Dealing with the Logistics of the Party
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Set a budget. Before doing anything else, you need to create a budget for your party. First, determine how much money you have. Ask anyone who is contributing to the party how much they can pledge and add it up. Then, list the major components of the party and allocate money to different categories. [1] X Expert Source Stefanie Chu-Leong
Professional Event Planner Expert Interview. 24 January 2020. Your major costs will include:- Invitations. Try not to spend more than 5%.
- Decorations. Depending on what you already have, you may need to spend up to 10%.
- The cost of entertainment. This should be minimal, but not more than 5%.
- Party supplies. While you may already have paper plates and napkins laying around, consider putting aside 10% for this cost.
- Food and drinks. This could take up to or even more than 60% of your budget.
- Miscellaneous. Consider allocating 10% for unexpected costs.
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Hold the party at your home. The best and cheapest place for your Christmas party is likely your home. Not only can you use your home free of charge, but you'll be able to cater your party, and have plenty of time to set up decorations. In addition, you'll be able to take advantage of any Christmas decorations you already set up.
- Dedicate a part of your house, like a living room, sunroom, or dining room, to your party. Close off the rest of your house to guests. [2] X Research source
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Email invitations. While you don't typically think of invitations as a large expense when throwing a party, the cost of cards, envelops, and stamps can add up quickly. To avoid this cost, invite your guests with an electronic invitation. Do this by either sending them a personalized email or by using a service to send your invitations.
- Create your invitations with graphic editors like PicMonkey or Canva.
- Use Evite websites like Paperless Post, Punchbowl, Celebrations, or Green Envelope. [3] X Research source
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Part 2
Part 2 of 4:
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Reuse your old decorations. To meet your budget, reuse decorations from prior years. In addition, ask friends and family if they have old decorations you can use for your Christmas party. Focus on:
- Ornaments
- Garland
- Christmas lights
- Pine cones
- Holiday-themed serving plates
- Bows and ribbons [4] X Research source
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Buy decorations at a garage sale. If you're planning your Christmas party in advance, take time to visit garage sales in the weeks or months before. You'll likely find every sort of decoration you could want.
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Purchase decorations in the off season. Christmas decorations are most expensive in the months leading up to the holiday. To avoid this expense, plan ahead and buy decorations in the off season. While you may be able to find decorations for sale for cheap in the spring or summer, the best time to buy is the week or two after Christmas when stores are trying to get rid any Christmas decorations they have left.
- You may be able to buy decorations for as much as 90% off during the weeks following Christmas.
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Create your own decorations. In addition to reusing old decorations, you can create your own from things you have lying around the house or from inexpensive items you can purchase at a craft store. [5] X Research source
- Make your own tree ornaments. Use pinecones or old pieces of metal to make new and exciting ornaments.
- Wrap candles with holiday ribbons or fall leaves. Take green and red pieces of ribbon and wrap regular candles in them.
- Decorate a wreath. Use old ornaments, ribbons, and other Christmas decorations to turn a boring wreath into an exciting one.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 4:
Providing Food and Drinks
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Serve inexpensive food. Food is one of the costliest elements of throwing a Christmas party. As a result, focus on inexpensive food that is appropriate for the season. If you are on a tight budget, consider serving an assortment of appetizers rather than a large entrée. [6] X Expert Source Stefanie Chu-Leong
Professional Event Planner Expert Interview. 24 January 2020. Some season-appropriate inexpensive foods are:- Turkey
- Stuffing/dressing
- Green beans
- Cornbread
- Apples
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Use coupons. Go through your Sunday newspaper and other ads for any coupons you could use to buy food for your Christmas party. If you have a certain food or product in mind, run an internet search to see if there is a manufacturer coupon available. You'll be surprised about the good deals you'll wind up with.
- Use smartphone applications like Walmart's "Savings Catcher" or Target's "Cartwheel." In addition, regional supermarkets like Publix have Facebook pages and applications of their own.
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Buy in bulk. Buying in bulk is one of the easiest ways to lower the cost of your food. To buy in bulk, either visit stores like Costco or Sam's Club, or buy the largest pack of whatever product you want. In the end, you'll wind up saving per unit or per ounce. [7] X Research source
- Don't buy something you don't need just because it seems like a good deal.
- After you figure out what you need, compare prices of like items. You may find that its not worth you getting a 30 pack versus just getting the 10 you actually need.
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Make your party a potluck. Think about turning your Christmas party into a potluck where everyone brings a dish. This will not only save you a lot of money, but you'll get people invested in the party itself.
- Coordinate what your guests are bringing. You can either start a list that people can access on the internet, assign people dishes, or make a list of suggested foods and allow people to pick what they want to bring. [8]
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Expert Source
Stefanie Chu-Leong
Professional Event Planner Expert Interview. 24 January 2020. - Some items to suggest include: pumpkin pie, Christmas bean salad, Christmas cake, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, snickerdoodles, dinner rolls, and Swedish meatballs.
- Supply items that others did not provide. In the end, you might find your guests did not supply all of the essentials – like dip to go with chips. [9] X Research source
- Make sure to communicate with your guests about any dietary restrictions. Try to offer at least one vegan/vegetarian option so that everyone can participate in the festivities. [10]
X
Expert Source
Stefanie Chu-Leong
Professional Event Planner Expert Interview. 24 January 2020.
- Coordinate what your guests are bringing. You can either start a list that people can access on the internet, assign people dishes, or make a list of suggested foods and allow people to pick what they want to bring. [8]
X
Expert Source
Stefanie Chu-Leong
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Buy drinks in bulk. Along with food, drinks – especially alcoholic drinks – are the largest expense of Christmas parties. To defray this cost, offer only a few drink options and buy them in bulk. Consider:
- Serving only one signature alcoholic drink. For example, serve eggnog with rum, whiskey, or brandy. If you're having a lot of people at your party, buy the largest sized bottles you can at your local liquor store. Figure that guests will have 2 or 3 drinks each, and calculate how much you will need.
- Buying two liters of soda, gallons of tea, or buy a punch mix. Avoid individual servings like cans of soda. [11] X Research source
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Make your party a bring-your-own booze (BYOB) party. If your budget is too tight for alcohol, inform your guests that they are welcome to bring their own drinks. You can do this by writing a line on your evite or by telling them in person. In the end, your guests will be able to get into the holiday spirit with their own spirits. [12] X Research sourceAdvertisement
Part 4
Part 4 of 4:
Providing Entertainment
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Do a gift exchange. Gift exchanges are a fun activity for Christmas parties that shouldn't cost you much at all. To do a gift exchange, instruct all of your guests to bring a small gift that costs between $5 and $20. Then, there are numerous ways you can exchange the gifts.
- Guests can exchange the gifts with each other.
- Guests can place the items under a tree and then pick a different gift. If you choose this, you can turn it into a "white elephant game," where guests wind up stealing gifts from each other.
- You can create a "Secret Santa" list where people are assigned another person to buy a gift for.
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Play karaoke. A really fun and cheap way to provide entertainment is to host a holiday karaoke contest. To do this, use a karaoke machine or set YouTube up on your television. Then, invite people to compete to see who can sing the best Christmas tune. Think about using songs like:
- "Jingle Bells"
- "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"
- "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer"
- "Walking in a Winter Wonderland"
- "Santa Baby"
- "Jingle Bell Rock" [13] X Research source
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Use free music. Don't pay for a band, buy holiday music, or otherwise pay for entertainment. Instead, rely on free music services on the internet (like YouTube, Spotify, and Pandora) or from other sources like your cable provider's music channels. Ultimately, you'll be able to enjoy most of your Christmas favorites without spending a dime. [14] X Research sourceAdvertisement
Expert Q&A
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QuestionIf I want to save money by hosting a potluck, how should I organize it with my guests?Stefanie Chu-Leong is the Owner and Senior Event Planner for Stellify Events, an event management business based in the San Francisco Bay Area and California Central Valley. Stefanie has over 15 years of event planning experience and specializes in large-scale events and special occasions. She has a BA in Marketing from San Francisco State University.Make a list with separate categories, such as main dishes, appetizers, and desserts, that people can sign up for. State the number of guests coming and think of how many “slots” you want per category. Once all the sign-ups are locked in, send out a formal sheet stating who signed up for what and any dietary restrictions that need to be known immediately before food prep.
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QuestionWhat gifts can I give at a Christmas party?Community AnswerOften at local drugstores there will be sales in the front section with small party favors for little cost. You can hand these out at your party.
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References
- ↑ Stefanie Chu-Leong. Professional Event Planner. Expert Interview. 24 January 2020.
- ↑ http://www.midwestliving.com/homes/entertaining/throw-holiday-party-on-budget/
- ↑ http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2014/05/23/fabulous-party-on-a-budget/
- ↑ http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2016/10/28/7-smart-ways-to-save-on-holiday-parties/
- ↑ http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2014/05/23/fabulous-party-on-a-budget/
- ↑ Stefanie Chu-Leong. Professional Event Planner. Expert Interview. 24 January 2020.
- ↑ http://www.bankrate.com/finance/personal-finance/throw-a-great-holiday-party-on-a-budget-1.aspx
- ↑ Stefanie Chu-Leong. Professional Event Planner. Expert Interview. 24 January 2020.
- ↑ https://www.inc.com/suzanne-lucas/how-to-throw-a-great-holiday-party-cheap.html
- ↑ Stefanie Chu-Leong. Professional Event Planner. Expert Interview. 24 January 2020.
- ↑ http://www.moneycrashers.com/throw-party-budget-host/
- ↑ http://spoonuniversity.com/how-to/how-to-throw-a-holiday-party-for-under-50-dollars
- ↑ http://www.happinessishomemade.net/25-best-karaoke-christmas-classics/
- ↑ http://spoonuniversity.com/how-to/how-to-throw-a-holiday-party-for-under-50-dollars
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