How to Save Money When Throwing a Party

The basic premise of this site is that you don't have to sacrifice saving money to have fun. This includes spending time with your friends and family.

Here are some tips on how you can throw a great party without breaking the bank.

• Have it at home
  - Providing you have enough space in your home, it's not necessary to head to a restaurant or rent a hall when throwing a standard party. You will always end up spending less at home.
  
  
• Don't serve a meal
  - You don't need to serve a full dinner at your party and you'll save a lot of money if you don't. Invite your guests over for light snacks and drinks. You can call it a "cocktail party" or, if you want to stay away from emphasising the alcohol, invite people over for hors d'oeuvres.
  
  
• Limit alcohol
  - Many people consider "lots of alcohol" and "great party" to be the same thing. This is not true. Assume that most of your guests will have about two or three drinks and only buy that much alcohol. Also, only buy the basics (wine, beer, rum and vodka) along with some mixers (orange juice, cranberry juice, cola, ginger ale, etc.) Most people do not come to a party expecting there to be an elaborate array of fancy spirits. However, if you are throwing a cocktail party you will need to have enough alcohol to make a few different cocktails. Also, serve the alcohol yourself rather than having it open. This will help you control the amount of alcohol consumed, which will save you money and let you make sure everyone drinks safely.
  
  
• Find some free music
  - Rather than buying new CDs or heading to iTunes to purchase music, see what you can find for free. Rip some of your existing CDs onto your computer and create a new mix. There are also many places online where you can legally download free music. Many of these sites boast music that is outside of the mainstream and could produce a unique soundtrack for your guests. YouTube now allows you to create video playlists. You can search through the site's many music videos and create your own mix to play for your guests. The site also give you the ability to view playlists created by others.
  
  
• Have a potluck
  - Ask your guests to bring something to your party. To avoid ending up with seven plates of cupcakes and no hors d'oeuvres, ask your guests what they are planning on bringing and suggest alternatives to repeat ideas. Most guests bring something to a party regardless, so giving them suggestions actually makes it easier for everyone.
  
  
• Go "cheap" on the decorations
  - Ask long as your home is clean and comfortable, most guests won't be expecting wonders from the decor. Dimming the lights and adding several candles can give an elegant look for cheap. Tea lights are relatively inexpensive, but look quite classy. Most towns have a decent dollar store where you can pick up signs, streamers, balloons, fake flowers and other such decorations. White Christmas lights can be reused at any time of the year to set the mood.
  
  
• Organize with friends
  - Rather than trying to host a part by yourself, get together with a group of friends and "co-host" the party. Choose a location (preferably one of your homes - choose the largest house or the most centrally located house) and get to work. Split up the tasks and you will only have to put together a fraction of the party, rather than the entire one. This also allows the organizer with the best cooking ability to be the cook, while the decorator gets to decorate and the wine lover can handle the drinks. It's easier and less expensive this way.
  
  
• Have the party outside
  - This depends on the season and your location, but having a party outside can eliminate many of your expenses. Have a beach party or a barbecue or picnic in the park. This will take away the need to find a location, have decorations or music and the possibility of fancy drinks. Make it a potluck to cut your costs further.
  
  
• Make the food yourself
  - While they may be easier, try to avoid buying pre-made dips and snacks. These are almost always more expensive than making food yourself. If you look for recipes online you'll see that there are cheap and easy ways to make many party favourites.
  
  
• Send invites and thank you notes electronically
  - Rather than buying invitations, send your party information via email. There are also services, such as Evite, that allow you to send virtual invitations. If your friends are on Facebook you can send event invites through their service.