Party Planning on a Budget

It seems like there is never an off-season for weddings, baby showers, house-warming parties and everything in between. While the parties can be fun and it’s always great to catch up, they can be expensive. Take a page out of the savvy planner’s book and save where you can while planning your next celebratory occasion.

Get Organized

Setting a budget can be the first step to successfully planning an affordable party. Think about the absolute necessities of the party and be choosy with shopping around. Just because you set a limit for yourself, it doesn’t mean you need to reach it.

Pro tip: The earlier you start planning, the more affordable options you will have. Create a list of everything you absolutely have to have at the party and start looking around on budget sites, yard sales and even borrowing from party-planning friends and family. You might not think of a thrift store or flea market as a party-planning store, but for necessities like a coffeemaker, cups, fun plates (think of all the fun 1960s- and 70s-era colors!) or tea kettle, you can easily find a cheap one that’s affordable and in presentable shape.

Get Creative

You can shop around for coupon codes online to order invitation prints, or skip the hard copy all together. Evites can be just as effective as the real thing and it’s an easy way to save money for the more important details of the party.

Be your own DJ and put together a fun playlist. Rally your friends for suggestions and speakers and set up your own fun without having to spend anything extra.

Be a little whimsical with the décor and use mismatched, but coordinating pieces from around the house. Instead of using paper coffee cups, bring some fun quirky mugs from home and ask you friends to do the same. You can do the same with place settings, decorations around the room and even the chairs, tables and linens — as long as they are functional and coordinate in some way, you can mix and match, creating a chic space.