So you want to have a holiday party but are worried about sticking to a budget? Join the club, my friend! We’re here to help you shop smart with some tips on how to create a champagne style party on a beer budget. It can be done! Plus, we’ve included a free event budget template for you at the end.

Presentation, presentation, presentation

Normal food is all you need, just take it to the next level, add flair and kick it up a notch to make it appear that it’s a bit fancier than it really is. People admire details and creativity. If they can see that you spent some time thinking about how to present and serve something, you’ll get bonus points. For example, a veggie tray is pretty typical. Make it special by creating individual cups for guests.

Skip the main meal

Keep your party focused on one aspect of a meal – maybe you just have a cocktail party or an hors d’oeuvres party. Or, even better a dessert party! Yum. By not spending a lot of money on the main meal you are definitely shopping smart.

Say goodbye to formal invitations

Everyone is digital now anyway, so ditch the snail mail. Send out an e-invite or create an event on a social network and invite all of your friends and family that way. If you know of someone who isn’t very tech savvy, just give them a quick phone call alerting them of your upcoming holiday bash.

Accept offers

Most of the time, even if you don’t ask for people to bring something, your guests will either call and ask if they can bring something, or will just go ahead and bring something without even asking. Don’t feel like you have to say no to this. Accept their offers with open arms. It will help take some of the stress off of you and cut down on the cost.

Borrow and get thrifty

If you don’t have enough holiday decorations, serving dishes or glassware, either borrow from a friend or save big bucks by buying them at a thrift store. We suggest using regular plates and glasses for your party because it not only adds class but saves you money. Buying paper plates and plastic cups adds up. If you don’t have enough for your party, thrift stores are a great place to find those items when you want to shop smart.

Use music apps

Need entertainment for the evening? Just download one of these handy dandy apps – Spotify or Pandora. They are both free online music services where you can listen to endless amounts of music. Cue the Christmas music! I suggest the Michael Bublé Christmas station. It will almost sound like he’s there serenading your guests. Ok, maybe that’s a stretch but you can’t complain, it’s free!

We hope these tips will help you shop smart for the holiday events you’ll be hosting this winter. Make sure to download our free event budget template to help make all of this planning come together seamlessly.

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