Plan your party, food and favors with the least possible

Plan your party, food and favors with the least possible cost

With the economy down, most people are foregoing with organizing parties and just celebrate by treating their guests out for dinner or lunch. But some people are still dreaming of having their own party despite the rising costs of organizing one. You can actually organize one, complete with the drinks and the party favors at minimal costs just as long as you know how to budget.

Here are some tips that can help you.

1. Plan early

If you really want to save up for your party then better plan ahead and take advantage of upcoming sales and promos. Sale seasons to watch out for are the Thanksgiving Sale and the Fourth of July Sale which are great ways to buy materials for your party. Of course, you cannot buy the food in advance but all others can be bought early like the decoration, the party favors and even the drinks and some hors d oeuvres. If it is a childrens party that you are planning, try to take advantage of the after Halloween sale where they will be selling candies and chocolates as well as costumes and decors at half the price or sometimes even a quarter of the price.

2. Recycle and Reuse

When planning your party make sure that you know the things that you need to buy and the things that you can get from your home. As much as you can, try to make use of plates and glasses that you already have in your home. The plates and cups dont have to match. They just need to be clean. You can put the designs of the pieces one after the other. With a pattern, it will not be as evident that they are not matching china.

When planning for party favors for childrens parties, you can recycle plastic cups, paper plates and other items that you can transform into masks, telescopes and other great fun toys that children during the party can play with. There are many things that you can reuse and recycle. You just need to make an effort to look. Besides by doing this you will not only be saving money, you will also be saving the environment.

3. Call in invites and RSVP

Another great way to cut costs is to forego with the invitations and just call them in to inform them about the event. Make sure also that you emphasize the need for an RSVP so that you can have a final head count days before the event. This will help you a lot in planning and in deciding on the food and the drinks.

If you just want an intimate dinner and do not have the budget for people that you dont really know, tell your guests from the onset that they are the only ones invited and that they cannot bring anybody with them. By telling them about it when you invite them, you will minimize confusion and problems of excess people on the day of your party.

Ideas for party favors that will cut your cost

Most people do not think that party favors are important when organizing parties. Before maybe when the country is not in recession but now with the rising costs and uncertain times, it is no longer practical to burn money over something that is basically useless.

But this should not be the case. Party favors need not be something that guests will just store in their attic and forget after just days. They can be functional items that guests can make use of around the house. In these practical times, it is also good to be also practical. Your guests will not only remember your party when they use it, they will even thank you for it because they are using the party favors that you have given them. Although some people are still stuck with the little statuettes and figurines, a lot of people are already getting caught up in the trend of giving party favors that are actually functional around the house or the office.

But how can you do that, buy a beautiful and functional party favor while still staying close to your budget? Well, there are ways and here are some of them:

1. Use what you already have

There are many ways that you can save from your costs while still making sure that you give the best party favor possible. One of the ways is to take items that you already have and turn them into gift items. This will of course take considerable amount of time as well and craft knowhow. You can also make your own gifts by knitting or woodwork. You can use extra rolls of yarn that you have in the house or pieces of plywood that are rotting in the garage. The possibilities are endless.

2. Go for sales and promos

With these tough times more and more shops are offering discounts. So it is not wise to actually buy items in their full price. Wait for sales and promos because shops will surely offer them. This is of course granted that you have time to wait. Thus, it is important that you plan ahead of time so that you will have the luxury of time to still wait for promos. This will not only help you in cutting your costs for your party favors but also for everything that you need for your party including the food and the drinks.

3. Buy in bulk and try thrifts hops

As much as you can, buy items in bulk. You can also go to thrift shops that sell surplus. These will be vastly cheaper and being surpluses they are not exactly pre-owned. They will even be made of good quality materials. Do not be worried that items are not the same for everyone else. They need not be matching just in the same price range and of the same kind. As much as you can try to also stick to the same color palette so that it will not be so evident that they are different.