I am often asked how do I plan a frugal party? I wanted to share with you ways that you can save money and still host a fabulous party.
5 Tips for Frugal Party Planning:
#1 – Plan your menu using your stockpile. When it comes to planning your menu for parties my number one suggestion is to plan it around what you already have in your stockpile. If you have hot dogs, brownie mix and cream cheese then you should try to incorporate those ingredients into your menu plan. I also stockpile items for party planning. I stockpile 2 liters, brownie and cake mixes, icing, chips, crackers, cheese, cream cheese, salami, gold star chili as all of these items make great appetizers.
#2 – Create a party box. I pick up decorations after each holiday when they are at rock bottom an place them into a rubber maid storage container. This is my “go to” box when it comes time to plan a party. Purchase solid colored napkins and cups and supplement with theme plates. Plan your theme around what is in your box.
# 3 – Make the most of your freebies! Use them for party favors! Read Shelley’s Stockpiling Saturday for more details.
#4 -Plan a creative theme for your party. We have had several really fun and frugal themed parties. The sky is the limit when it comes to planning. For Example- Pirate Treasure party – spray paint rocks gold and hide them in your sandbox for buried treasure hunt, print off coloring sheets for a frugal craft project, have a temporary “tattoo” station or face painting and make balloon swords. This party theme is simple and frugal!
#5 – Use free resources for inviting your guests. Save on postage and invitations by using free online sites. I find that I get more RSVP’s by inviting online too!
- MyPunchBowl.com– This is a FREE one-stop party-prep site. Perfect for planning a kid or adult party. Pick a date based on guests’ availability, send out invitations, shop for supplies, find local vendors, even coordinate dishes for a potluck. It is one stop party planning source. You can also send email reminders!
- Evite – This is a FREE site that you can use to send invites online. I love evite because it eliminates mailing invitations, you can create customized cute (and free) invitations and it takes care of RSVP’s for your guests online. You can also send email reminders!
Visit our Party Planning and DIY Ideas Pinterest Board for more ideas.
Party Planning Themes:
How to plan a Lego Party Part 1
How to plan a Lego Party Part 2
How to plan an owl Pajama Party
Equestrian Ribbon Invitation – Derby Party
Calling All Artists for a Colorful Birthday Party
Melissa is a soccer mom who has been married to her best friend for 20 years. She loves sharing recipes, travel reviews and tips that focus on helping busy families make memories.
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Suzanne with Laughing Wallet
July 30, 2010 at 8:28 pmI like the party box idea! It just *sounds* fun. 🙂 I’d also offer up the idea of a potluck party. Potluck may not be right for every occasion, but for many parties, it really works. And not only does it help save the host in cost, but everyone gets to share something they like as well as try new things. A little twist you can add is to ask people to bring the recipe for the dish they’re sharing – makes the food kind of like one of the party favors!
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
February 18, 2014 at 2:09 pmI love that idea! Thanks for sharing!