With the first of November comes the party planning craze. Festivities, food and fun are part of the wonderful holiday season. It is easy to through the budget out of the window at this time of year, especially when it comes to hosting a grand party. And even if you are the guest, you’ll want to arrive in style. The holiday season has a tendency inspire overspending and waste.
But, let me share five strategies and tips that will help you avoid that waste and save money, all while maintaining the festivities and style.
1) Walk or carpool to the party to save on gas or travel expenses when reasonable. A walk will give you time to enjoy the holiday lights and displays, and carpooling to a festive event with friends is always fun.
2) Consider renting formal or semi-formal attire for your next party, or see if a good friend might not have something you could use. Party attire can easily run hundreds of dollars, and how often will it be worn again?
3) When hosting your own party, turn down the heat just before the guests arrive. No, you aren’t trying to get them to leave early and save money that way. All of those guests should generate enough body heat to keep the house warm.
4) Forget about the need to buy holiday or formal china. You can rent it to save money. What is really nice is the fact that you can “splurge” on really elegant ware in the amounts and types that you need, and you can have a completely different set for the next party.
5) Take the time to plan your meals well so that there is a minimum of food gone to waste. For example, a 12-14 pound turkey will easily serve ten people, and a pumpkin pie should serve eight. Remember also, that you will probably have a variety of food and not every person will eat a whole portion of each item.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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