8 Tips for Throwing a Great Party on a Budget

Weddings, baby showers, kids parties, fund raisers, corporate events, company retreats; they all require a party. And throwing a party is no easy thing. It doesn\’t matter if you are planning a party for a two year old or for an entire company, the level of stress is high. Even the cheap baby shower locations can end up costing you your first born. Ever tried renting a jumping castle for a party the kid isn\’t even going to remember later in life? Outrageous. Of course, the best wedding places are all either booked up or top dollar. So, how do you find party venues and supplies and give everyone an evening to remember without breaking the bank? Here are a few tips to do just that.

1. Know the Limit
   First of all, you have to set a budget and decide how much you are willing or able to spend. Look at party venues that are within your budget even with buy drinks, food and decorations. If you need a bigger budget, you can ask co workers to chip in if they want a more extravagant party. If it\’s for a kid, ask the family to split up the food, which can tend to be the most expensive part anything.
2. Throw it at a House
   Someone is bound to have a nice open space that you can use for free. If you have it at one of the available party venues that include a bar and bartender, you\’ll end up paying a lot of money. But bartenders for hire tend to go for much cheaper, even as low as $15 an hour. A four hour party will only cost you $60 plus the drinks.
3. Pick a Good Time
   If you don\’t want to throw a party at your house, you could always time it so that the party is during happy hour so that the drinks and appetizers are half off. This will make it so much cheaper to foot the bill for everyone. Of course, this will only work if it is a casual party and fancy party venues are not a necessity.
4. Make Your Own Invites
   Have someone in the graphic department, if you have one, whip up an invitation that you can take somewhere to get printed. It\’s also not uncommon not to have paper invites at all. In this day and age, everyone is digital and you could just send everyone an e-vite on email, text or Facebook. Posting a picture of the invite on Facebook or Instagram or Snapchat is also good advertisement.
5. Don\’t Cocktail
   A full bar can get expensive. You could simply have a signature drink or two or you could only serve beer and wine. Sodas, juice and water will help guests pace themselves and encourage people not to drink to much. It will also be considerate of designated drivers or those who do not drink at all. Look around for discounts and coupons or bulk buy your alcohol.
6. Get Decorative
   Setting up decorations doesn\’t have to be expensive or even time consuming, a few well placed decorations and good lighting can make all the difference to a party even if the venue leaves something to be desired. If you are going to splurge on anything, do it on the flowers in order to set a celebratory and positive mood. Candles are cheap and offer a great vibe as well as smell.
7. Get Help
   Asking for volunteers is not beneath anything. If someone asks what they can bring, then give them a suggestion. This will help you to save money and even if you have everything covered, it\’s better to be over stocked than under. If you have never thrown a party before then it might be a good idea to go on Pinterest or other such sites to see if you can get some decorating, food and games tips. These are the types of things that can really make a different to the whole party.
8. Get Done Early
   Get as much done as you can before. If you finish right before the party and realize you have forgotten something, you\’ll be willing to pay more to get it to the party quickly whereas if you finish earlier, you\’ll be able to spend some price matching.