Party Planning Tips- Sticking to Your Budget
Almost every single party host has a budget to plan their celebration. This can be high or low and will vary depending on the size and occasion of the event. It will also depend on the individual and their willingness to spend on everything. Because of this, the key to budgeting is not just about saving money but balancing funds between the most-wanted party elements and non-essential things.
Once your budget is estimated, you can start looking into the event's aspects, like supplies and vendors. This list will not touch on how to create a budget (that's coming soon). Here, we are going over some valuable tips for staying on budget during your party planning journey!
To give it to you straight:
- Limit your number of guests.
- Host at the home or office.
- Utilize online invitations.
- Don't overspend on party supplies.
- Learn when you should DIY.
- Let people help.
- Skip the D.J.
- Get the food catered.
- Choose refreshments wisely.
- Start planning ASAP.
10 Ideas to Help You Stay Within Your Event's Budget
#1 Limit your number of guests.
Carefully selecting who to include on the invite list is one of the most important factors for staying on budget. You may be so excited about the party that you want to invite everyone and their mothers. This is normal. But before you start looking at those cute invites, make your guest list. Start by adding the crucial guests (grandparents and best friends), then go on to those people who are not so vital, like the mail lady. Doing so this way will make it a breeze if you need to start whittling down the numbers!
Remember- your number of guests is the number one factor that will determine what you can do with your budget.
#2 Host at the home or office.
If your space allows for it, host your gathering at your home (or at your office for company events). This choice saves on the cost of renting a venue and relieves you of the stress of setting up, tearing down, and transporting the party. Besides, renting a party zone can often generate other costs, like insurance and extra supplies. You can avoid these costs and focus on enjoying the party by hosting at your spot.
#3 Utilize online invitations.
Consider using digital invitations for your save-the-dates, official invitations, updates, and reminders. With the entire world being online, sending digital invitations has become perfectly acceptable for almost any occasion. With the cost of stamps, invites, and envelopes, it's no surprise that the average party host spends $200 on invitations. Not to mention the hours you'll need to manage RSVPs and coordinate when to send everything. Fortunately, many free (or very cheap) online options, such as Evite and Punchbowl, offer one-stop invitation services. Everything will all be in one place, and updating event details has never been easier (or cheaper). Did the party's location or food service time change? No worries. With digital invites, you can send your guests unlimited updates and reminders with just a click of a button!
#4 Don't overspend on party supplies.
When we say "party supplies," we're talking about items like plates, cups, tablecloths, decorations, and more. While it may be tempting to go all out with fancy decorations and oversized balloons, keep in mind that most of it will end up tossed out at the end of the day. People know they are at a party. Your walls don't need to be entirely covered in streamers and banners; you don't need to break the bank for pretty cups. Keep it simple, and be sure to shop around. Head for the party sections of dollar stores and Walmarts, or find complete sets on Amazon. Wherever you go, make sure to compare prices before purchasing.
Many caterers will provide serveware like plates, napkins, and cups. Check with your vendor to see if they include any supplies!
#5 Learn when you should DIY.
There are certain tasks that you can do by yourself, while others are better left to be handled by specialists. This also applies to organizing a party. For instance, activities and centerpieces can be less expensive to make than to buy. Similarly, particular things, such as a picture board, are sentimental and can be made personally. Determining what you can and should handle by yourself will save money for essential aspects like tent rentals and caterers, which may require professional help.
# 6 Let people help.
When planning, remove "no, thank you" from your vocabulary. If a guest genuinely offers to bring something, like a lawn game, it's okay to accept. You'd be surprised how much you can borrow instead of buying for your celebration. Plus, any guest who contributes will feel good about helping out. For close relatives, ask them to lend a hand with setup, decorating, and party supervision. As you'll soon find out, there's plenty of work to go around!
#7 Skip the D.J.
There is no doubt that hiring a D.J. can be an excellent addition to any gathering. However, this may be an unnecessary expense if you don't care about flashing lights and a full-blown dancefloor at your event. Most parties can still get down with list of good tunes and a rented speaker.
#8 Get the food catered.
When planning a party, allocating a significant portion of the budget towards food and drinks is essential. This is because these are how people rate parties. Your guests may not recall the color streamers or tablecloths you worked hard to pick out, but they sure will remember if the food was good or bad. Do you remember your cousin's grad party centerpieces? Probably not (unless you helped make them). But I'm sure you remember that wedding with terrible food or the birthday party with the best potatoes you've ever eaten. Hiring the right caterer will help you stick to your budget, as the menu and costs are set and written out for you. When you cook the food yourself, it's common to overspend on the food budget as many factors are not assessed during the menu planning phase.
#9 Choose refreshments wisely.
If you are not getting the drinks catered, you have to choose how and what you'd like to provide partygoers with to drink. Simple soft drinks and water, which can be budgeted at a couple of dollars per person, are essential to any get-together. However, alcohol can get expensive and will increase your spending significantly. To manage this, you can choose to have a party without alcohol (which is ideal for work events or parties with children), or you can encourage guests to bring all their own alcohol. Alternatively, you can offer some basic beer and wine options, while still allowing guests to bring their preferred drinks. Whatever you decide to do, be sure to let everyone know in the invites or reminders.
Also, The longer a party is, the more people will drink (soft or alcoholic). With this in mind, consider your party's length and timing when deciding the number of drinks to get.
#10 Start planning ASAP.
This tip, along with the other nine, will help ensure that you stick within your budget. By starting early, you'll have the necessary time to shop around, compare vendors, and assemble the budget for every party aspect. Otherwise, you might find yourself rushing around a week before the party, settling for whatever options are available and spending more money than you would have if you had planned ahead.
Finally, remember to be realistic with what you can feasibly do and get with your budgeted amount. Doing so will allow you to explore more options of all the party's components in your price range, helping you create a successful party. No matter how much you have to spend on this celebration, proper budgeting will allow you to throw a spectacular and fun event!
