Planning a Celebration on a Budget

We all have a reason to celebrate, whether its a birthday, graduation, anniversary, or retirement, so let's celebrate!  And better yet, by following a few tricks, we can celebrate on a small budget because what makes a celebration FABULOUS isn't how much we spend, but rather how our guest feel.

1 - Plan in advance.
Look ahead and see what important events are coming up.  It's never to early to start planning a celebration, especially if you have a smaller budget.  First start by finding things around your house that can be used.  Then take time to get additional supplies when they are on sale.

2 – Pick a theme.
A celebration without a theme is just another get-together.  A theme not only sets the tone for your guest, but allows you to stay focused and keeps your budget under control.  Pinterest is a great site to find ideas and save them to an inspiration board.  Then you can go back and eliminate the ideas that aren't within your budget.

3 – Keep it simple.
Remember that how our guest feel at the celebration is what is going to make it a great celebration to remember. 

Easily create an invitation using an online service like Evite or if you want to be more creative, use a service like Canva, which allows you to create your own design and then save as a photo to text or email.  Also use decorations to set the tone, subtle touches of the theme and simple color coordinated tableware is all you really need. 

4 – Avoid meal times.
Food will quickly hijack your budget.  While having some kind of food at any celebration is nice, planning your celebration away from meal times allow you to offer lighter snacks (ie. cheese/crackers, chips/dip, mini meatballs) instead of a full meal. 

5 – Save on alcohol.
Worse on your budget than food is the cost of alcohol.  Not to say you can't have alcohol, but rather choose a signature drink (punch style).  You'll be surprised how many different drinks can be served as a punch and this saves you from buying the entire liquor store.

6 - Let guests know what you'll be providing.
It all goes back to how our guest feel.  By adding to your invitation what you will be providing (ie. "We will have light snacks and a signature punch" or "Join us for Appetizers & Margarita Punch") sets the expectation for your guest before they arrive.  It allows your guest to eat prior to arriving at your home since a meal isn't provided or if they don't like punch then they can choose to bring their own beverage of choice.
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See, celebrating a special event doesn't have to break the bank, so go out an make memories!
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