Throwing a party or event on a budget?

Throwing a party or event on a budget?

We throw a party to celebrate important events in our life, or for people who are important to us. Parties are a huge culture, bringing people together in celebration. However, nowadays a party is not just about cake and candles anymore. It’s a fantastic chance to organise a creative and unforgettable event for ourselves and/ or others. Adults and children love a good party, and the availability of decorations, food, drinks, and entertainment are almost limitless, but they can all bump up the cost and exceed your budget (if you have one). 
Planning an event is something we all love and dread, the pressure to throw a good party is huge! So how do we compete and make them amazing whilst on a budget?
Its only you who knows what you’ve spent so setting a budget is a great idea. Set your budget into categories such as decorations, catering, gifts, and entertainment and stick to it. Write down what you’ve spent and calculate what is remaining. Once you’ve figured out how much you can spend here’s how to stick to the limit and also save money with other alternatives. 
Save on invites
Invitations can take a lump of the budget, so why not try to make your own? Head to a craft store or even a local shop and buy some card and a nice handwriting pen and make them yourself. Or if you are throwing a party for your child, let them make something original and photocopy it.
If you are not feeling artistic then why not make your own invitations online. It is so easy to do on the computer and print them yourself. You can also find free invitation templates online.
Sending an invite via text messages, or emails is another option.
Using social media is another good way of saving money on invitations. You can create events and groups inviting your friends that you have online. You can upload pictures, add the venue, times, description, and any updates. Your friends can even respond to your invite online so you can see how many people are attending and how many you need to cater for.
Save on the venue
Having a party at home is the obvious cheapest option, but your home cannot always accommodate for the amount of people invited or you may be worried about your home getting ruined. You should consider using a village hall or community centre, they tend to be cheaper than some venues and private function rooms. You should also contact some pubs and restaurants as they may allow you to use a section of their seating or garden area for free, a deposit may be needed which you could get back at the end if you have left the venue clean and undamaged. Think of your friends and family, does someone have a piece of land you can also use for free?
Save on the theme
Cost can be difficult when you try and stick too thoroughly to a theme. You can save money by tying in colours rather than branded items. For example, if you were throwing a jubilee party, instead of buying everything with the union jack flag on, why not buy red, blue and white balloons to tie in with the colours of branded ware.
For little children there is no need to have a huge theme as they may not remember and it may also be too much for them to take in. Pick something they are into like trains, or dolls and use what you have around your home such as music, toys, and posters. You could also ask guest to bring something related to the theme so that you haven’t got to buy a prop for everyone.
Save on the food
Not everyone will eat as much as you think at an event, so don’t spend a fortune on the treats. Keep it simple and make food at home you know your guests will like. You can even kindly ask some close friend and family to help out with the food and bring something along with them.
Puddings such as cakes and biscuits can be made in advance and decorated on the day. Some foods can be cooked the night before and ate cold, so keep them in the fridge overnight so that all you have to do is take off the cover. Big pots of homemade food are also a good hit, such as a curry, chilli and/ or a rice dish. Guests can just help themselves as and when if you leave it on a low heat throughout the event.
    
Save on the decorations
The decorations, table settings, balloons and birthday banners can be brought in any colours, sizes, or designs. All of these choices of decorations and accessories that make your event fun and unique can actually end up being financially daunting. If you feel overwhelmed by this or worry about the cost of making your party look fun, then don’t worry! There are financial friendly ways to beat the cost of an expensive event.
Why not try making your own decorations from arts and crafts? If you don’t feel artistic then you can again, access free pintables online to help make any party look more welcoming. Favour tags, cupcake toppers, blank food cards, welcome signs, and photo props, can all be accessed and downloaded online for you to print. They are an inexpensive and fantastic way to decorate your party!
You can even make your pintables eco-friendly by using recycled paper and laminating them so that they can be re-used at another event that you may host in the future. Some decorations might only be up for a couple of hours and may even get damaged so try and buy some decorations that can be reused another time. However, buying decorations online can sometimes be a good option as the quality may be better compared to some cheap stores. Bannereco allows you to personalise decorations, such as personalised banners making them more personal to the individual, event, or theme. So instead of throwing away the cheap decorations try and reuse good quality ones. Not only will this save money in the long run but will also help reduce waste.
Save on the entertainment
You don’t always have to call the professionals in to have a good time. Children’s games such as treasure hunts, musical statues, musical bumps and pass the parcel are good fun and cheap ways to keep younger children entertained at a party. They are also very easy to organise yourself. Save money on a DJ and create a party or event play list on your phone or laptop. Connect this device to a speaker and let it do its thing, you won’t have to worry about the music at all.