If you’re planning to invite pals, relatives, co-workers or all of the above into your home this festive season, jot down these tips on how to pull off the most festive gathering without overspending.
8 Tips to Save Money on Your Holiday Party
Below are eight practical steps to help you host a memorable holiday get-together — without emptying your wallet.
1. Send Festive Evites
First things first: the guest list. You could slap together a plain Facebook event, but why not elevate things with a digital invitation?
Paperless Post offers beautiful layouts, or tryEvite so attendees can leave notes when they RSVP.
2. Plan Your Attire Early
Whether you’re hosting an ugly sweater night or a glittery New Year’s Eve celebration, sketch out your outfit plan early. (There’s nothing worse than disliking your outfit at your own party.)
If your closet isn’t cutting it and you’d rather avoid crowded malls, do your shopping online.
Make this an early task in your party prep so you’re not anxiously waiting on a delivery the day of the event. Arm yourself with savvy shopping tools to save money.
One of our go-to tricks is calledCapital One Shopping Price Protection— a service that can get you money back on online purchases. It’s free to sign up, and when you do, it will scan your email for receipts. If it finds a purchase from a tracked retailer, it monitors the item’s price and helps you get a refund if the price drops.
Capital One Shopping Price Protection pays us when you register using the links we share.
3. Clean and Clear the Space
Having a crowd over can feel a bit daunting. You know everyone chats after a party, so you’ll want your place to look like you have things together. (Especially if the in-laws are coming.)
Beyond basic sweeping, vacuuming and scrubbing the bathroom, take a hard look at clutter. This is a prime opportunity to purge what you don’t need.You’ll kick off the new year on a tidy note — and you’ll appear like a stylish minimalist.
Here’s how to make some cash from the items you’re parting with:
- For tech — old CDs, DVDs, video games and even cell phones — grabthe Decluttr appand scan each item’s barcode. It gives instant offers. After scanning everything, ship them using a free label. You’ll receive payment by direct deposit the day after your package is delivered.
- For everything else (yes, that mound of clothes you’ve been meaning to deal with), use the Letgo app. This user-friendly app lets you snap a photo and list an item in under 30 seconds. It reduces the hassle of selling online, and it’s completely free to use.
Put the money you earn toward party supplies to offset costs.
4. Plan a Frugal (Drink) Menu
If you’re hosting a New Year’s Eve bash, ask guests to have dinner beforehand. It saves you from buying and preparing full meals — and some couples can enjoy a quieter dinner out.
Your main responsibility: Champagne… or at least bubbly.
The smartest strategy is buying several inexpensive sparkling wines and stretching them into punch. It tastes great and makes the alcohol go further.
Try these crowd-pleasing drink ideas:
- Orange, cranberry and basil punch from Cook the Story.
- Strawberry punch from Allrecipes.
- Our holiday “mocktails,” which remove the booze cost entirely.
Since you’re providing drinks, ask guests to bring a dessert to share. That helps cut costs and gives everyone a chance to taste a variety of sweets.
If you need coupon inspiration, give Betty Crocker your email and it will send up to $250 in coupons that can help you score steep discounts or free grocery items over time.
Besides coupons, Betty Crocker’s emails deliver the best of its 15,000 tested recipes, tips and more — right to your inbox.
5. Decorate With Handmade Crafts
There’s really only one rule for holiday décor — lots of sparkle — which makes decorating affordably quite simple.
The bonus? Many Christmas decorations work well for New Year’s Eve too.
For a New Year’s party, keep your string lights up, dangle different lengths of curled ribbon from the ceiling and cut circles from wrapping paper to stick on walls like oversized confetti.
If you want to get hands-on, here are some DIY decoration ideas:
- Balloon holiday lights from Living Locurto.
- Simple holiday centerpieces from Ocean Front Shack.
- Bowtie pasta garland from The Gold Jellybean.
For supplies, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft is a reliable stop.
Usethe cash-back Ibotta appbefore you shop. You can earn 15% cash back on your entire in-store Jo-Ann purchase by scanning the barcode on the bottom of your receipt.
Bonus: Ibotta awards a free $5 bonus after you submit your first receipt!
6. Create the Perfect Playlist
Music sets the tone for any great party. Make sure you have something louder than your phone to play it through.
As for song choices, you have options. On Spotify you can craft your own playlist or pick one of its pre-made mood mixes.
Pandora offers stations ranging from Top 40 to classic crooners and holiday-themed channels like Mariah Carey Radio.
7. Hand out DIY Party Favors
Favors aren’t required, so skip them if budget is tight. If you have a bit of time and cash, though, handmade favors add charm and can help your party stand out.
Here are some inexpensive, DIY favor ideas:
- Hot cocoa ornaments from Sprinkle Some Fun.
- Holiday bark from Dawn P. Darnell.
- Personalized glitter Champagne glasses from Something Turquoise.
- DIY confetti poppers from Weddingbells.
8. Plan Free Group Activities
With drinks, desserts and tunes, your party might already be lively — but if you want extra entertainment, add some fun group activities.
Here are three easy ideas that will get your guests laughing and bonding:
- Create a photo booth. Gather goofy props from around the house, paint a holiday backdrop on a sheet or large paper, grab a disposable camera — and voilà! You’ll have a blast and memorable snapshots to keep.
- Print these New Year’s Eve playing cards from Real Simple. Have guests write their resolutions on the cards, then guess who wrote each one.
- Download the group game app Heads Up, which can provide hours of entertainment — about $0.99 on iPhone and free on Android.
Follow these suggestions, and you’ll have one of the best holiday gatherings on the block — without blowing your budget.
Need ideas for a casual get-together any time of year? Check out this house party guide for more inspiration.
