Budget Party Ideas for a Frugal Celebration

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Are you hosting a budget party? Get inspired with these clever ideas for planning a frugal celebration that’s sure to impress.

I recently hosted a baby shower and had to put my thinking cap on it to make it budget-friendly and impress the guests.

Some ideas I came up with can be used for any party or gathering, such as a budget backyard BBQ, wedding, birthday, retirement, or graduation party.

Staying under budget, all starts with planning.  

Below are some ways to host a budget party and not break the bank.

Budget Party Theme

Having a color and theme in mind will keep you focused and help you to brainstorm ideas.

The theme for the baby shower was rubber duckies.

You could even have a color theme, such as yellow and blue or pink and purple.

The last wedding I helped with had a green and lavender theme, and it was stunning.

Having a theme keeps your eye tuned to watching for ideas with that theme.

Making a list of items you need is also essential so you are only purchasing the items you will use and not overspending on items you won’t use.

Planning A Budget Party

Give yourself enough time to plan and shop for the event, if possible.

When your time is longer, you can shop for sales in the weekly flyers or look for deals at your local stores.

You may also find offers and sales online and have them shipped to you without leaving the comfort of your home.

For the party, I needed a bunch of rubber ducks for the baby shower decorations.

I also used coupons to decorate tables, such as the diaper cake and babies.

Since I planned, I had the time to wait for sales and the time it took to ship them to me.

It took 120 diapers to make the cake and another 16 diapers for the “diaper babies.”

I used coupons and sales to get the best deals on diapers and stocked up little by little.

Gifts For Guests

For a planned wedding, I found these beautiful canvas bags for out-of-town guests through Vista Print.

I found them in bulk at the Asian trading company at a fraction of the price I would have paid in local stores.

Creating Budget Party Invitations

You can find many online companies that will custom-make invitations for you at a fraction of the cost.

I found a great deal online through one of the photo companies to make my invitations.

The company had an excellent sale on invitations, and I had some credits to use, so I thought, why not? 

You could also print or make invitations if you are a DIY person.

I have seen scrapbook paper that you could use to make your invitations.

You could also buy a DIY kit at a craft store to design invitations the way you want, which are also popular.

Think outside the box; you can create unique ways to ask guests to attend a party or event.

I designed a wedding invite for a beach destination wedding that was very unique and worked out well.  

I started by locating some small bottles filled with sand and a few tiny seashells. 

We then printed invitations on parchment paper and ripped or burned the edges.

We then rolled them up like a scroll, placed them in the bottles, and sealed them with a cork and wax.

This would be a small wedding, so we only had to make 12 bottles.

The cost was minimal, but the impact was huge. 

You could also do e-invites.

Several sites offer them, including Facebook.

Timing Your Budget Party Is Everything

What time you plan the event is also significant if you try to stay within a tight budget.

People expect to be fed a meal if you plan an event or party at noon or mid-evening.

If you plan the party for mid-afternoon, say around 3:00 pm, you can get away with finger foods and snacks.

A wedding would be around 2 o’clock, and you could do a cake and appetizer reception.

Always put that on the wedding invitation, too, so guests are not disappointed that it isn’t a meal (for example, a cake and punch reception to follow).

If you are on a tight budget, you always want to plan for a time when the food will not take up the bulk of your budget.

Budget Party Food And Desserts

Food is usually the most expensive part of any budget party.

It is wise to plan well; otherwise, you could run out of food for the guests.

Call in the talents of friends and relatives to help with this.

Do you have a friend, or can you decorate cakes or cook for the party? 

It is always worth asking for help, even if you have to pay for it.

We made a beautiful fruit basket shaped like a baby carriage that went down to the baby (made of fruit) inside.

You could easily make a fruit bowl or basket from a watermelon.

Use in-season fruit to make any fruit displays or platters cost-effective.

Finger sandwiches are also a big hit at any budget party, especially avocado egg salad, tuna salad, cucumber, ham, and cheese.

You can use cookie cutters to cut them into shapes or cut the crust into four pieces.

We were lucky enough to have my son-in-law, who has a small BBQ business, furnish us with BBQ sliders for the party.

Decorations For A Budget Party

I stocked up on candy after Easter for the baby shower.

It’s pretty pastel candy to put out in bowls on the table.

I also found some cute little foil-wrapped ducks perfect for the party.

They were all half-priced!! We did the same for my daughter’s wedding, we stocked up on candy after Valentines day.

Heart shapes, pretty reds, pinks, and purples were perfect for the wedding candy buffet she wanted.

Going to big warehouse stores is another great place to find deals on food like appetizers, rolls, prepared salads, candy, baked goods, etc.

If you don’t have a membership, ask a friend who does to take you as a guest.

This is also a fantastic place to purchase bulk serveware, disposable plates, napkins, cups, and utensils.

For more extensive functions (such as weddings), we also use the warehouse stores to purchase aluminum trays for cooking and serving. 

Write Down Decor Ideas

Take the theme or color scheme and start a notebook of ideas.

Each week in the paper, I know there are coupons for a craft store I shop at.

I can buy one item at a discount (if it isn’t already on sale).

Little by little, I stash away the things I need for decorating the party, including table centerpieces and flower arrangements, all at a discount.

Check YouTube also for instructions and ideas on just about everything. 

Don’t be afraid to try to make something you have never done.

Even if it isn’t picture-perfect, the guests will never know and will likely be just as impressed.

My daughter made colossal tissue paper puffs that we hung from the ceiling for the party.

It gave the impression of lanterns swaying in the wind.

It was the talk of the party, yet she didn’t like how they turned out.

I thought they were beautiful.

Budget Party Beverages

Keep the food and drinks simple, such as tea, punch, and lemonade, which covers just about everyone.

With time, you can search sites like Pinterest and come up with all sorts of ideas that you can develop yourself.

Bring A Hostess Gift To All Family Gatherings

My grandmother taught me that you never attend a party or gathering empty-handed.

You always bring a hostess gift, a gift, dessert, or a covered dish.

For family gatherings, bringing food you know everyone will eat is always best.

If we host a party, we cover the main dish and ask everyone to bring a side or dessert. 

Everyone now has “signature dishes” expected at these family dinners or a get-together.

One of these days, I want to put together a recipe book of all our favorite foods and give it to the family as a gift.

I hope this helps you plan a frugal party and keep it within your budget.

A party is a celebration of friends and family…it should never be a strain or stress financially.

 Let’s Party!

Discussion: Share any frugal party planning ideas in the comments below.

Thanks for reading,

Mr. CBB

Post Contribution by: Frugal Sally

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