- Theme
Having a colour 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. By having a theme it keeps your eye tuned to watching for ideas that have that theme. Making a list of items you need are also important so you are only purchasing the items you will use and not overspending on items you won’t use.
- Time
If possible give yourself enough time to plan the event and to shop for it. When your time frame is longer it gives you the opportunity to shop for sales in the weekly flyers or look for deals at your local stores. You may also find offers and sales on-line and have them shipped to you without even leaving the comfort of your home.
- Invitations
You can find many on-line companies that will custom make invitations for you at a fraction of the cost. I found a great deal on-line 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 your own invitations if you are the DIY type or person. I have seen scrapbook paper that you could use to make your own invitations. You could also buy a DIY kit at a craft store to design invitations the way you want them, which are also popular.
- Timing Is Everything
What time you plan the event is also very important if you are trying to stay within a tight budget. If you plan an event or party at noon or mid-evening, people are going to expect to be fed a meal. If you plan the party for mid-afternoon, say around 3:00 pm then 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 (example: A cake and punch reception to follow). If you are on a tight budget then you always want to plan for a time of the day that the food will not take up the bulk of your budget.
- Let Them Eat Cake
Food is usually the most expensive part of any party. It is wise to plan ahead and plan well. Call in the talents of friends and relatives to help with this. Do you have a friend or can you decorate cakes. If not try something a little easier like doing cupcakes instead. Maybe you or someone you know loves to cook or bake. It is always worth asking for help, even if you have to pay for it.
We did a beautiful fruit basket that was shaped like a baby carriage all the way down to the baby (made of fruit) inside. We found the idea on-line. You could easily make a fruit bowl or basket from a watermelon. Use in-season fruit to make it less expensive. Finger sandwiches are also a big hit at any party. You can use cookie cutters to cut them into shapes or simply cut the crust off and cut them into 4 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.
I stocked up on candy after Easter for the baby shower. Pretty pastel candy to put out in bowls on the table. I also found some cute little foil wrapped ducks that were perfect for the party….all half priced!! We did the same for my daughter’s wedding, we stocked up on candy after Valentines day. Heart shapes and the pretty reds, pinks and purples were perfect for her wedding candy buffet that she wanted.
Going to big warehouse stores is another great place to find deals on food like appetizers, rolls, prepared salads, candy, baked goods and on and on. 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 serve ware, disposable plates, napkins, cups and utensils. For larger functions (such as weddings) we also use the warehouse stores to purchase the aluminum trays for cooking and serving. Keep the food and drinks simple such as Tea, punch and/or lemonade covers just about everyone.
- Decorations
With time you can search sites like Pinterest and come up with all sorts of ideas that you can do yourself. Take the theme or color scheme and start a notebook of ideas. I know that each week in the paper there are coupons for a craft store that I shop at. I can buy 1 item at a discount (if it isn’t already on sale). So 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 out YouTube also for instructions and ideas on just about everything. Don’t be afraid to try to make something you have never done before. Even if it isn’t picture perfect, the guests will never know and will likely be just as impressed. My daughter made huge 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 the way they turned out. I thought they were wonderful.
- For Family Gatherings
My grandmother taught me that you never attend a party or gathering empty-handed. You always bring a hostess gift, a gift or a covered dish. For the family gathering, it is always best to bring a dish. If we are hosting a party we cover the main dish and ask everyone to bring a side or dessert. Everyone now has “signature dishes” that are expected at these family dinners or a get-together. One of these days I want to put together a recipe book of all our favorites and give it to the family as a gift.
Well, 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!
Guest Post By: Follow Frugal Sally on Facebook or her blog Being Frugal Sally.
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Miss T (@prairieecothrif) says
Thanks for such awesome ideas. I am in the process of throwing a suprise bday party for my best friend. We are trying to keep costs down and it seems to be working so far. Facebook for invites worked out really well. We are also using her parents house which is saving money on a facility rental.
Canadianbudgetbinder says
Glad you liked the post. You should check out Frugal Sally she always has super ideas on Facebook! Come say hi on my page and invite my fans over…. I’m sure they will love your blog! If you are ever up for a guest post let me know as I always like to showcase other bloggers for my fans to read and learn from. Cheers Mr.CBB
Wendy L says
Thanks for sharing these amazing ideas;)
femmefrugality says
Super cute ideas and great tips! My favorite store for parties is Party City. Their stuff is so cheap…and a lot of times is themed!
Canadianbudgetbinder says
I thought her ideas were very creative as well. I’ve never heard of that shop but I think pretty much every major city has a “Party” something store lol… or there always is the dollar store. Cheers Mr.CBB
Jen P says
Wow! Some great tips! I wish I searched online for more ideas for my wedding! I did do the cupcakes myself, bought dollar store decorations, made candy dishes on each table with large seashells (bought at a garage sale) and candy bought at the bulk barn, made the centrepieces with glass bowls from the dollarstore filled with beach sand from the beach we were married on and smalls shells I bought at garage sales and candles I bought at the dollarstore. My gift for guests were straw beach mats bought at the dollarstore. My card box and a few other decorations were bought at garage sales. Made my aisle from small tiki torches and fake flowers bought at the dollarstore and tulle from a garage sale 🙂 Thank you for the post! You showed that you can make the party look way more expensive then it really was! 🙂
Canadianbudgetbinder says
If someone plans a gathering or wedding you can get all sorts of deals if you keep your eyes open. Sounds like you both did alright with the decorations. Cheers Mr.CBB
Christine Weadick says
Some great ideas there…. I used the duckie theme for my daughter’s baby shower 3 years ago. Found some duckie napkins at the drug store on clearance so I bought them out, and hit the dollar store for duck toys and such. The funniest part is my grandson has a thing for rubber duckies!!! Most parties we go to are family affairs so we all bring something. I’m always getting hit to bring desserts!! Lol!! When my daughter’s best friend was married the girls went out into the bush at the farm and collected branches to paint white and use for decorations in the cleaned out drive shed where the reception was held and they looked great! One thing I found to be great is if the party is outside in hot weather I covered some baking trays with plastic and filled them with ice.. this was where food was placed to keep cool and it worked great!! The melted ice was dumped on the garden to water the plants..
Canadianbudgetbinder says
Great idea with the baking trays to keep the food at proper temperature. See we learn something new everyday! Cheers Christine. MR.CBB
iheartbudgets says
Our wedding was at 2pm, so people were fine with snacks and fruit platters. Great tips here, and your pics look awesome. My wife the the party planner in our household and is wonderful at it 🙂
Canadianbudgetbinder says
Our wedding had 10 people, at out and had cake and deserts at home… easy peasy… and so much fun. I think that any couple can do what they want with-in a reasonable budget with planning. No one says you have to be traditional right? Cheers Mr.CBB
Mo' Money Mo' Houses (@momoneymohouses) says
Those duck cupcakes are adorable!
Canadianbudgetbinder says
Much more creative than I am.
Mary F Campbell says
Some terrific ideas! I really enjoyed your post!!