Trading Up Downtown

The holidays are the most wonderful time of year, aren’t they? It’s the season of giving and a time to spend with the people you love the most– and isn’t throwing a party a way of giving?

Even though I wanted to host a wonderful holiday gathering, the whole thought of entertaining on a budget was quite intimidating. But, I didn’t want to give up that easily. So, I did some brainstorming, came up with a party budget, and stuck to it. And, last weekend, my husband and I threw a holiday gathering at our apartment for 20 of our closest friends. The night ended up being a total blast and it didn’t make us go broke!

Here are some of my favorite entertaining tips and ideas for throwing a festive yet affordable get-together:

Free Ideas:

• I clean my house. This one doesn’t cost anything, but it makes preparing for the big event so much easier. I don’t wait until the very last-minute to start cleaning, however. I give myself a few hours to really spiff-up my place. I de-clutter the entryway where mail piles up, refresh the hand towels and soap in the bathroom, and clear off kitchen counters so I have plenty of space to spread out and start prepping. Having a clean, uncluttered home starts me off on the right foot for some serious party planning.
• I welcome guest offers: If my guests offer to cook a batch of cookies or bring their favorite dish, I’m not afraid to take them up on the offer. I find that most people love to contribute something to a party, so why not let them be involved? Plus, having a friend bring something, makes one less thing for me to do!

Inexpensive Ideas:

• I only buy what I need: After sending out an Evite to friends, we expected about 20 guests for our party. With a decent-size group to serve, I wasn’t sure how to determine the amount of food I should prepare, so I used Whole Food’s Servings Calculator to help me figure out the perfect amount. Having too little never goes over well at a party, but being left with too much, wastes food and money. The online calculator helped me find a happy medium.
• I know when to save. I found a great recipe for Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Chutney that I really wanted to make for the party. They sounded like such an easy, inexpensive, and delicious appetizer. The recipe, however, called for 12 ounces of Gruyere cheese, which cost more than $10 at the grocery store. I know some ingredients can really add to a recipe, but I want to save where I can. Jarlsberg (NuVal score: 30) is a deliciously mild, buttery, nutty and slightly sweet cheese that costs almost half as much as Gruyere per ounce. For me, it made sense to substitute Jarlsberg for Gruyere in the Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. Everyone loved the sandwiches and no one seemed to miss the pricey Gruyere!
• I know when to splurge. I like to save money where I can, but it’s okay to splurge as long as I make up for it by saving in other areas. Spinach-artichoke dip is always a crowd-pleaser at parties, but instead of making it from scratch, I buy the pre-made specialty product from the grocery store. It’s more expensive, but, for me, the convenience outweighs the cost. I’d much rather heat up some store-bought spinach-artichoke dip than stress about the recipe or take time away from the party. Spending an extra couple of dollars is totally worth it!
• I shop around: I always give myself a few days to shop around for a party to make sure that I am paying the best price possible. I really wanted holiday candy at our party, specifically red and green peanut M&M’s and Hershey’s chocolate (NuVal score: 3), but I didn’t want to pay $3.99 per bag at the grocery store. I knew that I could find them cheaper somewhere else. Later that day, I popped into CVS where they had holiday candy 2 for $5, which was a much better deal, and I snapped up a couple of bags for our party.

Category: Money Saving Tips, Uncategorized by Tina