Having More Fun (and Spending Less) at Your Next Party

Having More Fun (and Spending Less) at Your Next Party

Throwing a party is a lot of fun. You get to see all of your friends — and, because you control the guest list, you don’t have to deal with anyone you don’t want to see. You get to cut loose and have fun, because you’re comfortable in your own space. And when the party’s over, and everyone else has to make the trek back home, you’re already there! What a great deal.

Less of a great deal, however, is having to pay for your party. When you’re the one hosting, you’re the one who has to make sure that you have enough booze and food to go around. Plus, you have to spend money on cleaning supplies, party decorations, invitations, and other essentials. It can get pricey!

If you want your next party to cost a little less, we have solutions for you. Check out the tips below and start spending less on better parties.

Plan in advance

Want to spend too much on something? Then just shop for it in a rush. When you need stuff fast, you don’t have time to shop around and get bargains. That leads to bad decisions and pricey mistakes.

The solution is to do what all smart party planners should do — plan ahead! Planning ahead has tons of advantages and virtually no disadvantages. You’ll enjoy a less stressful party-planning experience, and you’ll save money by having time to stock up on supplies in a more careful way.

Good planning can save you money in other ways, too. Taking the time to figure out how much food and how much to drink you actually need, for instance, will help ensure that you don’t buy too much of something (or too little of it — which, while less expensive, is certainly more embarrassing)!

Set a budget

With all of your extra planning time, you should have more than enough time to sit down and figure out exactly how much you’ll need to spend for your party to go off without a hitch. Write down your essentials and your goals, and break everything down by category and price.

Once you have a budget that looks right to you, stick to it! Don’t let little indulgences add up to a monstrous total price that exceeds your planned budget.

Shop at affordable party specialty shops

If you’re throwing a party, you need a party store. Ideally, you’ll get your supplies at an affordable online party shop like Premier Glow. Why? Because large companies that specialize in party gear will have the stuff you need at the right price.

Of course, it’s easy to get carried away when you’re shopping with a cool party gear supplier. But you don’t need to worry about excessive impulse buying, because you’ve already followed our first tip and have a great plan that includes a list of what you actually need — right?

Buy it for life

The idea of “buy it for life” is that you should invest in reliable products that will last you a long time, rather than disposable or short-term solutions. It’s not an idea that we often apply to party planning — but shouldn’t it be? Unless this is the only party you’re ever planning to throw, you might want to consider things such as reusable party cups and tablecloths. It may cost slightly more this time around, but it will be one less thing for you to buy for the next party — and the one after that, and the one after that, and the one after that.

Get the right sort of booze

Alcohol can be one of the more expensive things to acquire for your party. But if you’re smart about it, you can bring costs way down. Liquor is cheaper than beer, so consider getting some cheap liquor and some mixers to lower your beer and wine-buying needs. Provide non-alcoholic drinks, too — they’re cheap, will help fill up your guests, and will also help everyone stay a bit more in control at your party!