3 Money Saving Party Tips

Fall is in full effect and you know what that means… great weather, golden hues and… football season. For these reasons, plus my wedding anniversary, fall is my absolute favorite time of year. Football season in particular is the perfect excuse to throw a casual, no pressure party to catch up with friends. Though I love to throw a party, the expense can creep up quickly if you get carried away with food, beverages and theme-heavy decorations. To keep the cost of things down a bit, I have a few tricks to show some school spirit with out breaking the bank.

1) Throw in bits of your team’s color palette but keep the logo to a minimum. I call this being teamy but not themey. Admittedly, I have a couple serving platters featuring my alma matter’s mascot but I am mindful to not get carried away. Themed entertaining pieces and decorations can be very expensive and when you really thing about it, only get minimal use throughout the year. Sticking with neutral colors for your large serving pieces like platters, bowls, etc. helps reduce cost and can be used more frequently throughout the year. Disposable items like cups and napkins are the perfect place to theme out and they are usually pretty budget friendly. In general, this is a good rule of thumb to follow for holidays as well and just think of all the storage space you will save as well as moolah!

2) Make it, pun intended, a “team effort” and host a potluck! The expense of food and beverages can get out of control. It seems when you throw a party there are always tons of leftovers or plates of food that get thrown in the trash. That’s just money being thrown away. Asking friends to chip in a bit helps reduce an excess of food and lowers the cost of throwing a party. More often then not you will get the “what can I bring” or “let me know if I can help!” messages so take your friends up on their offer. I promise they won’t mind.

3) Get cookin’! Quite simply, catering and premade food is typically more expensive. You don’t have to get super elaborate and spend hours in the kitchen to get an awesome spread of food. Casseroles, chili, and a selection of dips are all great crowd pleasers and can usually be made ahead. If you are feeling a little more ambitious you could do some lasagna…guaranteed no leftovers will be in sight! Check out my a few of my favorite party pleasing recipes below…