Today I have a guest post by Kathy Cakebread, editor of the beauty/lifestyle blog, about entertaining on a budget https://www.glitzandglamourmakeup.co.uk/
Whether you’ve got a big party planned or it’s been a long time since you saw your family and friends, inviting people round to your place is the perfect way to get everyone together. Whilst it may be free to host the get together, planning ways on entertaining your guests can get a little costly. Avoid the expensive champagne and create memories to remember (retro photo booth hire can be surprisingly reasonable) without breaking the bank by following these top tips.
Ask everyone to bring an item
You can save money on buying food and drink simply by asking your guests to bring one item each. Let them know that this will be a sharing party in advance so they won’t be offended if someone starts diving into what they’ve bought – especially the boozy Christmas drinks. Everyone will get to try something new without having to spend much money!
Play board games
Who doesn’t love a board game session? Let your friends and family show their competitive side by challenging them to a board game duel. If you don’t have any board games head to your nearest charity shop, I’ll guarantee you’ll find loads. Buy a few different games so you can make your event is varied with something to suit every taste. You can even have different people playing different games at one time and create a leader board to see who’s the ultimate board game champion. You could pick up a few prizes from Poundland for the winner to take away with them.
Create your own pizzas
Pizza is a takeaway favourite and you can make pizza night even more special by making your own. Ask all your guests to bring one item each that they’d want on their pizzas and you can supply the base and the sauce. You can all get creative and end up with something really unique that was made with love.
Shop on a budget
If you’re planning on hosting a dinner party you want to avoid expensive shops like Waitrose and Marks and Spencer. Shops like Aldi and Lidl are fantastic for snapping up a bargain and you can get the same items you would from pricier shops for pretty much half the price.
Opt for cocktails (or mocktails)
When you're entertaining on a budget, the cost of booze may be a concern. If you want to avoid spending lots of money on mixed drinks, having pitchers of one drink will still go down a storm. You could buy one or two bottles of alcohol with a few mixers to create cocktails and some fruit juices to create the mocktails for those who aren’t drinking. Opt for shops own brands to keep the cost down.
Cook for a football team
Find a meal that you can create a big pot of so you can feed everyone without having to spend lots on different ingredients. Think roasted aubergine and tomato curry or creamy tarragon and chicken mushroom potato bake.
Have a disco
If you want to avoid any expense you could host a little disco at your place. Clear out the front room so people have room to dance and use your phone for the music. You can play songs you already have on your phone or use the free streaming version of Deezer (just bear in mind it will play the odd ad)
Turn down the thermostat
If you’ve been spending a lot of money on heating up your home, having a party is a great way of getting to save a bit of cash. With all the extra bodies in your house it will feel a lot warmer and you won’t need to have the temperature so high. You’ll have fun seeing your friends/ family and you’ve got a bit extra for yourself at the end of the month.
Save money on ice
If you’re having lots of guests over you’re going to be wanting a lot of ice for their drinks. Plan ahead and freeze your own ice cubes so you don’t have to spend money buying ice cubes from the shops.
If you're entertaining on a budget, then I hope these tips help.
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