The holiday season is the perfect time to get a group of friends or family members together to celebrate the holidays and the wrapping up of 2017.
Holiday parties don’t have to be expensive. What if I told you it’s possible to host a holiday party for under twenty bucks? Don’t believe me? Read on to find out how.
- Food & Drinks
The first step to planning a cheap party is to eliminate unnecessary costs. Obviously, a party would not be a party without food, and we all know food can be expensive. Try turning your party into a competition. This holiday season, I will be hosting a chili party. Guests who love a challenge can make and bring their own homemade chili to your party. Then, your guests can taste all of the chilis and vote for the one they like the most. You can ask the people who don’t want to compete in the chili contest to bring sides, drinks, and desserts to go with the meal. That way you don’t have to drain your bank account providing food for everyone on your long guest list.
- Entertainment
Now that you’ve spent next to nothing on food, it’s time to plan the entertainment. One of the most important steps to planning a party is to make sure all of your guests have a good time and are thoroughly entertained. Every party needs music, but who buys songs these days? Get on Spotify and shuffle your best playlist. If you haven’t invested in Spotify Premium and don’t want everybody’s favorite tunes to be interrupted by advertisements (though I suggest you take advantage of the Spotify plan for students, which includes Spotify Premium and Hulu’s Limited Commercials plan for just $4.99 per month), consider entrusting the aux cord to a friend who you know has great taste in music. Another excellent source of entertainment is party games. A classic inexpensive game for a large group of people is charades. You can get the free Charades app on your phone and play one of the many categories. The app also allows you to create your own charades category, which you could use to make a special holiday-themed game. There are dozens of other games you can plan that won’t cost you a single dime.
- Decorations
Decorations are essential for every party, but they are even more important for holiday parties. Gather all of the candles lying around your apartment and put them to use for the evening. Print out some free holiday clipart to hang on the walls and ceiling. Make DIY name place cards using the paper you already have so your decorations are personal and make your guests feel special. Be creative. Decorating shouldn’t be rocket science, so do what you find easy and simple.
If you follow the plan outlined above, the total cost of hosting your dream holiday party can easily be under $20. In fact, it’s even possible to host a party for free. With how little you’ll be spending on food, entertainment, and decorations, you could even invest in some thank you notes and party favors to show your guests just how much you care about them.
Happy hosting, and Happy Holidays!
About the author:
Kate Graham is a Sociology student attending Carroll Community College. In the spring, she plans on transferring to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where she will major in Sociology and Spanish with a minor in English. She lives in Carroll County, Maryland, where she works at three different libraries. When she’s not working, she enjoys writing screenplays, performing at open mics, and posting on her YouTube channel
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