Cheap Christmas Party Ideas

Sunday, December 7, 2008 ·

By Cathleen Paul

Do you need some Christmas party ideas that wont blow your holiday budget? Having a Christmas party is one of the best ways to spend time with loved ones during the holiday season. However, sticking within your holiday budget is important. There are many creative ways that you can celebrate so that you can enjoy the holidays without stretching your budget too thin. These Christmas party ideas will help you plan a great holiday party without breaking the bank.

The first thing to do is decide who is going to attend. If you are inviting a lot of family and friends, then you should ask for RSVPs, so that you won't waste money buying food and drinks for anyone who isn't planning on attending. Be sure to send your invitations at least two weeks in advance, so that you will know the exact number of people that you need to prepare for.

One of the most frugal Christmas party ideas is to send invitations by email to those who have internet access, saving traditional invitations for anyone who can't be contacted via email. If you don't hear back from your email guests, then just give them a call before the party to see if they are planning on attending.

A Christmas party is one of the places where you will expect great food, but when you are trying to be frugal you can try something different than a traditional meal, especially if you have a lot of people coming over. One of the traditional Christmas party ideas is to have a potluck, where each member of the group brings a different dish to pass.

If you want to prepare all of the food yourself, then there are other ways to stick within a budget. If you are planning your party for a weekend, then you can always serve lunch, where you can serve finger foods and drinks for much less than you could a dinner. finger sandwiches with cut up vegetables and dip and perhaps a cheese tray and assorted cookies are all excellent choices for a lunch party.

Other Christmas party ideas focus around healthy food such as seasonal fruits and fresh veggies for a nice change of pace from traditional, calorie laden Christmas foods. While you may be tempted to buy fruit and veggie trays from your deli to save time, you will save money if you buy a festive tray for a few dollars and then prepare the foods yourself.

If you are having a low-key family Christmas party, then you can be extremely creative with the entertainment for the party. For kids, one of the best Christmas party ideas is to set up a small crafts table, where the little kids can make something to take home.

You can stock the table with clay, crayons, white paper and the basics such as construction paper, child safe scissors and glue. You can also add some seasonal supplies, such as glitter, but you might want to stay away from paints unless you want to spend a little time cleaning the mess. If you have a crafty family, then the adults may end up having just as much fun as the little ones!

If you plan on doing a gift exchange, but want to save money, then you may want to draw names or set a predetermined spending limit. Gift giving Christmas party ideas such as drawing names will definitely keep everyone from overspending.

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