It so happens that this passed weekend was Valentine’s Day and, like always, my friends and I were looking for any excuse to get together and have some fun like we most often do. We are a party liking bunch and would do anything to have our “girls time” even when the budget is really short.
And oh boy has the budget been short lately!
Nonetheless, if there is something I’ve learned from my fabulous friend Alicia from Chica Fashion, it is that you don’t need to spend a whole lot of money to look good, feel great or have some fun. This is the mindset with which we approach all of our get togethers and they always turn out awesome!
This time, we met at my friend Natalia’s house for our Galentine’s Day celebration. Get it? Gal + Valentine. Clever right? Ha! Anyways, we had been planning a girls get together for some weeks now and finally decided to do it on the Saturday of Valentine’s Day, since neither of us had made any out-of-the-norm plans with our husbands.
We text for days, discussed what we wanted to do and set the plan in motion. We ended up with a beautiful set up, delicious food and great fun without spending much.
Let me share with you some of the things we do to plan fantastic parties when the cash is low. So, here are some great tips on how to host a fabulous party on a budget:
Plan ahead
Create a plan of what you want for your party. Think of where the party is going to take place, the theme of the party, the menu, the drinks, the decoration, etc., and write it down. Most importantly write down your budget.
Divide tasks
Who are we kidding? Planning a party can be really stressful if you are handling everything yourself. To lighten each other’s load and expenses, my friends and I distribute tasks and contributions among ourselves. Each of us gets to bring a particular dish, drinks or decorations. When everyone is pitching in, it helps the host so that they don’t become overwhelmed.
Shop the sales
When buying your food ingredients, go for the items on sale. You can cook up delicious food for less of the price when buying the products that are on sale that week, instead of the fancy cheese that is always so costly. You wouldn’t believe the cheese fondue we made this weekend using cheese Alicia bought at the grocery store for .99 cents each half-pound block. It was out of this world good!
Shop for decorations at the Dollar Store
You can find a great variety of theme specific decorations at the dollar store that with just a little bit of creativity can become a beautiful setup for your party. All of the Valentine’s Day decorations at our Galentine’s day party were picked up at the Dollar store and Alicia, who has a great eye for making things look beautiful, let her creative eye loose making it all look rather expensive. We placed a runner on the table, spread some paper rose pedals and even set up a photo both using gift wrapping paper, a garland and some balloons.
Now tell me, wasn’t this super cute?!
Life is always better with fabulous friends and cupcakes.
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