TIPS TO THROWING A BUDGET FRIENDLY PARTY

If y’all have been following along with me on Instagram, you would have noticed that we just celebrated Bella’s sweet 16 birthday. She decided that she wanted a small birthday party with a few of her close friends and cousins. Normally, I don’t know how to do a simple party. But this time, I was determined to do this on a budget and to use things that I already had.

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How I started to plan:

Theme and menu is what I began to chat with Bella. We decided to go with the boho theme since I have that style of decor. And, we went with Mexican food since it is Bella’s favorite.

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3 TIPS TO SAVING MONEY:

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1} Make your OWN FOOD. 

Catering is so expensive and will consume your entire budget. When we decided to go with Mexican food, I found recipes that were easy yet delicious on Pinterest. We went with chicken fajitas, street corn pasta, pablo enchiladas, nacho bar, black beans, cilantro rice, salad, and a Mexican cheese board. I prepped everything on Thursday and Friday. And, I started cooking late Saturday night and early Sunday morning. Everything was a huge hit. The only dessert was the cake. I did not make this. But, that would have saved me $100-$150. But, the cake is always worth the splurge.

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2} Use DECORATIONS that YOU ALREADY HAVE. 

So, I already had the VW van, the rugs, the throw pillows, the pampas, the dried palm branches {I found them in someone’s garbage}, the plants outside and for the tables, the table runners, the straw placemats, the umbrella,  and the balloons. The only decor pieces that we made or bought was the triangle arches which Mike made and the table which Mike also made. I did purchase a few bundles of fresh flowers from Trader Joe’s and ordered the Sweet Sixteen cut out piece from Etsy. That was a total of $50.

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3} Send e-invites instead of mailing invitations. 

This is a money sucker too. I do love a cute invite, but it ends up being at least $100 between the cards and the stamps. They have so many free websites that you can create an invite or pay less than $10 to email a professional looking one.

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How I turned my living room area into a cozy party room:

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First of all, we moved out the sofa, rugs, coffee table, and chair. And, we filled this space with tables and chairs. If you don’t own tables and chairs, borrow them from a friend or rent them. I could only fit three round tables and 15 chairs in our living room. I already had three round tablecloths, runners, and table decor. The vases could be purchased from Dollar Tree or Amazon. The small plants were from backyard but can be purchased at Home Depot or Trader Joe’s.

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Secondly, I set up the drink station on my end table/cart. I already own two large drink dispensers so I filled one with Crystal Light Lemonade and the other one was filled with homemade Cold Brew sweet tea!! I also had a tin tub from Home Depot filled with ice and Topo Chico.

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Lastly, I turned our kitchen table into the nacho bar and salad bar to save space on the island for all of the other food items. This worked out perfectly.

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How I made the balloon garland:

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So, these were balloons that I already had that were leftover from our Galentine’s party. I bought this set from Amazon, and I already had the plastic strip that connects all of the balloons. This garland drip was made by a balloon genius!! I use my electric pump to blow up all of the balloons, and I can now make one of these balloon garlands in less than two hours. It’s one of the cheapest ways to add a pop of fun for a party!! I highly recommend adding one of these to your decor list for your next party.

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And, that’s my simple tips for you. There are so many ways to cut corners and still have a fabulous party. Make a list and save Pinterest inspo in your notes. Eliminate what is not necessary and what could be too stressful to accomplish. Ask others to help with food and setting up. And, just enjoy the beautiful outcome!!

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