Five Frugal Graduation Party Ideas
Graduating high school and heading out into the adult world is a momentous occasion that deserves to be celebrated. These parties are often the final opportunity for graduates to have all of their best friends together for one last night of being carefree. Every parent wants to make it memorable and exciting, but after all the expenses associated with graduation and the upcoming college years, they may lack the budget to go big. Here are a few tips for making it less expensive without sacrificing the enjoyment.
Stay At Home At-home parties are more intimate and much more affordable. Dining out, renting an event center or even going to a local park will include planning ahead with reservations, tipping servers or extra trips home and back to bring gifts and decorations. It is easier to be frugal at home where there are less temptations to splurge and where the party can continue as long as desired without any additional fees.
Save With Rentals People often use rental services for their tents, tables and chairs, but fail to realize that a lot of what they are purchasing for their parties could also be rented. Many rental companies (such as Ken Rent) now offer lighting, food service equipment and all table linens. Some even offer carnival games, dance floors and staging as well as audio/visual equipment. The rental fee will often include set up and delivery of many larger items, so it can avoid the need renting a truck to pick up items.
Use Items Creatively Make use of existing items in a creative way to prevent needing to make a purchase. For example, use a plastic kiddie pool for storing drinks in ice, rather than buying additional coolers. It makes the items easy to see and easy to grab. If there is no pool, consider clean mop buckets, old washtubs or even a kids wagon. Inside, the kitchen sink or bathtub would work equally well. Make ice over the course of the week prior to the party to reduce what needs to be purchased.
Schedule it Casually Rather than trying to have a dinner party where everyone should be in attendance during a certain period of time, keep it running all day. Ask guests to drop in and join the fun when it is convenient for them. This makes it easier to put out a table of snacks and beverages, and not necessarily be expected to serve an elaborate dinner. With a casual affair it is also acceptable to mention that guests can bring their favorite snack or signature dish and have a buffet table set out for these items.
Use Social Media Skip paper invitations. They can be expensive even when they are homemade. Instead, use social media sites to set up an event or post an online invitation. Alternatively, consider an online invitation website. There are a variety of different sites that offer this service for free. Some will even allow the user to print an invitation (or as many as they would like) for a small fee. This is an easy way to make certain everyone will get all of the same information, even if you still need a traditional invitation for grandparents or other Internet hold-outs.
Graduation parties are often the parents final opportunity to see their children with all of their friends that have been in and out of their home for years. The party does not have to be elaborate to be a success. Teaming up with other parents or relatives makes it easy to pool resources for even more savings. Keep it lighthearted, make everyone feel welcome and look for inexpensive ways to keep everyone comfortable, entertained and fed.
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