(Photo Credit: Christian Gunthier)
The Holidays are almost here. This year, almost every household has been affected in some way by the economy and I'm sure many of you are wondering how you can entertain family and friends without spending a lot of money.
Here are some PERFECT SOLUTIONS for celebrating the holidays without breaking the bank:
Save money on invitations. Packaged party invitations are beautiful, but they can add additional costs to your entertaining budget. By the time you buy the invites and the postage, you've spent quite a bit of money on something that will be tossed out after the party. Consider these alternatives:
- Enclose your invitation in your friends' and families' holiday cards & kill 2 birds with one postage.
- Use an online invitation service like Evite (www.evite.com). This is a good option when all your guests have email. Evite has great templates you can use and they will track your RSVPs, too!
- Make your own invitations using old holiday cards and other items you have around the house and hand-deliver them.
Save money on tableware. Even though it might be simpler to buy coordinating paper products, you can save some money and be environmentally friendly by using your own plates and silverware or borrowing more if you need. Lots of people have holiday themed china that doesn't get used very much. How fun would it be to ask each guest to bring one or two place settings for a dinner party for a delightful potpourri of holiday china. Use a white table cloth and napkins to really set off your eclectic table!
Have a holiday decorating party. If you are new to living on your own, this might not be the best year to go out and purchase a lot of holiday décor. Why not involve your friends and family in your decorating dilemma and host a "decorate my house" party? Ask each person to bring a decorating item for your home; encourage them to re-purpose decorations they may not be using any longer. You provide some holiday music, a pot of chili and a blank canvas and let your family and friends work their magic on decorating your home!
Go caroling. Here's a party that is not only fun, but can bring holiday cheer to those who may need it most. Call a couple of assisted living or nursing homes in your area and ask if you can stop by on a specific Saturday or Sunday afternoon to carol. Most places are very happy to have the entertainment, but it is best to check first. Invite guests by giving them a handmade "book" containing the lyrics to some favorite carols, and inviting them to meet at your house on the designated afternoon. Caravan to the places you have chosen and sing away! When you're done singing, head back to your house for cookies and hot chocolate. If you're not a cookie baker, ask each family to bring a few dozen of their favorite cookies to share.
By using your imagination and partnering with your family and friends, this holiday season can be filled with celebrations despite the economy! How PERFECT is that? For more frugal holiday entertaining ideas, be sure to visit www.perfectpartysolutions.blogspot.com
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Most of these ideas are reasonable and fun, but please don't let tacky rudeness be repackaged as frugality and environmental-friendliness! No matter how you wrap it up, having a party in which you ask and expect people to bring you stuff is just plain rude (the holiday decorating party).
I disagree with "J":
I think it sounds like a blast. I have a whole bunch of great Christmas stuff that I no longer use, but are in mint condition and I haven't given them away because I've been waiting for an invitation like you suggested.
Years ago I would beg my mother to check her attic to see if she had an "vintage" Christmas things I could have. She happily supplied me with things I now cherish.
This is a great idea for a young couple who just got married or for a group of gal friends who may tired of their own decorations and in someone else's house would look fresh and new, but who's decorating "style" matches.
Love Nina's idea of a holiday decor swap. I have things that I got when I was in my 'red' phase, and now I have moved onto my 'silver' phase…so all the great red things we don't use…but would be great for someone. Love the idea.
A decoration swap is an entirely different sort of thing than an "I'm broke and can't decorate my house, so bring me stuff" party.
A decoration swap allows everyone to participate in the fun of giving and receiving. Asking your mother for decorations is entirely different than asking a whole group of people to bring you stuff in the guise of hosting a party.
If you want to bless someone with your things, just do it. Don't wait for someone to ask you for them. If you think a party like this would be great for a young couple, throw the party for them. That's the way showers are supposed to work. Just because our society has gotten extremely greedy and tacky and now showers thrown by the recipients are normal, doesn't mean that it isn't still poor etiquette.
Just because people put registry information in their wedding invitations doesn't make it right. People asking for specific items via registry for everything from 1 year old birthdays to vow renewals, people assuming that they get to dictate what you bring to their weddings, showers, birthdays, or anniversary parties, people who throw celebrations for themselves and ask others to kick in something for the cost. . . these are all examples of totally tacky behavior that American society has degraded to and the culture in which an "I'm broke; bring me things" party is considered a reasonable idea.
I, for one, am sick of the "I'm entitled to stuff" mentality of most Americans.
(aka "J" from above)
We love to drive around and look at the Christmas lights. We usually get the kids in pjs, brush their teeth, get in the car and drive around. By the time we get home they are fast asleep. It is a Win-Win event!