Hosting a Holiday Party On A Budget

With a little imagination and planning, Hosting a Holiday Party On A Budget is possible.

So, this year you decided to host a holiday party? If you are reading this, most likely, the answer is YES! But, relax, you are not alone in this endeavor. Oh, NO! I am in it with you. The first thing you have to know is that just because you decided to host a holiday party, it doesn’t really mean that you have to be in charge of everything on the list, right? So, there. The holiday season is not just about planning and putting a plan in action, it is about you realizing that it is about family and friends that will be happy to celebrate the season with you no matter what you serve them. Of course, you want to serve them delicious foods without breaking the bank. So, to get started, the first priority is to simplify the process as much as possible and possibly delegate what others will be bringing to the table. Today I want to share with you a few tips on Hosting a Holiday Party On A Budget that always work for us.

So, how do I host a Holiday party on a budget? Well, my first secret is, to use as many items from our house as possible to decorate our holiday table. For starters, I bring out some of our extra large plates and use them as serving platters. This way I can customize the look of our table and plus, there is no wasted food. Secondly, we use Holiday themed table covers, napkins, and holiday decor to make our table extra festive. You can even use leftover ornaments to add a festive look.

My second secret for hosting a Holiday party on a budget is to share some of the food responsibility with our family and friends. For instance, for our Christmas dinner, my mother-in-law always makes her famous stuffing and my mom makes her famous potato salad. We are usually responsible for the main dish and the best part, the appetizers and desserts! So, to get started, we head to our local BJ’s Wholesale club and buy our appetizers in bulk! My to-go items are always cheeses, fruits, meat products, salads for our main dinner, different artisan breads, sandwiches, chips, and other bite-size appetizers. Not only are these I appetizers easy to serve, I can replenish them throughout the day without worrying I will run out.

BJ’s Wholesale makes it so simple to buy our favorite appetizers! We love cheese around here and they not only have a great selection of domestic cheeses, but they also carry many of our favorite international cheeses. Oh, by the way, they also carry smaller size items and ready-made party platters, perfect for your Holiday gatherings.

As I mentioned above, we always include fruits and salads in our holiday table and BJ’s Wholesale has the best produce section ever, especially their organic selections! I always pick up a few extra fruits because they go fast. Feeling a little less stress about hosting a Holiday party on a budget yet?

Did you notice that I also include gifts as part of our decor on our Holiday table? Of course, because Christmas is about giving and receiving. While shopping for our appetizers, main dish, and miscellaneous needs, I always stop by the toy section and pick up a couple of extra toys to treat our invitees. This year I picked up two toys from BJ’s Hot Toy List (see a complete list below), the Techno Gears Marble Mania® Master Blaster and the Waterbabies® Twincesses®.

2016 Holiday Hot Toy List

• Jumbo Plush Dog
• Disney Junior Deluxe Collectible Figure Set, 20 pieces.
• Happy Hero Giant Keyboard Playmat
• Techno Gears Marble Mania® Master Blaster
• Waterbabies® Twincesses®
• Plush Collector Series, 4 pack, available in-Club only.
• Deco Tape Maker with BONUS Tape Rolls
• World of Creativity Super Activity Set, available in-Club only.
• PAW Patroller Vehicle PlaysetTM with BONUS Vehicle
• Doc McStuffins Toy Hospital On-The-Go Pet Carrier

What do you think of our tips about Hosting a Holiday Party On A Budget? Do you have a different tip that you might want to share? If so, please drop us a note in the comment section below.

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by BJ’s. All opinions are 100% my own.