Holiday Entertaining on a Budget
Times Like This Just Require One to be Creative and Motivated
November 10, 2008
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As the holiday season approaches, so too do the opportunities to plan entertaining gatherings. Even in these unsteady economic times, there’s no reason to nix the idea of hosting a holiday party when one can easily entertain on a budget.
Alice Conway
“Entertaining and planning holiday events is not only fun, but it’s an important part of our traditions and culture,” says Alice Conway, Director of Event Management at Virginia-based Stratford University. “Because it is so important, we shouldn’t opt out this season just because times are tough. Instead, we should take the challenge on of planning a gathering that fits comfortably into the budget.”
Here are 10 tips for budget-friendly entertaining this holiday season:
- Create a budget before writing a list of who will be invited. Once a budget is established, you can then see how many people can comfortably be invited.
- Share the duties of hosting with someone else. Combining two events into one cuts costs as well as preparation time.
- Opt for casual rather than formal entertaining.
- Scan the ads of local stores to find the best deals. Buying sale items or bulk quantities (such as wine by the case) can help save a lot of money, provided the store is not too far away.
- Open the cupboard to see what you already have on hand. Maybe there’s something there you can use and you won’t need to make so many additional purchases.
- Think seasonal when deciding what to include on the menu. Items that are in season (e.g., apples and grapes during the fall) tend to be more cost efficient.
- Skip the meat and opt for entertaining vegetarian-style. Vegetarian meals are usually cheaper and, as a bonus, generally healthier, too.
- Borrow supplies from family and friends. This beats renting tables, linens and serving implements.
- Integrate food items and natural materials from the garden into centerpieces and decorations. And if you have young ones around, think about decorating with children’s artwork as part of the total design so they are involved in the project.
- If a plated meal is not possible, serve the buffet yourself (as opposed to a self-serve format). This provides you with more control over portion sizes.
“There’s never a reason to skip having a party — It’s all about learning to improvise and do the best that we can with what we have,” says Conway. “Holiday entertaining doesn’t need to break the budget in order to be fun and memorable. Times like this just require one to be creative and motivated. The rest will fall into place.”
Stratford University offers a certificate program in Event Management, with courses focusing on administration, design, planning, coordination and evaluation of events. Stratford has campuses in Tysons Corner and Woodbridge, Virginia, and online courses are also available.
For more information about Stratford University, please visit www.stratford.edu or call (800) 444-0804.
