THROW A CHRISTMAS PARTY ON THE CHEAP
Don’t let festive bashes leave you out of pocket this year
SO YOU’VE got friends and family coming over to celebrate Christmas. But how do you throw a festive knees-up without ending up out of pocket?
Well, you can be the host with the most and still keep a lid on costs with these top tips.
Set a budget for how much you can afford to spend on the party. Then write a list in order of importance of what you need to buy.
If you run out of money halfway through, at least you have got your key items.
If you want to spruce up your home for your guests, wrapping paper is the cheapest and most readily-available material for decorations.
You can use it as a table runner or wrap round vases, table tops and your usual household items to make them look festive.
Don’t worry about doing the whole house, just concentrate on the main areas people will see - like the hallway and living room.
If you’re short of glasses, plates, bowls or even decorations, see if you can borrow from neighbours or friends, rather than splashing out for a single occasion.
Ask your guests to bring a bottle or two, or a dish to go towards the food spread.
If you’ve got generous pals, you might even end up with leftover booze and food to have at a later date!
Don’t bother buying high-end version of nibbles like crisps, chips and dips - who can really tell the difference?
And rather than trying to make a whole range of posh cocktails, keep the drinks menu simple. A Moscow Mule sounds fancy but is really just vodka, ginger beer and lime.
Buy the ingredients in bulk from a discount store and then prepare ahead of time to serve up when your guests arrive so you’re not frantically rushing round.