Holiday entertaining is a great way to open your home to the friends and family you love. But is there a way to host a killer party without breaking the bank?
“As you get older, you may not get to see friends and family as often as you would like, and the holidays allow you to get into the spirit and reconnect with people,” explains Limor Suss, a lifestyle and entertaining expert who has been featured on the “Today” show and “Good Morning America,” among many other media outlets. “But that doesn’t mean you have to go overboard.”
Suss says it doesn’t have to be an extravagant affair for it to be memorable: “If the idea of a huge party stresses you out, just have 10 people over and keep it casual.”
Limiting the guest list helps keep costs contained, according to Suss, along with finding smart ways to get more for less.
Here are a few expert tips to help your holiday parties stay merry, bright and on budget:
DIY your platters
Cheese and veggie trays are fine in a time pinch, but a little planning will save you tons in the long run. Nothing says classy quite like a cheese tray, which Suss also puts to work as decoration.
“Make it in the shape of a Christmas tree, with different kinds of cheese, cherry tomatoes as ornaments and rosemary and thyme for garnish,” she says. She suggests buying three different cheese blocks and cutting them yourself. And there’s no need to serve the fanciest brie. “People love the basic cheese types like cheddar and Monterey Jack,” she adds.
Do double duty with ingredients
When menu planning, think about ways you can use ingredients in multiple dishes. For example, Suss might use mozzarella cheese blocks for her cheese tray and then use it again when making pizza bites. (She likes to make them with wonton rice paper, marinara sauce and mozzarella in mini muffin trays for a super budget-friendly option.)
Have a DIY food bar
Trying to customize your menu to meet everyone’s diet can be an expensive task. Fifi Buchanan, creator of the Divine Hostess blog (divinehostess.com) and YouTube channel (
), likes to use the food bar trend to her advantage.
“I try to serve foods that can cover most diets, whether that’s vegetarian, paleo or some other,” she says, noting that chili is a hearty choice that’s perfect for the holidays. She starts with beans and chili sauce in a slow cooker and then creates a bar with ground meat, chopped onions, tomatoes and other toppings for do-it-yourself customization.
Make a signature cocktail, and embrace BYOB
Forget the fully stocked bar. If you want to keep costs low and add a nice touch, come up with one signature drink for the party. “It makes guests feel special, and you can make a virgin version for kids,” says Buchanan. You can search the web for countless cocktail ideas.
Although she hesitates to have people bring their own food to her parties, Buchanan has no trouble telling them to bring their own alcohol. “People like so many different things, whether it’s craft beer or a specific type of wine, and it’s an easy thing for people to pick up on the way there.”
Write your list, see what’s already covered
Carissa Casey, creator of the food and lifestyle blog Pretty/Hungry (prettyhungryblog.com), makes a list of all required items and tries to mark off everything she can without buying it. “Can you make the bread from scratch? Can you substitute one kind of cheese for something you already have in your fridge?” she asks herself when she’s in planning mode.
Whether she’s borrowing fresh basil from a friend with an herb garden or shopping in her own pantry for simple ingredient substitutes, she prefers to eliminate as much as possible from her shopping list. (A sure way to save money.)
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