How to Host a Great Party on a Budget
Middle school graduation is an important event in your child’s life. It marks the end of their childhood and the start of their journey into teenagehood. You may want to celebrate such a momentous occasion but not have a big budget to work with. Don’t worry, you can still throw a great graduation party on a budget. Here’s how:
Reserve your budget for items you can’t DIY
Invitations are easily created with the help of editing apps, and if you cook, you can opt to provide all the food yourself, but your budget is best used on big ticket items like a photo booth rental from the Photo Factory.
It’s important to make sure this special occasion is well documented, so it’s okay to splurge a bit on the items that can’t be DIY’ed.
Preparation is crucial to party planning
When planning any kind of party, preparation is key. Take the time to plan out your party in detail before going out to buy supplies, to avoid buying items you might already have available at home. You can use your high-grade speakers and use Spotify instead of hiring a band.
There are plenty of resources online on how to plan a middle school graduation party. Check these out and see if you can find a list or checklist of essential supplies you’ll be needing. Compare prices at different party supply stores and see which ones can give you the best deals.
Go paperless with the invitations
Instead of printing out and sending paper invitations, create a Facebook event page to invite your friends and family. This makes it easy to keep track of how many people are coming to the party, and it also makes it easy for you to share updates and answer questions.
After the party, you can continue using the event page to share photos and videos. This is not only a budget-friendly option, but it’s also a great way to take advantage of technology while helping the environment.
Consider making it a potluck party
Potlucks are a great way to have a wide variety of dishes without slaving away in the kitchen all day or spending a lot of money on catering. Assign specific courses to different people (appetizers, salad, main dish, dessert, drinks) and be sure to decide on a theme so you don’t end up with a buffet table full of clashing food like sushi and carbonara.
Entertainment doesn’t have to cost a thing
Instead of playing games that require props or materials, stick to classic favorites like charades. Or turn up the music and have a dance off, or turn it into an all-out dance party.
You don’t have to break the bank to throw a great party. What’s important is to have a great company. In the presence of good friends and family whose company you truly enjoy, even the simplest parties will be a whole lot of fun. Throughout the whole planning process, make sure to include your child and get their input. After all, the main point of this party is to celebrate their achievement in the first place, so they should definitely have a say.
