December 28th, 2009 by admin

It’s easy to be the hostess or the host with the most this New Year’s Eve and also save money. You just need to know the following key strategies that will help you magically turn a little money into a great New Year’s soiree:

Tip #1: Create your own invitations

There are a huge number of free holiday party invitations you can download online. Just find invitation artwork you like, paste it into a Word document or some other type of word processor and print. If you choose wisely, the end results should exceed your expectations.

Tip #2: Save on decorations by making them yourself

Many very festive holiday decorations can be made at home with just free vintage New Year clipart you can find on the Web. These can be printed on card stock; cut out with scissors, a craft knife or a paper cutter and put in various locations, including on the table as place cards and in flower arrangements. If you want to get fancy, try applying some touches of glitter glue here and there to make the decorations stand out.

Tip #3: Provide background music

Holiday music relaxes people and also sets the party’s mood. You can always use holiday CDs, of course, but live music is much more, well, lively. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to spend a lot to have live music. If you don’t have friends or family members who would be willing to work for free, check with your local college’s music department. There may be some student musicians who will work for free or just a small fee.

Tip #4: Serve foods that don’t cost a lot but have a big impact

While planning the menu for your party, look for appetizer recipes that aren’t expensive to make and also look terrific on display. A good example is to serve a low-cost dip in a hollowed-out purple cabbage bowl, or filling baked puff pastry cups with imitation crab dip you can get at a deli or make yourself or any other filling of your choice.

There are probably other methods you can think of to keep your holiday entertaining budget under control. Just remember to keep your guests’ experience in mind and don’t let saving money make the party seem cheap. If you stay focused on being classy, no one will even know your New Year’s Eve party was done on a shoestring.