How to Throw a House Warming Party Without Breaking the Bank
You want your family and friends to enjoy your new home as much as you do—and a housewarming party is a great way to accomplish that. However, parties can be expensive after counting up the costs of invites, food, drinks, games, cleaning supplies and more.
The good news is your party doesn’t have to be lavish or expensive to be memorable. Instead of going the traditional route, which can be costly, save money using these simple ideas. In the end, you’ll throw a house warming party to remember without stretching your budget.
Use E-Invites or Facebook
To keep your party classy, you’ll want to send formal invites. But doing paper invites is expensive and time-consuming. Save both time and money by doing e-invites instead. There are a wide variety of websites that allow you to create custom invitations for little to no cost. Be sure to add photos of your new place along with whatever games, food, and drink that will be there.
If you don’t want to be that formal, create an event on Facebook. Nearly everyone is on Facebook and it will take less than 10 minutes to do. For anyone not on Facebook, be sure to send the event via email, which you can do right within the Facebook interface.
For a potluck style party, this is a better option than a traditional invite anyway because everyone can share what they’re bringing on the event page’s wall. Not to mention it’s easy for guests to RSVP.
Create a DIY Photo Booth
Everyone loves a photo booth, and you can make one in your home without spending a lot of money. All you need is:
Backdrop (sheet, hanging streamers or decorative shower curtain)
Props (buy wholesale online for minimal cost)
Table for the props
Framed sign with hashtag suggestion
Find a corner in your backyard or home and set up your DIY photo booth for everyone to use. Instead of providing them with a camera, have everyone take photos their cell phone. They’ll share on social using your hashtag, so you can look back on everyone’s fun photo booth photos the next day.
Provide Something Other Than Food and Drink
According to the 2017 Ultimate Summer Party Guide, Americans spend most on food (60 percent) and drink (22 percent) when hosting a summer party. Your housewarming party is no different—and to save money, you may need to consider going potluck style and asking guests to contribute food and drink.
To show your appreciation for their contributions, provide guests with some other fun “party favors” instead. If your home has a pool, buy trendy pool floats—get some ideas from Sugar and Cloth’s 2017 list, which includes champagne, unicorn and flamingo floats. Don’t forget to provide lawn games, which you may already have, or can buy for cheap online or at a second hand store.
Make BYOB Meaningful
Instead of simply having people bring their own alcohol, turn your housewarming party into a Stock The Bar party, where everyone contributes something to your “bar” or alcohol cabinet. This is a fun way for friends and family to share their favorite liquor, wine or bar accessories with you as a housewarming gift that you’ll enjoy for months to come. Remind everyone to be creative, choosing cool or unique bar accessories and alcohols.
To make it more exciting, host a tasting during your party and wholesale order custom cups or glasses (you can get them for less than $100) as a keepsake for guests.
Make it Feel Trendy—Without The Costs
If you want to throw a trendy party, don’t worry about glass champagne flutes or luxurious lighting. Instead, make it feel classy without spending the money on traditional items. For example, instead of buying red solo cups opt for gold, which look and feel fancy without costing any extra money.
Other fun, trendy include:
Statement balloons: Letter balloons that say Party or other custom phrases.
Drink station: Buy a few decanters or jugs from a second hand store.
Wildflowers centerpieces: Buy or pick a handful of wildflowers and dust off those old vases under your sink.
White holiday lights: You can buy them for less than $10 on Amazon at any time of year—white lights with a white chord always look classy.
There are so many ways to make your house warming party fun, trendy and memorable without spending a lot of money. Use these ideas to show your guests a great time. You’ll enjoy your party even more knowing you didn’t go over budget.
BIO: Jessica Thiefels has been writing for more than 10 years and is currently a full-time blogger and consultant. She’s shared a variety of personal experience and tips for websites like Reader’s Digest, AARP, and Lifehack. Follow her on Twitter @Jlsander07 for money-saving ideas, health tips and more.
