by Erin Hynes
Yes, times are tight. But that doesn’t mean you have to forgo getting your friends or family together for a gathering — you can entertain on a budget without sacrificing style. Save money and your sanity by simplifying your party menu and decorations.
Scale it back. Guests look forward to party food, but you don’t have to serve a seven-course meal to send them home stuffed and happy. Narrow your focus (and free yourself to mingle) by offering just appetizers or only dessert. The key to success is to serve foods a few notches above everyday fare.
Scale back your beverage choices too. Instead of a full bar, offer beer and wine, or a signature drink such as an apple martini. Provide water and a few different soft drinks too.
Involve your guests. Take your cue from potlucks and BYOBs by asking guests to contribute to the gathering’s fare, but give it a new spin to make it more fun with one of these ideas:
- Ask each guest bring an interesting cheese (so you don’t end up with cheddar, cheddar and cheddar). You provide the crackers, beverages and a simple fruit tray.
- Make a friendly competition of it — host a chili cook-off, dessert bake-off or best-recipe contest.
- Pick a type of cuisine — such as sushi — and invite guests to bring their favorite dish within that cuisine.
Decent dishes. Paper plates are so last millennium! They’re hard to eat from and aren’t eco-friendly. Instead, invest in inexpensive white porcelain or glass plates and bowls — they go with everything. Worried about breakage? Opt for eco-friendly bamboo instead.
Homegrown decorations. Look to your yard for materials for a seasonal centerpiece or place setting decoration. You don’t have to be skilled at flower arranging — buy several small, colorful glass vases and plunk a single flower into each one. Group the vases at the center of the table, or put one in front of each place setting. Or float large blossoms, such as peony, in a large glass salad bowl. Tie ribbon around the end of a spring of rosemary or an evergreen and set one at each place setting.
No plants? No problem. Pick up an inexpensive clear bowl or cylindrical vase, and fill it with small rocks and water — the water brings out the color of the rocks.
Shop a different aisle. When shopping for decorations, stroll through departments you might not think of, keeping an eye out for items that can be intriguing, unexpected decorations. What could you do with bead necklaces from the jewelry counter? Miniature cars from the toy aisle? Tiny picture frames? Turn your imagination sideways to find ways to use ordinary items in an unusual way.
Being a frugal host is an opportunity to tap into your creativity and then show it off. So set a date, send out the invitations and get ready to enjoy time with the people you care about.
Writer Erin Hynes says cheese-tasting parties are just her style.
