Graduation season is almost here. Honor your graduate while keeping the budget on track with some money-saving tips.
Consider the Venue
Your home is a free venue, but you may choose to have your celebration at an alternate location. A grandparent’s home, friend’s home or aunt’s home could work just as well. In addition, other venues that may have a nominal reservation fee but that could be the perfect location include a local park, neighborhood clubhouse or community center.
Choose Cost-Effective Food and Drink Options
Serving pulled pork BBQ or grilling hot dogs and hamburgers tend to be great options when you’re planning to serve a full meal to a crowd. Adding things like pasta salad, green salad, fruit salad and cookies that can be made ahead of time also frees you up to enjoy your guests. Serving lots of appetizers and small desserts while limiting main course options can also be a cost effective way of serving everyone.
In the drink department, serve a homemade punch in a large beverage server. If you’re offering alcohol, consider serving beer and wine instead of hard liquor.
Create a Theme
Personalize the party to reflect your graduate .Instead of the traditional graduation route, do a theme the party around something meaningful for the graduate. If he loves baseball, place baseballs on the table for people to scribble notes on. If she is getting a degree in global business management, decorate with globes and maps while serving international fare.
Shop Ahead to Score Bargains
Local thrift stores, yard sales and online selling communities are ideal for finding treasures perfect for your graduation party, find tables, chairs, linens, vases, lanterns, goblets, glass plates, lights, games, serving ware and more. Don’t forget about food and drink items, when bottled water and soft drinks go on sale, stock up and store them for the party.
Make the Dollar Store Your Best Friend
Shop at your local dollar store for party supplies. Your local store will probably have everything from platters, bowls, napkins, balloon bouquets, streamers and plastic tablecloths. Sometimes graduation-themed items are for sale very inexpensively.
Simplify Decor
Shop at a mega-store for great deals on generic paper goods, plastic ware and cups. Add some pizzazz to plain white napkins by tying them with black ribbons to look like diplomas. Some other simple ideas to create a festive atmosphere include showcasing pictures of the graduate through the years, using natural or brown paper wrapped books as table centerpieces, creating a photo booth wall/area with hashtag sign and hanging lights.
Think Outside the Box for Rentals
If you’re going to be renting items, stay away from the big rental companies because the mark-up is quite high. Consider renting linens from a local restaurant and tables and chairs from a church, funeral home or school.
Invite Guests to an Open House Rather Than a Full Meal
One of the main benefits of an open house is that it lasts at least three hours and allows guests to drop in and out while spending time with the graduate. Many parties will be going on simultaneously, so this allows guests to easily visit several guests of honor in one day.
Skip Printed Invitations
Digital invitations are definitely the way to go. Send out an invite on social media or through a digital invitation service.
Set the Mood with Great Music
DJ the party with your own playlist and some good speakers.
Set Up Some Outdoor Games for Everyone to Enjoy
Keep everyone in a festive mood with some outdoor games. Fan favorites include corn hole, twister, human checkers, ladder ball and even stacks of playing cards.
