It's Holiday Party Time!

The holiday season is the time of giving, joy and parties!  Whether you are the entertainer or the guest, holiday parties can be expensive!  Here are some strategies to help you cut the costs!

-Say no to meals and yes to Hors d'oeuvres:  Serve up appetizers at your holiday party instead of a full meal.  This leaves more time for your guest to mingle and makes the job of cooking much easier for you!

-Come one come all… with a dish! If you feel inclined to serve a meal, consider have everyone bring their best dish. Not only does this save money but helps you to avoid being overwhelmed by cooking, or having the party catered. Ask for the dish they are making when they RSVP this way you don’t get any duplicates! 

-Hot Chocolate Bar, inexpensive but loads of fun: A great idea that will be fun for both adults and kids is a hot chocolate bar.  Make a lot of hot chocolate at once by preparing it in a crock pot! Put things on the side such as chocolate chips, marshmallows, candy cane stirrers and whatever else you imagine.  You can even have a section of Bailey’s and Kahula to make ‘hard’ hot chocolate.  Just make sure it doesn’t get mixed in with the kids’ hot chocolate!

-Craft corner:  Holiday parties usually involve children and sometimes, especially if you don’t have children of your own, they aren’t the easiest to entertain.  Set up a craft table and supply the children with color books, crayons, watercolor paint, popsicle sticks,  glue and whatever other crafty items you can think of!  Have them make paper snowflakes, reindeer ornaments, hand trees and any other holiday crafts!  Also consider having a gingerbread house making station for the kids!  It could be a little messy but it is sure to entertain them at a very low cost!   

-Break the ice: Depending on your crowd, an ice breaker or two may be appropriate.  If not everyone is too familiar with each other try a fun ice breaker such as “Two truths and a lie” where everyone reveals two truths and one lie about themselves the others have to guess which is the lie.  Clearly no real cost other than shock value!

-Favors:  Homemade and/or edible favors are a cheap alternative to store-bought favors.  Buy a pack of holiday cello bags and fill them with baked goods or a homemade ornament to give to your guests to remember the party and spread the joy! 

Leslie H. Tayne, founder of The Law Offices of Leslie H. Tayne, P.C., assists consumers and individuals with the resolution of their unsecured debts. The firm's flexible and well established policies and procedures have helped thousands of individuals lead a debt-free life. For more information, call 1-914-301-3300 or visit www.attorney-newyork.com.