Tips for Hosting an Inexpensive Halloween Party
Halloween parties are great fun for both kids and adults. Even with a limited budget you can put on a successful Halloween party, serve loads of great food and provide a whole evening of enjoyable entertainment. Your guests will leave your home laughing and happy and looking forward to your next party.The key to hosting a budget-friendly Halloween party is to do most of the preparing yourself, from the food to the costumes to the decorations to the entertainment. Avoid buying already-prepared foods and don’t hire a caterer. Draw up a menu that uses inexpensive foods that can be stretched to serve many people. For costumes, decorations and entertainment, look for materials and supplies you already have in your home and in your yard.1. Budget-friendly menuYou can serve a lot of delicious food at your party while staying within your budget. If having a large crowd, don’t hesitate to ask your guests to contribute with beverages, chips, dips, side dishes, even paper goods like plates, cups and napkins.If you are doing most of the food preparation yourself, make it easy and serve hearty one-pot entrées such as chili, soup, stew or pasta with meat sauce. All can be prepared ahead of time and all can inexpensively feed a lot of people. For sides include bread, rolls, a salad or veggie platter. If the party is for kids, you can never go wrong with homemade pizza or macaroni and cheese.For a festive house drink, make up a large bowl of non-alcoholic orange punch. Start with orange juice or orange soda, add some ginger ale, even some orange sherbet just before serving. Drape a few black hairy spiders over the side of the punch bowl for that perfect Halloween touch!For dessert, cupcakes and sheet cakes are easy, inexpensive and typically go over well with both adults and children. Spread the cake with orange frosting and add whatever you like on top for decoration - Halloween candy, spiders, gory eyeballs, whatever suits your fancy! Buy some generic brand ice cream and you have a delicious and inexpensive dessert that will satisfy all your guests.2. Budget-friendly costumesFor Halloween costumes look around your home for ideas. Old prom and wedding gowns, tuxedos, vintage clothing, hats, jewelry, tiaras, veils, gloves, cheerleader outfits, sports uniforms, sheets for ghosts, black capes for witches and vampires - all work for creating some great costumes and accessories.If you need some extras to go with your costume, check out your local consignment and thrift shops such as Goodwill and Salvation Army. You can often find gently-used clothing and accessories, unused wigs and costumes, usually at very reasonable prices.3. Budget-friendly decorationsWith a bit of creativity and a small amount of money you can create some great decorations for your Halloween party. A few pumpkins, some leaves and acorns from your yard make a good start for setting the autumn theme. If your budget allows, check out your local garden nursery or farm for cornstalks, colored corn, hay bales and other Halloween decorations.To make a straw man or scarecrow, fill an old pair of pants and a shirt with some newspaper or straw, paint a face on a pumpkin, add a tattered hat and assemble for sitting on your front porch or on a chair in the party room.If you are having a kids’ party, let your kids make the decorations either before or during the party. They can make cutouts from orange and black construction paper, ghosts from an old sheet, witches and bats from a cheap piece of black fabric. Add some orange balloons to the decorations and then hand them out as the kids leave the party.Check out your local dollar store for spiders, webs and other creepy Halloween extras that kids love. Look for a cheap tape or CD of Halloween music to play during the party.4. Budget-friendly entertainmentYou can have a variety of entertainment at your party and spend little to no money. Dancing, music, parlor games, karaoke are all fun and all cost-free. For an adult party, consider organizing a neighborhood treasure hunt or engaging your guests in a talent show. Set up tables for different games such as cards, Trivial Pursuit, Jeopardy, even craft projects and let everyone choose their own entertainment. Ask your guests to contribute to an inexpensive prize for best Halloween costume.For a young kids’ party, organize some simple games and craft projects. Goodie bags full of inexpensive treats always make popular party favors. For teens and tweens, provide some music, some room for dancing, some rental movies and they should be very happy.You can throw a fabulously fun Halloween party and easily keep it budget-friendly. The most important ingredient for any party is getting the right group of people together and the fun will happen automatically. The food, decorations and entertainment are the extras and can be done easily and inexpensively.
