You’ll be festive and frugal this holiday season when you use my four budget entertaining secrets. Yes, it is possible to throw a party on a tight budget. Don’t worry…your guests won’t think you’re cheap because The Budget Diet girl is all about living the good life for less! Learn how to entertain for less right now!
 
 
Dim the Lights
Create instant ambiance with candlelight, lamplight or even strands of Christmas lights. Trust me, everything looks better without those bright overhead lights! Check out these ideas for lighting using items you already have.

• A collection of candles on a mirror makes an elegant centerpiece…you could use votives, pillars or a mixture of whatever you happen to have.
• If you’re not using your fireplace, group together pillar candles of varying heights for a warm glow.
• Even if it’s not Christmas, pull out your white Christmas lights! Have you ever noticed how many restaurants beautifully use those tiny sparkling lights on a patio all year round?
• If you have 3-way bulbs in any of your lamps, opt for the lowest wattage to cast a soft glow throughout the room.

 
Serve a Signature Cocktail
Your party bar can be a budget breaker if you try to provide an open bar. Instead, opt for a signature cocktail, 1 type of beer and a pitcher of water with fruit immersed in it. Signature cocktails can be made with cheap wine or liquor which is a huge money saver. Choose a signature cocktail to fit with the theme of your party, and you’ll have everyone asking for the recipe rather than thinking…she’s cheap! Need recipes for signature cocktails to serve at your Christmas party?

• Poinsettia Punch is perfect for your Christmas party!
• Warm Sangria will fill your home the wonderful aroma of cinnamon and spices!

 
Bring a Dish
Consider providing the main dish and asking your guests to bring the appetizers, side dishes and dessert. This doesn’t mean your dinner party is going to turn into a hodge podge potluck because you’ll take charge and let your guests know the theme and the type of dish you’d like them to bring. For example, if you’re hosting a fiesta, ask the Smiths to bring a Mexican appetizer and the Joneses to bring a dessert. Even better, skip the big meal and serve hor d’oeuvres and desserts.

Decorations? Shop your house first!
You’ve already taken the first step to party decorating on a budget by dimming those lights. Step #2, take a walk around your house and gather up things you already have to create a centerpiece. The beauty of hosting a Christmas party is that your decorations are already in place! During other times of the year, how about adding a candlestick to an empty wine bottle for an Italian dinner party? A cowboy boot filled with flowers makes a great centerpiece for any western themed party. Click here for more party decorating essentials.

It’s fun to be festive and frugal! What will you do with the money you save?
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Image courtesy of: nuchylee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Want to throw a summertime party, but you’re pinching pennies? Invite a few friends over for a backyard bbq, take advantage of simple summer fun, let mother nature do the decorating and enjoy! A backyard bbq is both simple and budget friendly if you follow these 5 money saving tips:
 
 

1. Menu – Always check the grocery ads before planning your menu! Grocery ads come out each Wednesday in your newspaper and online, and prices are good through Tuesday. If ground beef is not on sale, but chicken thighs are…guess what you should be serving!

   No sales, no worries – the all American hot dog can be the star if you dress them up with a fixins’ bar: cheese, onions, chili, relish, slaw, ketchup and mustard.

   Don’t shy away from store brand condiments and chips because they’re easily disguised in serving bowls, and they’ll save you an average of 25%!

   Grocery ads will also help you choose the best bargains for soft drinks, beer, chips and side dishes. Be nostalgic and serve a variety of ice cream bars for dessert!

2. Guests – Let your guests know that you’re providing the meat and beverages, and you’d like them to bring a side dish or dessert. When they r.s.v.p., ask what they’ll be bringing to avoid having a party with all desserts and no side dishes! Actually, if you have all desserts, invite me!
3. Utensils and Paper Products – The Budget Diet was recently featured in the June 27th issue of First for Women touting the dollar store as the go-to place for bargain utensils and paper products. A bag of 48 forks, spoons or knives is just $1 compared with the $8 box of 150 pieces (50 of each utensil) at superstores. You’ll find similar savings on paper products.
4. Activities – Take advantage of simple summer fun like a water balloon toss, watermelon eating contest, horseshoes, croquet or whatever yard games you may have. Minute to Win It challenges are another budget friendly idea to keep your guests entertained!
5. Decorations – One of my favorite budget friendly table decorations is a simple glass bottle or glass soda bottle with a flower from your garden. Cost: $0. If you entertain outdoors frequently, it would be worthwhile to invest in oilcloth for table covers. You can cut it to fit, no hemming is required and it’s easy to wipe clean and reuse. The Budget Diet girl suggests a simple red and white check oilcloth which would come in handy for bbq’s, picnics or Italian dinners. Oilcloth is sold at fabric stores for about $5 a yard, but be on the lookout for coupons or sales.

What are your favorite ways to host a backyard bbq on a budget?

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Image courtesy of: Dino De Luca / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2 opens in theatres July 15th, so if you’re planning a birthday party…a Harry Potter theme just might be the ticket!

The Budget Diet’s Harry Potter party is ideal for boys or girls, ages 6 – 9. You’ll find ideas for Harry Potter invitations, Harry Potter games, Harry Potter crafts, Harry Potter food and decorations. Mix and match…make the party work for you!

Total Cost: less than $50 (unless you hire a professional magician)
 

Harry Potter invitation

Crystal Ball Invitations:

• Use an old CD & write – PREDICTION – A HARRY POTTER PARTY.
• Using purple cardstock cut-out a base for your “crystal ball”.
• Write the details of the party on the base.

Harry Potter Games – The Sorting Hat:

• As the children arrive at the party, let them put the sorting hat on and reach into a bowl to choose their house (Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff). The house will become their team for the party. The sorting hat can be made by forming a piece of black poster board into a cone and adding stars for decorations.
• The houses will rotate to Quidditch, Potions and Spells during the party. If you have less than 12 party guests, the children can go as 1 group to all the stations.

Quidditch – Harry Potter Game:

• Quidditch rules are very complex, so I’ve created a simplified version for your party…it’s more like a combination of hide and seek and tag.
• Two houses will go to this station together.
• A large wooded area is ideal for this Harry Potter game.
• One person is “it” – also known as the Golden Snitch. The Golden Snitch should be an adult.
• The Golden Snitch will have a small rubber ball spray painted gold attached to their body with a flag from flag football.
• Both teams mount their brooms and try to capture the golden snitch. They must always be on their brooms.
• The team that captures the Golden Snitch wins!

Potions:

• Let the children create an explosion! Simply put 1 tablespoon of baking soda in a cup, and then slowly add vinegar.
• Harry Potter craft – make a wand! Give each child a 1 foot, 1/2″ round dowel, and let them decorate it by gluing ribbons, glitter and feathers. Curling ribbon easily wraps around the dowels.

Spells

• Have a magician or parent teach a magic trick or two.

Harry Potter Movie

• If your party is indoors or is a sleepover…make time to watch a Harry Potter movie – complete with popcorn & jelly beans!

Harry Potter Party Food – Harry Potter Recipes

• In addition to the cake, let the children frost & decorate an ice cream cone to look like a wizards hat. Make different colors of frosting and have lots of various spinkles.
• Serve Punch from the Swamp in a cauldron!
• Recipe for Punch from the Swamp:
• 2 liter bottle of Sprite or Seven-Up
• 1 large bottle of white grape juice
• 1, 12 oz. can frozen limeade concentrate
• Green food coloring…add a drop or two to get the desired swamp color!
• Mix all and chill.
• Add 1 package of gummy worms when serving.

Party Favors

• jelly beans
• small magic kit
• Harry Potter tatoos

Decorations

• We had my son’s Harry Potter outdoors in the woods, & the natural setting was ideal & FREE!
• If you’re hosting your party indoors…many of your Halloween decorations will work. Don’t waste money at the party store on themed decorations!
• Black crepe paper streamers hung in doorways are very effective!

 
Please click on the title of this article to share your Harry Potter party ideas!

Chill out with a Wet and Wild Backyard Splash Party – it’s another budget birthday party from The Budget Diet girl!

Ages: Tots to Preteens
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Invitations
Purchase inflatable beach balls, inflate and use a sharpie to write the birthday details on the ball. Deflate, and place in an envelope with instructions to blow up the beach ball. Amazon offers 1 dozen beach balls for just $9.95!

Games / Activities
No pool? No worries! Pick and choose from the following games and activities to create your own Wet and Wild Backyard Splash Party. A trip to the dollar store will yield plenty of inexpensive prizes.

• Slip-n-Slide – Growing up the slip-n-slide was a summertime tradition! Bring back some retro summer fun!
• Wet Sponge Toss – It’s just like the pie in the face game, but instead the children use a big, soaking wet car wash sponge to cool off one of the adults at the party. This is the perfect job for an Aunt or Uncle that wants to help with the party!
• Sprinkler Fun – Give each child an empty cup and have them choose a spot around the sprinkler. They must not move once the sprinkler starts! The first child to fill up their cup wins. Penalty for moving – dump your cup on your head and start again!
• Frozen Potato – Freeze a water balloon, and use it for a game of frozen potato…just like hot potato! When the music stops, the person holding the frozen potato is out. The last person wins!
• Splash Tag or Water Gun Tag – It’s a traditional game of tag, but with water!
• Water Balloon Toss – Better for older kids!
• Beach Ball Race – Use water guns to move beach balls to the finish line!
• Paint The Fence – Set up buckets of water and big paint brushes, and see which child can paint a section of the wooden fence the fastest.
• Go Fish – Use a baby pool as a fish pond! Use a magnetic child’s fishing pole set, and each color of fish = a different prize. If you are entertaining older children, let them “fish” out the prizes with their feet!

Food

• Sun Shaped Sandwiches – Use a cookie cutter to make sandwiches shaped like the sun!
• Fish Shaped Jello - Combine 4 envelopes of Knox unflavored gelatin and 3 small boxes of blue jello. Add 4 cups boiling water and stir until dissolved. Pour into a 9″ x 13″ baking pan and chill until firm. Use a fish shaped cookie cutter to cut out blue fish! The Knox gelatin will help these stay firm in the heat!
• Ocean Water Punch – Use blue food coloring to make lemonade look like blue ocean water. Float a few gummy fish in it for fun!
• Fruit Kabobs

Cake
Save yourself money – bake it, don’t buy it! You don’t need any cake decorating skills to make cupcakes with frosting! Add any of these cute little picks for instant decorations!

Party Favors
Freeze the party favors in blocks of ice, and at the end of the party let each child melt the ice to get to their favor! No dropping or throwing allowed…they can only rub it around the hot pavement! Small torpedos that you dive for in the pool are perfect to freeze!

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Image courtesy of: Maggie Smith / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

July 4th weekend is a great opportunity to meet with friends and enjoy a party or barbecue. In today’s rough financial climate, it’s much harder just to make ends meet and many of us don’t have extra money for things like parties. Here are three great ways to have your party without breaking the bank.

1. Use Serving Dishes and Pitchers Rather Than Factory Packaging
Serving snacks and drinks on dishes and in pitchers rather than in their original packaging does more than just make your party look better. It also gives you the opportunity to buy generic chips and drinks without looking cheap. Very few of your guests are likely to notice the difference in brand without the packaging visible. This is especially true for soda, which on average is half the price per liter when bought generic.

2. Serve Home Baked Treats
Making small cookies and other baked goods is a terrific alternative to expensive catering foods. Many households already have everything they need to bake basic things like rolls or cakes, so it may even save you a trip to the grocery store. It may be a significant time investment depending on the size of your party, but if things are tight it may be worth the extra effort.

3. Rather Than Shouldering The Cost of Food Alone, Have a Potluck
The most expensive part of most parties is the food. Depending on the size of your party it could cost hundreds of dollars to make sure everyone is fed. Rather than having something like a barbecue and taking on that burden alone, why not throw a potluck? A potluck dinner style party is a great way to avoid the high cost of food and also offer a varied menu of different cultural dishes.

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Written by: Bridget Sandorford
Bio: Aside from school and working part-time as an Assistant Chef, Bridget Sandorford is the resident Culinary Schools blogger where recently she’s been researching Canadian culinary colleges as well as Auckland culinary colleges. She lives outside of Charleston, South Carolina.

Photo Credit:

Image: Sarah Arbogast / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Budget Birthday Parties and Creative Party Themes are my specialty, and The Budget Diet’s new Party Index makes it easy to find the best party theme!

Birthday Parties

• Toddlers
• 1st Birthday Party (girls)
• Carnival Birthday Party (girls and/or boys)
• Wet and Wild Party – It’s a Backyard Splash Party
• Elementary School Children
• Carnival Birthday Party (girls and/or boys)
• The Great Outdoors Birthday Party
• Harry Potter Party (girls and/or boys)
• Garden Party (girls)
• Wet and Wild Party – It’s a Backyard Splash Party
• Pre-Teens
• Amazing Race Party (girls and/or boys)
• Minute to Win It Party (girls and/or boys)
• Wet and Wild Party – It’s a Backyard Splash Party
• Teens
• Amazing Race Party (girls and/or boys)
• It’s a Charming Birthday Party (perfect for a Sweet 16!)
• Bunco Birthday Party (girls)
• Mall Scavenger Hunt Party
• Minute to Win It Party (girls and/or boys)
• Adults
• It’s a Charming Birthday Party (perfect for a milestone birthday – 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th…)
• A Pirate Looks at 40 (Jimmy Buffett theme!)

 
Adult Parties

• Brown Bag Wine Tasting Party
• Cheeseburgers in Paradise (a Jimmy Buffett themed cookout!)
• Cookie Exchange
• Margaritaville Happy Hour (a Jimmy Buffett themed happy hour!)
• Minute to Win It Party
• Oscar Party
• Pinterest Party
• Pot Luck Dinners
• Frugal Fiesta
• Sex and the City (great for a girls night in!)

 
Holiday Parties

• 3 Great Ways to Save Money on Your July 4th Party
• Cookie Exchange

 
Party Decorations

• Fourth of July Centerpiece
• Frugal Entertaining Tips

Party Food

• Food Bar Ideas for Parties

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Photo courtesy of Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A mall Scavenger Hunt is perfect for teen girls!  It’s as simple as picking teams (we had 3, 3 person teams chosen by a random drawing), setting the rules and sending them off with a mall scavenger hunt list.  The only preparation was a 1 hour trip to the mall to come up with the scavenger hunt list, and I’ve already done that for you!

These mall scavenger hunt ideas should get you started…just make a quick trip to your mall to make sure you have the stores that I’ve listed in parentheses.

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Rules:

• The mall scavenger hunt will last 2 hours with a break after the first hour for dinner.
• Meet us at Sbarro after 1 hour.  Every minute your team is late will cost you 1 point.
• Every item is worth 1 point.
• Team members must stay together, splitting up will result in a 5 point penalty each time.
• No running.
• You may not get more than 1 item from a store.
• Be polite!
• If you try something on, make sure to put it back!
• Call or text us if you have any questions or problems.
• The team with the most points will get first choice for prizes!  The prizes are all items that you’ll be purchasing during the mall scavenger hunt.

 
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I divided the mall scavenger hunt list into 3 categories: shop, seek, snap!

Shop:   you’ll have a total of $40 to buy these items, so spend it wisely!  Everything you purchase will become a prize at the end of the party, so purchase items you really like!

• A chocolate bunny (Godiva, Dylan’s Candy Bar)
• A piece of jewelry with an Eiffel Tower on it.  If there’s an Eiffel Tower + other things…that’s fine! (Icing, Claires, Charming Charlies, Wet Seal)
• Sunglasses from a store that starts with the letter “A” (Aeropostale)
• Flavored lip gloss (Bath & Body Works)
• Anything with a cat or dog on it.

 
Seek: collect these items in your shopping bag!  I gave each team a reusable shopping bag & a small ziploc for the edible samples.

• Lost receipt
• A free sample of something cinnamon flavored (Cinnabon)
• A Starbucks cup
• A perfume sample (any department store or Bath & Body Works)
• A straw with a wrapper that is not all white
• A tiny ice cream sample spoon
• A take-out menu
• A business card
• A mostly pink shopping bag (Victoria’s Secret)
• A French fry (you cannot buy it!)
• Wedding registry printout (most department stores)
• Chocolate sample
• A hanger
• Employee application
• A piece of toilet paper

 
Snap: use a cell phone camera to snap pictures of the following:

• 3 stores in which the first letter is not capitalized
• Have 1 member of your team put on a pair of high heels and take a picture.
• A naked mannequin
• A pink teddy bear
• The fruitiest store in the mall (Apple!)
• 1 member of your team getting their eye make-up done

 
At the end of the hunt, we returned home to tally the points and enjoy cake. The team with the most points was given first choice of the items the girls shopped for, second place = second choice, third place = third choice. After this, the remaining items were given away in a drawing.

Best party ever according to my 13 year old daughter!

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Image courtesy of: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Could you balance 6 dice on a popsicle stick held in your mouth for 1 minute? How about removing all the tissues from a tissue box with only 1 hand?

Do you watch NBC’s Minute To Win It each week and wish you could try these crazy challenges? If so, it might just be time to host a Minute To Win It Party!

How to Host a Minute To Win It Party

1. This party is ideal for preteens, teens, a girl’s night or adult couples.
2. Invitations: purchase inexpensive stopwatches like these from Amazon
   and attach the party details to the stopwatch. The stopwatch also becomes a great party favor!
3. Choose your challenges based on the age of the guests and supplies you have on hand…this will keep it budget friendly!
4. All challenges are done by 2 person teams, so when guests arrive have them reach into a hat to find out which team they are on. Add to the fun by coming up with silly names for the teams!
5. Keep it simple, no complicated rules, afterall…we’re playing for prizes not a million dollars!
6. Each team to complete the challenge in 1 minute or less will be awarded 1 point.
7. All teams will start the challenge at the same time. Make sure to have plenty of family members to help keep time and monitor that the challenges are being done correctly. There are a few challenges that will be easier to do 1 team at a time like Foul Shot.
8. Buy an assortment of prizes, and the team with the most points gets first choice! Second place gets second choice, third place gets third choice and so on.

 
Minute To Win It Challenges

NBC offers a complete list of Minute to Win It Challenges, but I’ve come up with a few that a well suited for teenage girls. Remember to start that stopwatch because all challenges must be completed in a minute or less!

• Pyramid Power – Starting with 8 dixie cups on the bottom, build a pyramid of 36 cups.
• Double Bubble – Choose one team member to blow a bubble inside of a bubble.
• Dress a Statue – One team member dresses the other using all the items in the bag. The person being dressed may not lift their arms or legs hence the name Dress a Statue!
• Cupcake Chaos – Using all the ingredients in the bag, decorate your cupcake. Note: These cupcakes can later be used for the birthday cake!
• String Thing – Working together, cut this piece of string into 30 equal pieces! No measuring tape or rulers allowed.
• Three Leg Race – Before the stopwatch begins, we will tie one of your legs together. Can you and your partner go 100 yards in 1 minute?
• Paint My Toenails – Choose one team member to paint the other persons toenails. It must be neat!
• Braid It! – Choose one team member to braid the other persons hair in 2 braids. All the hair must be used (other than bangs) and no hairbrushes allowed!
• Tennis Ball Toss – Toss tennis balls into a bucket. You must get 5 in!
• Roll It, Roll It, Roll It – Choose one team member to hold the roll of toilet paper, the other person must unroll the toilet paper without tearing it.
• Chopstick Challenge – Choose one team member to use chopsticks with one hand to move 30 miniature marshmallows from one bowl to another bowl.
• Foul Play – Choose one team member to make 10 foul shots! The other team member may assist buy retrieving the ball.
• Book Balance – Choose one team member to walk 20 feet balancing 3 books on their head!
• Say Cheese – Throw a piece of American cheese onto your partner’s forehead and get it to stick!
• Thread The Needle – Thread 10 needles.
• Chocolate Unicorn – Stack 4 ding dongs on your partners forehead while they are standing up, leaning back.

 
The possibilities are endless for Minute To Win It Challenges! Please remember to test the challenges and adjust for your age group and length of party.

The countdown is on for another fun & frugal party from The Budget Diet girl!