Happy Friday, my friends. Not only is it Friday, it is the most glorious weekend of the year, Fourth of July weekend! Woot woot! Y’all I’m so excited. When I think of The Fourth, I think of summer parties, and since I love summer parties, I’m sharing my 5 best tips for hosting a summer party on a budget.
Here are my 5 favorite tips for hosting a summer party on a budget:
ONE: Pick only 1 “wow” dish
It’s tempting to go all out on your party spread, but if you do that you could end up blowing all of your party budget pretty quickly. Pick 1, maybe 2, amazing dishes with high quality ingredients to cook from scratch. My current favorite wow party dish is my corn and green tomato salad. It’s perfect for the summer heat.
TWO: Compliment your wow dish with easy prep dishes
It’s too much to be a caterer, party planner and bar tender while hosting a summer party. Something has to give! That’s why I’m a huge fan of supplementing my party spread with pre-packaged dishes. You can always find a few pre-made dishes when you come to one of my parties. My summer favorite is the classic Suddenly Pasta Salad.
You can doctor this up any way you wish. I like to add tomatoes, green peppers, red onions, black olives, and of course, parmesan cheese. There is no way you can go wrong!
THREE: Be smart about your drinks
Just because you are a party host, doesn’t mean you have to supply a full bar. Keep it simple with one signature cocktail, wine, and beer. I’m always a fan of making a sangria for summer get togethers.
Get the recipe for my star spangled sangria spritzer. I don’t think you can ever go wrong in the summer with sangria.
FOUR: Use reusable serving ware
Hands down, this tip has saved me the most money over the years. I always try to buy reusable serving ware, plates, and cups when on sale just so I have them handy for parties and get togethers.
If you are having a huge party, you can still buy disposable plates, napkins, and utensils. Stick to reusable trays and other serving ware to not only add a touch of class, but to make less waste.
FIVE: Get creative with decor
Here’s a tip that will save you a ton of money and time: don’t go to the party store with the intent of buying everything you need to decorate for a party. Instead, think outside the box and decorate with what you have. I’m a big fan of chalk board decorations because they can be used over and over again. I’ve used the banner below in at least four parties (see them here and here)
Don’t have much in the way of decor? Consider buying fresh flowers or search Pinterest for free printables to jazz up your theme.
I don’t think I’ve ever dressed up suddenly salad….I just whip it up as is, because it is such a quick and easy side for cookouts!
Isn’t it? It doesn’t need any doctoring up!
I like to serve pasta salad with grilled chicken
Oh yum!
The decorations are super cute!
Thank you! I really do love to decorate on a budget.
These are all great ideas Hannah, and I really love the banner, and the sangria! Awesome tips here!
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Thanks! I’m really loving this banner too. I got it at Target for maybe $3. I’ve used it so many times that I’ve totally gotten my moneys worth!
Thank you so much for sharing your awesome ideas. They will definitely save money. The 4th is coming up, so I read this just in time.
Thanks for these tips,I really like arranging parties and decorations is the favourite part…
Everything looks amazing! Your photography and blog graphics are seriously off the charts! I have to work on the 4th, but I’m hoping to get a little bit of BBQ’ing in!
Thank you! That means a whole lot! Working on the 4th is no fun! Bummer. You def need to get some BBQ in!
I haven’t made Suddenly Salad in years and I’m not sure why…it’s so good! You’re entire party looks great and I love that you put it together without spending too much!
I like to serve pasta salad with pork chops and french style green beans.
We aren’t so much pasta salad eaters but it looks pretty good. May have to give it a try.
Oh we love having it as a side dish when we grill hamburgers or hotdogs! So nice to go with it on the hot days when you do not want to use the oven! I love to add some vegetables or fruits from our garden!
We like serving it with steak and corn
I love the Ranch and Bacon Suddenly salad and I like to add sliced olives and picess of chicken to it.
cshell090869 at aol dot com
I visited their site and love the idea of the black and blue pasta salad with steak, it would make a great summer meal.
Oh my! That sounds so good!
I’ll definitely be making the bacon and ranch suddenly salad
showstopper474 at gmail dot com
My favorite way is something like an antipasto salad — olives, chunks of Provolone cheese, salami, etc.
Great tips, thank you for sharing them at The Really Crafty Link Party this week. Pinned!
I particularly love the idea of having just one main dish. It’s not only budget friendly, it saves you a lot of time too!
i love serving it with other salads! I’d love to try the greek pasta salad
i love serving it next to a meat dish
I’d love to try the greek salad and pair with salmon!
Lindilala at aol dot com
the black and blue pasta looks amazing with a side of salad and salmon.