10 Cheap Parties to Host this Winter

One of the best ways to beat the winter blahs is to fill your home with people. It's cold outside and you might not feel like hitting the bars, but even in the darkest months home parties offer warm, welcoming places to kick back and relax. To save on expenses, it always helps to keep your party small. Even if you want to throw a bigger bash, there are ways to save...

Host a small dinner party and use these ideas for setting the table on a budget.
Throw a cocktail party stocked with inexpensive supplies. Choose one or two signature drinks and hors d'oeudvres to keep the cost of food and liquor low.
Have a buffet-style potluck and invite your friends to bring their favorite recipes.
Have some friends over for movie night, and choose the drinks accordingly. Serve martinis (shaken not stirred) and olives at a James Bond party; for a Godfather party, give your guests cannolis and godfather cocktails.
Throw an all-white party and keep your decorations inexpensive: paper snowflakes, basic white china, white carnations.
Host a holiday brunch rather than a dinner party. Brunch fare is generally less expensive than a dinner menu, you won't have to spend as much on drinks, and the casual mid-day vibe keeps things low-key.
We love those old photos of our grandparents decked out in suits and cocktail dresses for their regular card parties. Why not revive an old tradition and have friends over for game night? If you're not a Bridge fan, try Scrabble (you can pair off in teams to accommodate more people), Monopoly, or Trivial Pursuit.
Host a craft party where everyone makes something together, whether it's cookies, ornaments, or knitted scarves.
Throw a wine and cheese party. Each guest brings a bottle of wine, you supply a selection of artisanal cheeses, and guests can try pairing them together.
Swap Parties are a great way to declutter your home, find new things for free, and hang out with friends.

Photo: Weeknight Dinner Parties

Comments (7)

Love the idea of games night. I keep it simple for those types of nights:
I just serve hummous and pita, crackers and cheese, veggies and dip, or chips and salsa. And a big bowl of pretzels (for those playing wii Guitar Hero -- no mess!). Easy peasy.
Nothing like yummy munchies and a fun game of cranium and balderdash with good company! (:

When i have a wine and cheese party, I tell people to flip a coin. If they get heads, bring wine. Tails, cheese. I make sure to have a few extra of each, but it always works out that there's plenty of each.

I guess in the Midwest we've always been cheap. These are the only kinds of parties I've ever thrown/attended!

Tomorrow, I am hosting a wreath party. Everyone is bringing an empty wreath and some decorations to share. Then we will just make a big mess of my kitchen!

I am serving a tiny brunch with it -- mini quiches, scones with jam or lemon curd and a citrus fruit salad. And to make sure my house smells great, I am also brewing apple cider and my guests will be able to go through my tea stash. Wish me luck!

I am hosting a small themed movie night. We agree on a theme - tonight we've agreed to "old school Disney" (we're in our early 20s) - and everyone who is coming is bringing their pick and we'll sit and watch all of them one after another. should be fun.

Other themes on the list were Foodie movies, Books that became movies, british humor, etc. etc.

in general, i've found it way less expensive to serve real food vs. hor 'devours, especially if you're hosting 8 or more people. you really can't go wrong with a simple semi-gourmet pasta and a mixed green salad with homemade vinaigrette. you can prep everything ahead of time so that it's just a matter of boiling noodles and tossing the salad. have one nice chunk of cheese, cubed up crusty bread, and a balsamic & olive oil dippy sauce to tide friends over while you're cooking. if you ask everyone to bring a bottle of wine, it's an elegant night for well under $30. no excuses not to entertain! ;)