Frugal Parties: A Holiday Planning Tea
I always have grand plans when it comes to holiday parties: cookie decorating, open houses, family feasts. Yet adding cute sprinkles to my grocery list becomes even harder during the one month we're most scrunched for cash.
This year I'm trying another approach, one that will save us all time and money. I'm throwing a holiday planning tea!
I hoped to take a nice long pause before Thanksgiving, when my calendar is clear, to plan for the holidays. I thought I'd pull out all the Southern Living Christmas books, sip a cup of spiced apple cider, and scribble out some lists on seasonal paper. Then I realized, "How much more fun would this be with friends?"
So I'm rounding up my guest list for a Saturday afternoon. I'll make spiced tea, coffee, finger sandwiches and something sweet. We can all bring a favorite Christmas craft idea or cookbook to share with the group. Maybe we'll all leave with new enthusiasm for the season ahead!
No pressure to deck the halls, race to another open house, or bake 12 dozen cookies to swap! How does this sound to you? How soon do you begin your frugal party planning?
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7 Responses to “Frugal Parties: A Holiday Planning Tea”
October 26th, 2009 at 8:41 am
This is a fabulous idea – if I just lived closer I’d be begging for an invite:) I’m inspired to find a way to get together with some friends. , With the new baby and a hubby working overtime who has to sleep in th daytime…well, the logistics have wiped out what little social life I had:( Yoou always make me want to find a way! We will be hosting a baby dedication again this Christmas, though, so I do have something to get started planning.
October 26th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
I think that sounds very fun! *sigh* Wish we lived closer!
October 27th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Great idea. I’ve already put two dates on the November calendar for my MOMS Club friends to come over in the daytime. We’ll take turns watching the kids so moms can sit in a separate room and work on cards or homemade gifts.
October 30th, 2009 at 8:10 am
Oh, wow, you know the budget is really tight when buying sprinkles puts a strain on the grocery budget. The tea sounds like a great idea for some frugal planning and I am willing to bet someone has sprinkles to share! Have a great afternoon!
October 30th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Just a little hyperbole to get the point across, Samantha. Although some of those cute decorator sprinkles do cost $3.99 a jar…
Those party odds and ends can overrun a grocery budget before you even know it: cute napkins, cream for coffee, juice boxes for child guests, etc. For anyone who’s making a conscious effort to make every dollar meaningful, the little things do add up.
Maybe you take the money you didn’t spend on sprinkles and cupcake papers and put it toward a food basket for a family in need. Maybe, in this economy, that family is your own. Either way, it’s nice to brainstorm ways we can enjoy each other’s company without all the fuss of a holiday blow-out.
(BTW: Amy of Momadvice taught me to color our own decorating sugar by adding a few drops of food color, stirring, and drying. Works great, and you get every shade for pennies! My kids think that coloring the sugar is actually more fun than decorating the cupcake itself.)
November 7th, 2009 at 9:14 am
Ooh, this is a very nice idea! I will think more about this and perhaps invite a few of my homeschooling mom friends over for an afternoon tea on a Saturday… sounds like a nice, relaxing time!
December 21st, 2009 at 9:41 am
I wanted to have a party for the ladies in my life as a day of relaxation during the busy holiday season so I chose a tea. It was a beautiful afternoon and it was very economical too.
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