Thursday, May 3, 2012

PARTY LIKE IT'S $19.99


Cheap party ideas for the fabulous but financially challenged hostess



Your bank account’s running on fumes and you have a stack of unpaid parking tickets. There’s only one thing to do: call up your friends and put your problems on hold for a weekend. And don’t park on the street (have you seen Parking Wars?).
But how does the hostess with the mostess overdraft fees throw a party on a budget? We put together our favorite ideas for low-cost parties so you can celebrate without breaking the bank.
Cult Movie Party: Every circle of friends has that one movie you all can’t stop quoting. Get it all out of your system with a cult movie night. Rent a copy of Dirty Dancing and get crazy with Swayze. Or invent a fun drinking game (is there any other kind?) and take a shot every time Ryan Gosling takes off his shirt, gets wet, or grows a scruffy yet sexy beard in The Notebook. Costumes, trivia, and tipsy re-enactments might be cheesy, but they’re also inexpensive.
Total Cost: $15 for popcorn and a DVD
Flash Mob: If you want to throw a party without letting those slobs you call friends set foot in your house, then consider organizing a flash mob. Choreographed song and dance numbers in the food court are beyond cliché, but with a little creativity you can organize a spontaneous soirée everyone will talk about. Arrange an impromptu water balloon fight at a local park or crash a bar mitzvah with your Twitter followers. While it will definitely require an orchestrated effort on your part, you don’t have to spend a dime.
Total Cost: Free!
Retro Costume Party: At every costume party, there’s always one weirdo who puts way too much effort into his or her costume. Luckily, there’s a store that actually specializes in out-of-date fashions — Goodwill. Just head to the nearest vintage store and put together a delightfully tacky look. Create an era-appropriate playlist, tell your friends to B.Y.O.B., and make sure to run your thrift store clothes through the washing machine.
Total Cost: $12 for an outfit from Goodwill
A Stock Your Bar Party: The ultimate cheap party idea, this party will liven up any housewarming, engagement, or birthday bash. It’s also the only kind of party that ensures you’ll have more booze when the party ends than when it began. Because despite our best efforts, liquor stores won’t let you register for gifts, yet.
Ask each of your guests to bring a different kind of liquor, wine, mixer, or bartending tool, and by the end of the night you’ll have a fully stocked bar — no flirtatious old men or last call required. Just don’t let your friends down it all before the night ends.
Total Cost: $19.99 for some booze-soaking snacks
xx, Beautyqueen

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