These Holiday Party Planning on a Budget tips will help you save for Christmas!

For the last 10+ years, most holidays have been celebrated in my home with my close family (and sometimes a few extra family members and friends). As the host of the festivities, it’s very easy to get so caught up in the planning that you forget to actually enjoy yourself. While we generally enjoy potluck-style meals (hello, blog rebranding!), I usually plan the meals’ themes and create a majority of the dishes. This year, I have some ideas for not only making your party-planning simpler, but also keeping it more budget-friendly. More money in your pocket and time to enjoy the holidays? Win-Win!

Holiday party planning can be easy and budget-friendly! See all the food above? I got it for less than $50. I stuck with the basics I knew my family would enjoy: fruit, cheese, meat, sandwiches, salads, chips, and nuts. They’re all simple finger foods that taste delicious and can be eaten throughout the day.

Decorations don’t have to be complicated either. I just grabbed a tablecloth, holiday-themed dishes I already owned, and set up in front of the Christmas tree. All I had to do was remove the food from the packaging, place it on the dishes and it was read to serve! To make it even simpler, serve on festive paper plates and use paper napkins. Clean up couldn’t be easier.