How to Plan a Budget for a Housewarming Party

Party planning can be tricky. You've got to balance the number of guests and amenities like food and drink with the money in your wallet. Plan your housewarming party armed with the best possible defense--a reasonable budget. Start by defining your highs and lows, the most extravagant to the most bare-bones. Then narrow it down to something in between until you arrive at a figure you can live with.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

List All Your Party Needs

1. Plan your menu and drinks. List every ingredient you need to buy. Include must haves and wish-list food. Add disposable dinnerware, if using.
2. Pick your invitations and favors. Catalog every cost: Notecards or supplies for making them, custom printing and postage stamps. Find out how much it will cost to make or buy the favors or game prizes you want.
3. Itemize your decor needs. You may already have supplies such as candles or party lights. Include flowers, balloons and printing costs or materials for banners. If you plan to rent something special such as disco lights or a bubble machine, list those too.

Plan Your Housewarming Budget

4. Decide on the guest list, again choosing a number range and letting your final budget dictate the exact number of invitees.
5. Do some cost research in stores, with the phone book or online. Plug in estimated prices on your list of housewarming party needs and add them up for an overall budget.

Tips & Warnings

• List all your needs and determine which ones will cost money or whether you can make them yourself in order to save.
• If planning by yourself, develop a budget range. Your total costs should fall somewhere in between.
• If planning with another, do the same. You should each come up with a figure and expect to spend an average of the high and low.
• Budget for your total crowd. That way if someone extra comes along, you're covered, and if not, you've got leftovers.
• Use a budget range for flexibility, but be specific with your dollar amounts if you don't want costs to balloon.

Who Can Help:

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