Anyone can entertain – even anyone on a tight budget. If you know where to look and have the ability to use items on hand, your next entertaining function can be pulled off with flying colors.

Invitations

Invitations are a vital part of the entertaining package. After all, you can’t entertain without guests, and you can’t get any guests without invitations.

By Phone: If your next function is a social one, consisting of close friends and family, it’s perfectly acceptable to invite them over the phone. Just be sure to have a list of the important information – such as the date, time and location – right in front of you in case anyone tries to steer the conversation away from the subject.

E-mail: The convenience of e-mail makes it possible to send electronic invitations with ease. I once invited my sister to a party through e-mail, and she started to tell everyone she knew all about it. Sites offering e-cards and e-invitations allow you to invite your guests in an attractive, considerate way. There are sites that also allow you to personalize each one with the recipient’s name. Personalized invitations make your guests think that you took the time to put their invitation together. Best of all, you can do it all for free. You can find free e-invitations at sites such as Regards.com and on Evite.com.

Regular mail: If you aren’t planning to invite too many people, go ahead and mail those invitations. Local drug stores offer them at a fair price, as do warehouse stores. To get invitations without investing too much cash, sites such as My Card Maker allow you to create and print free cards, and software such as PrintShop Deluxe can help you create your own invitations.

Dining

Warehouses offer you a chance to save on the food you plan to serve. Buying in bulk saves money and allows you to provide guests with leftovers to enjoy at their home. Sandwich and veggie trays, boxes of treats and baked goods, and boxed liquor or bulk sodas are great offerings for your next entertaining function.

If you have any coupons, now would be a good time to use them, especially at stores that accept double coupons.

A lot of great party dishes can be created from common items found in your kitchen, too. If you have whole wheat crackers, shredded cheese and salsa, you can top the crackers with cheese and salsa, microwave them for 30 seconds each and there is a tasty hor dourves. Likewise, salad dressing can be transformed into a dip for vegetables, a can of soup can help liven up hamburger, chicken or pork chops, and that refrigerated dough can transform into an appetizer or main dish with a little shaping and creativity. Got fruit and yogurt? You can have a fruit parfait. Chicken salad on bread mean finger sandwiches and a block of cheese can be melted then used as a dip.

For the sweet tooth, use a box of cake mix and icing to create cupcakes and serve on your most decorative dishware. For the veggie tray, think about creating your own. Packaged miniature vegetables come cheaper than the cost of a veggie tray, and it also allows you to offer a substitute dip over the one you get with the tray.

Decorations

Flowers from your own backyard are simple, attractive features for your next entertainment function. You can also tape an old shower curtain to a plain old table to make it look more pleasing to the eye. Use any furniture, such as a footlocker, to decorate with flowers, plant trails and colorful pillows as
an attractive feature. Use flowers, candles, colorful leaves and colored stones to decorate your table with, possibly as a centerpiece.

Dollar stores sell decorating items such as balloons and streamers at a reasonable price, and they offer you more decorating bang for your buck. You can also find affordable decorations at Web sites such as Bulk Party Supplies and through Oriental Trading Company.

Entertaining Extras

Burning CDs allows you to create your own CD for that entertaining music you crave and it also allows you to get more music than you’d have to buy through individual CDs. You can also consider borrowing a CD from a friend or relative to provide the music you’d like to play at your next function. Finally, buy them online at Cheap-CDs.

Here are some cost-effective ideas to keep your entertaining function in a fun mood: