How to Bail from a Party Without Offending the Host

It's safe to say that we've all been in a situation where we find ourselves stuck in a party that's as entertaining as doing the laundry. This is the main reason why we must always be ready and have an exit strategy at hand.

The steps are simple and all you'll need is a vague excuse, good timing, complimenting the host, sending a thank you note, and voila, you're free!!

If you're attending a party that's being put together by a host that already has a reputation of throwing disastrous events, you should prep the stage for and early bailout on your RSVP note. You can say that you will surely be there, show excitement but also let it be known that you might have to leave early due to other plans you had previously scheduled.

The first thing you are going to do once you there is to grab a drink and go straight to the host. Compliment their place, or anything you find appropriate to compliment (food, party layout or music being played). Be honest, you don't want to compliment something that will make you sound dumb. By doing this you will give the host the impression that you've been hanging out there for a while when in reality you just arrived.

Make some rounds after chatting up the host. You want to be noticed in different places at different time. This will create the illusion that you're having a blast plus it will make it known that you were there even if you're not planning to be there that long.

Fifteen to twenty minutes before you hit the road approach the host and mention something that will give the impression that you were for a longer period of time than you really were. A classic comment that applies to this scenario would be "I'm stopping after drink, or I won't be able to drive home!" Another good one is "The food is so good, this is my third plate!"

When the time to finally escape arrives, get your coat or belongings and hang at the door for a bit. If you catch their eye look at your watch indicating that it's time to go almost in an apologetic manner. Say thank you almost looking bummed that time flew so fast and run (figuratively speaking).

If the host decides to approach you to say goodbye face-to-face, don't offer any excuse for your departure since you had already mentioned your prior commitment when you RSVP. Since you don't want to hurt the hosts feeling but lies have a reputation of tripping you up later, take the conversation away from why you are leaving and again compliment the party.

If mentioning a prior commitment wasn't established beforehand, you may have to pull an Oscar worthy performance by coughing in front of your host and saying you feel like you're coming down with a cold or something. Trust me, seeing anyone with germ bail out won't make the host sad at all.

Make sure that you send a thank you card afterwards. This action won't only display your good manners, but it will help heal any hard-feelings your host may have about your quick departure. You can even make it a funny card. There are many free card services online where you can send a funny card directly to their email.