How to Throw a Cheap Valentine's Day Party

If the household budget is tight, you may think that putting together a fun Valentine Day's party is out of the question this year. Actually, there are plenty of ways to throw a party without spending a lot of money. Here are some tips that will help you throw your party and still stay within your monthly budget.

Step 1

Use online tools to send out invitations. There are a number of free card sites that will allow you to personalize the card as an invitation. If you are the creative type, put together your own template and insert it into the body of an email. You avoid the cost of postage and also make it very easy for everyone to RSVP by simply emailing a response.

Step 2

Go with a potluck approach. Instead of spending all your time and money creating some fancy bash, keep things casual. Everybody brings something to contribute, preferably finger foods. You can supply the place and the drinks, and maybe a dessert. You'll have time to enjoy your guests, and everybody gets to show off their favorite recipe.

Step 3

Decorate with what you have. Instead of packing away your Christmas tree, keep the white lights and any red or white ornaments out for Valentine's Day. Dig into your supplies and use those paper lace doilies to make more decorations for the tree. If you happen to have some bushes that sprout red berries, clip off a few limbs and work them into the tree. Toss some red material on the table and tie the corners with white ribbon. Have the kids make red and white hearts from construction paper and scatter them around the space. The end result will be whimsical, casual, and a lot of fun.

Step 4

Download some Valentine's Day movies. There are plenty of cartoons and old movies that are now in the public domain, and are ideal for Valentine's Day. These will cost you nothing, other than the time necessary to download and save the files to disk.

Step 5

Raid your music collection and put together a disk of some of the love songs you and your guests remember from years gone by. The nostalgic touch will provide the perfect background for reminiscing about all sorts of romantic times, promote some cheek to cheek dancing, and in general help move the party along.

Tips and Warnings

Don't allow yourself to get overly concerned about the details. Make sure the food is covered, the place is presentable, and there are plenty of amusements for the guests, then let the party happen. The best parties are usually those where the guests don't feel as if they need an agenda to get through the evening.