7 Easy Ways to Entertain for Less

Tell guests to "Bring Your Own Bubbly" (or box of wine) to share the cost of the shindig. Try a bottle of from our list of organic sparklers, and boxed wine .Tell your guests it's a green theme; they'll be surprised how many drink options are available.

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The following is a guest post by Shireen Qudosi of air-n-water.com.

We all love a good party, but none of us want to go broke from it. Fortunately, with a few clever money-saving ideas, you can throw a great get-together without having to count your pennies.

Invitations. Instead of sending paper invitations, e-mail out the invites. These days you can even do a stylish invite, save it as an image, and send it off to your entire guest list with one quick click.

Don't Buy "Pre." When shopping for your menu, stay away from foods that are pre-cut and pre-cleaned, as these are big money wasters. Instead, plan out your week before the event and try to hit the local produce shop or the farmers' market. This way you get fresh produce at a fraction of the cost.

Cost-Saving Meal Options. Try filling your menu with starchy but cheap stuffers such as pasta, potatoes, rice and breads. These items are inexpensive, look great on the table and fill up guests quickly. And when all else fails, you can always make it a potluck. This is an idea that works great around the holidays or birthdays; instead of having guests bring gifts, ask them to bring a dish.

More and more people now are also hosting cocktail parties, or wine and cheese parties. These parties are often cheaper and far more casual (but still as chic) as a five-course meal engagement. Keep a few bottles of wine stocked up in your wine cooler, add in a platter of cheese, and you're set. Add some chocolate for dessert -- which will still go great with your wine. (For extra creative fun check out these cocktails made with garden ingredients.)

Save on Ice. There's no point in wasting time, gas, paper and plastic by going to the store to purchase ice for your party. Rather, a portable ice maker will quickly plunk down cubes to keep drinks crisp and cool. Additionally, with grocery store ice, you not only have to worry about storing it in your freezer, but you also have to keep making store runs whenever ice runs low.

Decorations. The best decorations are the kind you make yourself. A bit of paper and scissors can go a long way. Paper cutouts, paper lanterns and paper mobiles all make creative decorations. For centerpieces, skip the expensive flowers and go with fruit instead. Fruit is not only cheaper, but can become part of the meal and is sure to last a lot longer than overpriced flowers.

Use What You Got. Mix and match both dishes and chairs. This way you'll save yourself a fortune from buying matching sets, and can you salvage older pieces that are no longer a complete set.

Temperature Control. If your party is during hot summer months, one key element to remember is how you're going to keep guests cool. Sure you can switch on your AC, but with constant indoor/outdoor traffic, your cooling will soon be compromised. If you're going to have people coming in and out of your house throughout your party, consider getting a couple of fans.

Shireen Qudosi is a consumer awareness writer with air-n-water.com. Follower her on Twitter @AirnWater

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