Frugal Ideas for Your Graduation Party
You know how graduation feels? It’s euphoric. Everyone wants to celebrate the start of a new life phase, and say goodbye to the memories of the past. The graduates get sentimental over their friendships and talk about maintaining these forever.
This mood leads to the creation of party after party after that big leap forward (graduation). But then, as soon as the certificates are given out and the photos have been pasted on high school scrapbooks, reality sinks in. No longer will you receive allowance, and depending on how frugal or extravagant you were while at school, you will no longer be able to remain blissfully unaware of the loans and IOU’s you’ve accumulated while you were at school.
You also know that you will be competing with everyone else for whatever jobs are available in your city. And, you might even be forced to migrate from your hometown to somewhere else, where these jobs are.
Because of these “real life” issues, setting up a budget for a post-graduation party can be a drain, particularly if planned at the last minute.
So what can you do to make your post-graduation bash a success? Make it a frugal party and plan with your closest friends so everyone can pitch in something (even if it’s just manpower).
3 Budget-Friendly Ideas for Your Graduation Party
1. Make it a Friendly Affair
Friendly, in the frugal sense, means everyone’s willing to help out and pitch in a meager sum to make your party a success. Instead of planning a grand trip to a resort or a nightclub, plan a homely party where everyone can talk about anything and everything about their plans, their most awesome memories and play games. Backyard parties are great for this time of the year, when nights are balmy and the scent of barbecue mingles with the scent of summer grass.
2. Add Some Party Games
A party isn’t complete without entertainment. Plan ahead and make everyone feel good about ditching the expensive party and going for the frugal one. One nice game you can try is spin the graduation bottle. The person tagged will have to answer a candid question about school life (e.g. “who did you secretly like in the basketball team?”, “did you and so-and-so kiss during the spring break party at so-and-so’s house?” etc.). You can also load a Karaoke cd and sing your heart out. Someone can be designated as judge and the awards can be anything from “best chipmunks voice” or “best impersonation of a homeroom teacher”.
8. Frugal Chow
Ransack your pantry and look for appetizer ingredients. Have sausage and bread? Create some sausage rolls and have an instant appetizer to serve! You can munch on these while waiting for the pizza delivery. Here’s a simple recipe to try…
Sausage Bread Rolls Recipe
To make it fast and easy, wrap a sausage link in a piece of bread or toast. The traditional recipe is fairly quick and easy to make as well: Using a can of refrigerated crescent roll dough, separate and unroll each crescent roll. Then wrap the dough around a sausage link. Press and seal the seams and bake according to the package directions. Another idea is to wrap a couple of links in a flour tortilla with some cheese for a fun and tasty twist.
Remember, it’s the fun that you have with close friends that makes an event really special. Have fun!