We recently had some friends who moved to Florida and some who moved to India. I wanted to throw a going away party for them, but didn’t have a lot of money to do so. I was operating with a very tight budget. So I came up with a plan to throw a simple, but beautiful and meaningful party.

Start with simple decorations.

I found this beautiful chalk banner in the $1 section at Target. I can’t tell you the amount of times I come out of that section with gems like this! Love Target!

I also went to the Dollar Tree and found these pretty hanging paper puff balls. Super easy to open up and hang. The green ones were on a string and I bought some individual pink (pictured below) and purple (not pictured) as well.

We held the party at the house of a mutual friend and she had purchased some beautiful flowers that made wonderful centerpieces and really added to the simple decor.

Have Easy to Make Foods with Inexpensive Ingredients

We also went the simple route with food. Foods that were easy to make and didn’t have expensive ingredients. We had a veggie pizza, chicken salad with rolls, pasta salad, and easy desserts of brownies and M&M Pretzel Rolo Treats. Another way I saved money here was that a friend and I split the food. I made some and she made some.

Overall, it was a wonderful party. Everyone enjoyed themselves, the house looked beautiful, and I didn’t have to spend a fortune!

What are your tips for throwing a party on a tight budget?