How to be a frugal, but polished party hostess?

It’s not as hard as you think. Check out these 7 tips on how to throw a kitchen party, while remaining frugal.

1. Think outside the box

Don’t have a dishwasher? No problem! A mini dishwasher is perfect for small kitchens and parties. You can make your dinner party more special by using a mini dishwasher that can handle all of your dishes without the need for hand drying. For the best results, use a mini dishwasher that has an adjustable height to fit your needs and can wash up to 30 glasses in just 30 minutes.

2. Get ready one day ahead of time

Set up everything you need for the party one day before the event. This way, you won’t be rushing around at the last minute, trying to figure out what you need to do next. If you are having trouble deciding where to place things, take some photos of your space with different arrangements and see which one works best for your layout. This will help save time when it comes to setting up on the day of your event.

3. Ask guests to bring something

It’s okay if you don’

How To Be A Frugal, But Polished Party Hostess 7 Tips

My friends and family know that I am frugal. In fact, I’m often referred to as “frugal” or more affectionately “cheap.” The truth is if you are going to be financially responsible, you have to be frugal at some point in your life.

Now that I have kids, I have found a new appreciation for birthday parties and other events where I can get together with my friends and eat cake. I’m certainly not a party planner extraordinaire, but if you ask me what color the napkins should be, or whether to serve cupcakes or cake, then I have an opinion on that.

In light of this newfound love for parties and gathering with friends (and because my kids are now old enough for sleepovers), here are seven tips on how to entertain and throw a great party while remaining frugal:

1. Don’t use paper plates: Go ahead and pull out your good china! The dishwasher will clean up afterward. Really, who wants to scrub all those paper plates? If you don’t own china (or don’t want to use it), go to Target or Ross and purchase some

I love throwing parties, but I don’t like spending a lot of money on them. However, I also want my guests to feel special and have an awesome time! Here are some of my favorite tips for being a frugal, but polished hostess.

First, find a theme. It could be as simple as “breakfast for dinner” or “Mexican food and margaritas” or something more elaborate. Once you have your theme, then set the menu – and plan ahead so you can buy most of the items on sale. Tip: this is also a great way to give leftovers a second life by incorporating them into your menu!

I like to use plastic plates and glasses for outdoor parties. However, when entertaining indoors, I prefer to serve drinks on actual glassware and plate food on actual serving plates (not just the paper ones you get from the grocery store). You can find inexpensive options at discount stores.

Second, do what you can ahead of time. Make items in advance that will keep well in the fridge or freezer. Bake cookies or other desserts; make salad dressings; cook meat; wash fruits and vegetables; etc…Tip: buy at least one extra container of ice cream to keep

If you are a single woman living on a budget, but want to impress your friends with a fancy party, then this article is for you!

We all know that the kitchen is the heart of the house. And it’s where we hold our best parties. But how can we throw that perfect kitchen party on a dime? Easy! Just follow these 7 simple steps:

1. Invest in one nice thing. Whether it’s china or glassware, if you have one nice item, even if it’s just a great bottle opener, you’ll feel better.

2. Remember the secret to great food is fresh herbs. If you grow your own basil or mint, you can garnish all your dishes and give them a fresh taste without spending a ton of money at the grocery store on exotic ingredients.

3. Don’t be afraid to ask guests to bring something. After all, they’re coming to your place because they want to see YOU and have fun! So let them contribute by bringing some wine or ice cream and don’t worry about being polite about it!

4. A candle makes everything seem fancier. Pick up some candles from IKEA or Target for just $5 – $10 each and put them around your living room and kitchen

I had a brilliant idea to save space in my kitchen: buy a mini-dishwasher! I’d read about them on Apartment Therapy, and how they were the perfect solution for people who didn’t have enough space in their kitchens for a regular sized dishwasher.

So I did it.

Here’s how it went:

[Worst Idea Ever]

I am not even joking. My “mini” dishwasher is like the size of my microwave. If I could turn it into a microwave, that would be fine, but as a dishwasher? It barely fits six plates, and one has to be super tiny. My soup bowls don’t fit and neither do my coffee cups (which are not large). I have to stack things precariously inside, and still find that most things come out wetter than when they went in.

It’s impossible to just throw in some dishes before bed because it takes up so much counter space that we have to push all the crap from the rest of our counter into the sink so we can open the cabinet beneath and pull out the freaking hose thingie that you have to attach in order for it to work.

And then you have to attach this big thingie on your sink so that water doesn

A few weeks ago, I discovered that my dishwasher is on its last leg. In the past month, I’ve experienced a half-dozen clogged washes and two full-blown leaks from the back of the machine. Now, my dishwasher is essentially a mini-fridge sized piece of trash that floods my kitchen every time I use it.

I could go out and buy a new one. But do you know how much a new dishwasher costs? They’re not cheap! If I’m being honest, I’m not even sure I’ll be living in this apartment for much longer than another year.

Buying something that expensive for only another year seems like a waste of money. Plus, we all know I have some serious kitchen space issues here. What’s a girl to do?

Well, what I’ve been doing is washing my dishes by hand after every use. It’s not super fun or convenient (since the hot water heater in this building isn’t the greatest), but it’s certainly saved me money on buying a new dishwasher or getting major repairs done on this one.

In a recent post, we talked about the benefits of hosting a party in your kitchen as opposed to a fancy restaurant. This is what we came up with:

– You don’t have to get dressed up (or at all)

– You can mingle

– If you make a mistake, you can fix it

– It’s easier and more fun to clean up after yourself than someone else

– You can have it at any time of day and for any duration

– You can spend less than $100 for the whole affair!

While that’s all true, there’s still the potential for things to go horribly wrong. One of the main reasons people shy away from hosting parties in their homes is that they don’t feel like they’re good enough hosts. Maybe they aren’t particularly well-organized or resourceful. Or maybe they think that their home isn’t nice enough, or too messy. And what if their friends judge them?

To be honest, your friends may judge you if you do something dumb like forget to buy ice and the drinks warm up before anyone has a chance to drink them, but chances are they won’t. And if they do, they probably aren’t worth keeping as friends anyway. No one’s perfect! But if you