Getting all your mates together and hosting a massive Christmas party is tons of fun but let’s be honest – it can be REALLY expensive! Buying all the food, decorations and drinks can seriously blow your budget. And students really don’t have cash to waste.

But don’t cancel your Christmas party! Here’s how you can host a ridiculously cool festive gathering without having to go into debt for it.

  1. Pick a FREE venue

Private rooms at pubs are cool, and restaurants make great food, but if you want to keep a lid on your spending it’s essential that you start with a venue that’s free. Your best option? If it’s big enough, your home. Second-best option is a park, but only if your party is in the day time.

  1. Ask people to contribute food and drinks

Don’t feel like you have to be the only person slaving away at the stove or BBQ for your celebration! Make it potluck and everyone can bring their speciality. To avoid double-ups set up a Google Doc where everyone can write down what they’re bringing. You can even request certain items this way and people can sign up to provide them.

  1. Keep it simple (stupid)

While your friends might love gold plates and personalised place cards, they don’t need them. Keep your Christmas party simple – food tastes just as good on paper plates from the Reject Shop as it does on expensive patterned plastic plates!

  1. Shop smart for your decorations.

David Jones? Myer? Party shops? NO! These are not the places you will be buying decorations for your Christmas party. Reject Shop? Hot Dollar? Kmart? YES!

  1. Go for minimum spend, maximum impact in decoration

If you want to fill your party space with festive cheer, pick decorations which are cheap but will fill the space. Baubles can be very cheap, so buy a box and string them up like a garland. Christmas lights can be a little more expensive, so only place these in key locations where they’ll be seen. Remember: if you put decorations in front of mirrors it will look like you have twice as much Christmas bling!

  1. Buy your drinks in bulk

If you’re over 18 and planning on serving alcohol at your party, make wise choices. Instead of buying four packs of beer, buy a case. It’s always cheaper in the long run! Aldi is a great source of alcohol that tastes great but is super cheap.

Are you hosting a Christmas party this year? How are you going to keep costs down?