4 Affordable Ways to Commemorate College Graduations

Photo by Joshua Mcknight: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-throwing-confetti-1139317/    

Graduation parties are among the most memorable and significant ceremonies in life. People come together, eat, and get to commemorate accomplishments.

However, many people find the cost of throwing a memorable graduation party too expensive, especially if your family members and friends will attend in large numbers.

This post will teach you how to have an affordable graduation celebration without compromising quality. Let's dive right in!

Establish Your Budget

The first step in cutting costs on your graduation event expenses is by creating a realistic budget. Without a budget, you may be tempted to buy things that are not necessary for the event. Therefore, start by determining the precise amounts for meals, entertainment, and other activities if desired.

To stick to your budget, you use a party planning spreadsheet. Most of your choices will be influenced by your guest list; for example, the amount of food you'll need will be determined by the number of guests. Also, if the graduate is young, you may need to add kid-friendly activities.

While it would be best to talk to the graduate about their desires, be careful to establish boundaries. There are alternative ways to appreciate your graduates' efforts without spending a lot of cash. If a high school graduate wants both graduation and an after-prom event, they may have to choose between them.

Organize the Party at Home

Hosting the graduation party at your home may save you some money and give you more extra cash for food than if you rented out a reception hall or had the big event at a posh restaurant.

If you wish to save money, holding the party at your place would be wiser than paying for a venue. It will help that most of your kid's peers are likely already comfortable with and at ease in your home.

Moreover, most people like spending time outdoors; if you provide chairs, a large portion of the day or evening might be spent just chatting and unwinding. By doing this, you may skip cleaning your home.

Seek Help

Combined graduation celebrations have grown to be highly well-liked, especially among students who appreciate the opportunity to organize the event with their friends. The graduate should ask friends whether they would be willing to co-host their celebration. You'll share the expenses by hosting jointly and relieving some of the burdens.

You may still ask friends or family members for assistance if you don't prefer a joint party. Hire a performer for the party at a discounted fee if you are familiar with them. Or ask a friend who is skilled in baking for assistance. Your family members will also be of great assistance.

Take Full Accountability

Although pricey invites like Cookie Gram are stunning, you don't have to use them. To send invitations online, think about utilizing a platform like Evite. Due to the popularity and reasonable cost of photo cards, you may also send photo invitations through photo-sharing websites. If you are struggling to find a good present for the graduate, try finding a nice but affordable option for diploma frames. It will be a meaningful gift that they can use for the rest of their lives. 

Additionally, you may also create invitations using the various concepts on Pinterest. Creating your invites or posting them online will lower your graduation expenses.

Furthermore, you want to think about producing as much of the food and decorations by yourself as possible. You'll save money if you can do more things independently rather than hire someone.

Have a Drop-in Party

You may save money by having a drop-in event for your child's celebration. If you want to throw the party during the day or later after supper, you may specify that on your invites to avoid having to provide entertainment or offer a substantial meal. Thus, visitors won't anticipate being entertained; instead, they can arrive and depart whenever they choose.

The graduate will still have attention for a few hours as a result, but you won't have to worry about having to put too much pressure on the visitors to act like social butterflies all the time.

Family members can attend a separate celebration if they choose to. Even better, consider having a family supper to round off the celebration. When your family has finished rejoicing with friends, the graduate will feel at home and loved by the family.

Bottom Line

There are many other ways to cut costs while organizing a graduation celebration. If you decide to utilize paper serving utensils, go to a dollar store and get some. Consider limiting the number of attendees at the party to reduce the amount of food you need to buy. Lastly, avoid getting sucked into the competitive game. You don't have to throw a large party with 100 guests if you can't afford it.