Melbourne Cup Party on a Budget: Tips for the Thrift Spender

Imagine having a party on a working day! This is the scenario all over Australia on Melbourne Cup Day; too bad it happens only once in a year. On this day, everyone is allowed to host a party and gather friends around to watch the horse racing. If you are like most people, you probably have your ears on the ground to catch wind of the coolest party in town. Such parties are usually a haven of betting and drinking but most of the time, eyes are fixed on the races as people nibble on crackers and cheese. If you have been to several Melbourne cup parties, you probably have an idea of how to host one of your own. Here are some tips for the thrift spender; just in case you are keen on keeping your budget on the lower end of the scale;

Dressing the event

The dress in most cases will set the spending mood for the occasion, in terms of the kind of decorations that will be used and the selection of food. Make it clear from the start if your party is going to require a certain dress standard. If some of your guests are not able to access suitable costumes, you can have some props ready just to make everyone uniform. If you want to keep the pricing really low on this one, ask your guests to dress in a color that is easy to find because they will probably already have it in their closet.

Food and drinks

Champagne is good and especially when toasting to favorite participants or celebrating winning bets. At the same time, we all know that this is the most expensive where alcoholic beverages are concerned. Before buying champagne, look around for the best bargain and even if you get it at an affordable cost, buy a bottle or too. Supplement your bar with non-alcoholic options and lots of local beer. To maintain a lean food diet, make the food at home and pick dishes that share ingredients to save when buying in bulk.

Party decorations

Every party needs some props and Melbourne cup is no different. Since there is alcohol involved, incidents of breakages and destruction of table centerpieces could occur. You might find second hand glasses and old jars quite cheap to use for flower arrangements and they will still look nice.

Now that your party logistics are all planned, make sure to test the television on which the races will be displayed, fill everyone’s glass with a drink and sit back to see your guests have a blast on your account.