Budget Graduation party tips?

[mrsbornkuntry]

DD liked the t-shirt idea, too, I'll have to start picking some up since we're a family of 7.

It sounds like I should maybe pick something up at each grocery trip, like one trip grab plates, next napkins, etc. And I like the idea of getting cloth tablecloths so I can reuse them since I will have 5 more graduations to do. I may just get black, white and red so even though they aren't the school colors we can still work with them.

I think using pictures and awards as decorations will be really budget-friendly! I'm going to start looking for ideas to display her medals, she has quite a few of those. I'd like to find a creative way to use our fireplace since it's the focal point of our living room.

My MIL has a folding table that she let us borrow for our buffet at Christmas so guests could eat at the dining room table if they wanted, but I also saw some on our local facebook selling page for $15. They don't fold, but I have space to store it unfolded in my garage so no big deal so I think I'll contact that seller so I don't have to keep mooching off of MIL, lol (she doesn't complain or anything though).

The cake will be a pretty big expense probably, I'm going to ask a friend of our family to make it, she's a cake decorator and she's shown me pictures of cakes she has made and I'd like her to do it because we don't usually do special cakes for birthdays or anything, usually just homemade, so this will be extra-special.

This is great, I love hearing your experiences and ideas. I'm a planner and hate doing things last minute.

 

[madge]

My DD is a senior and I'm starting to think about her graduation party. She's not very social so it will mostly be some extended family and family friends, I think about 20-25 people. My DH will be traveling for work then and most likely won't be much help (he should be home that weekend just for the ceremony and party) so I don't think I want to grill. I'm debating between afternoon and evening, we're in NC so afternoon is hot, if I do evening we could be outside on the deck more, but the food would have to be indoors because of bugs. So here's some questions I'm thinking about...

What time of day has worked best for you?
Where can I get the best deal on paper products (we have the usual shopping options plus a Sam's club membership)?
What are popular budget food options?
Should I plan to spend on decorations or did you feel that was a waste of money?
What should I start doing now, if anything, that will help me save?

Thank-you! The thread on how to save money on senior costs was awesome so I'm hoping I can get some more great advice

I'm planning party #2 ... our oldest graduated from HS in 2008 and nearly everything for that party (an after church/Sunday afternoon sit & stare, as we loving called it ) came from Costco. While it was yummy, we had way too much food and not enough Costco cake

Things I'll do different this time:
- Thursday evening party instead of Sunday afternoon, making it more casual.
- instead of a cake, I'm 95% sure I'm going to do a cookie bar (as in "you're a smart cookie" )
- given the time of day, I'll probably stick with the Costco roll ups, mini sandwiches, etc. and good potato chips. That worked well. I have a friend who makes veggie pizzas, so I am doing those instead of a veggie tray. I'll probably do some sort of fruit for anyone not interested in cookies.
- decor will be simple. I'm watching veryjane, groopdealz, etc. for accessories in school colors.
- drinks will be bottled water, lemonade, soda

Of course, this is all subject to change without notice. It's only January.

 

[DebMcDonald]

For my DD's, I did the usual hotdogs and burgers and BUNCH of salads and also did a pulled pork. I thought the food was pretty easy and I didn't seem to have to be consumed in the kitchen, my husband on the grill might say otherwise. We also did a candy buffet which was ALOT of fun. I got most of my decorations from oriental trading and even ordered my of my paper products through them, cheaper I'm not sure, but could get the color I wanted. The one thing I thought I had enough of was salads, but I could have made more and I think I had 6-8 in large bowls. The one thing I do recommend is bottles of soda's vs. can's. Less clean up and much cheaper. I also did a cupcake tower vs. the sheet cake - more fun. Good luck and enjoy these next couple of months they go back far to quickly.

 

[clh2]

Just adding another thought - not specific to the party, but specific to announcements.

IF your school uses Jostens for purchasing the cap, gown, announcements etc. I have a very budget friendly tip - probably learned it hear on the DISboards...

• 
  
  You do not need to purchase a whole package of the junk they try to sell you. If you look at each line on the order form, way down at the end of the form, you can buy announcements by the EACH. So - if you want a couple to send to grandparents, great! Add another 1 or 2 for yourselves. I think the cost of the "eaches" was about $1.25 each. We just did that, and got the cap, gown and tassel. It was FAR LESS, and I mean FAR less expensive than getting any of their packages.​

I would agree - this semester is going to go fast - so planning this far in advance is really smart! And - if you think this semester goes fast - the summer will be a blur.

 

[ceecee]

Make sure your DD even wants a party. Mine is thinking of an extra trip instead. We usually go to WDW last week of May and her graduation will be that weekend so she thought maybe forego a party and go on another vacation.
Pop and water is the least of the expense, punch can get messy and not everyone likes it. I would fill a cooler with ice and put in cans and bottles. Walking tacos are usually a hit with teens as well as nachos and cheese. You can get a lot in bulk at Sam's, Costco or GFS and they have good cakes and cupcakes at Sam's reasonally priced. With a smaller party you could do Ziti, etc. unless you plan on an open house style and it would have to be kept hot. Most of the parties DD went to were Saturday afternoons and she has gone to a lot of them the last few years! Some are like wedding receptions!!! Personally a little overboard imho.
She said her favorite party was a pool party (they have a pool in the backyard) with family and some close friends. Not the party hopping that a lot of them are like.

 

[Soulsearching]

Here is what I did for my daughter's graduation.

Costco - sheet Cake - Water - mixed greens for Salad - Baked Beans and chips to nosh on - Milk - Coffee

Dollar Store - in school colors, paper goods, table clothes and balloons

Food - Ordered fried chicken from a really good fried chicken place.

Cooked - Corn on the cob - I filled a cooler with boiled water and placed fresh corn in it and they cooked on their own.

I did buy cans of lemonade and ice tea to serve with water bottles.

 

[MOpGrad2013]

We had a joint party last year. DfosterS, DS and a friend of theirs were the honorees, but several others from the graduating class came along. Split the cost with the other family, but overall I can't see that I spent more than $350 for food for a party for 200 people. The other family was in charge of decor, plates, cups, drinks, tables & chairs. We had a picnic party (hotdogs, hamburger, nachos, chips, pasta salad, green salad, cake, dippers for fountain). I invested money into my own chocolate fountain.

Buying meats from the restaurant supply helped out immensely. I have a Sams membership, but I also use Gordon Supply.

Now, since you won't have dad there and you said you didn't want to grill, I would recommend sub sandwiches. I buy the discounted french breads (long ones) from the bakery. Then put the meat and cheese on. Close up. Slice into 1-2 inch sandwiches . Stack on trays or in disposable pans. Shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, pickles, and then condiments on side. Much cheaper than the sub shops catering or the meat trays where everyone uses up all the roast beef and picks over the turkey.

Graduation was a Friday evening before Memorial weekend began. We hosted the party the night before the graduation (Thursday from 5p-8p). Folks were able to take pictures and visit with the grads before the ceremony. Our kids had their gowns with them so some pictures were taken with the gowns on--something that was impossible after the ceremony (it began at 7p)

We had some really good threads last year on the forum. Tons of ideas!

Congratulations to you for all your hard work! And your grad too.

 

[MOpGrad2013]

Just adding another thought - not specific to the party, but specific to announcements.

IF your school uses Jostens for purchasing the cap, gown, announcements etc. I have a very budget friendly tip - probably learned it hear on the DISboards...

• 
  
  You do not need to purchase a whole package of the junk they try to sell you. If you look at each line on the order form, way down at the end of the form, you can buy announcements by the EACH. So - if you want a couple to send to grandparents, great! Add another 1 or 2 for yourselves. I think the cost of the "eaches" was about $1.25 each. We just did that, and got the cap, gown and tassel. It was FAR LESS, and I mean FAR less expensive than getting any of their packages.​

I would agree - this semester is going to go fast - so planning this far in advance is really smart! And - if you think this semester goes fast - the summer will be a blur.

Oh yes! We didn't purchase the announcements from Jostens at all. Wanted to, but with 2 grads and loss of wages in the house...it wasn't happening. We took pictures of the kids with their caps and then had WalMart make the announcements in the photo dept.

I learned later that many other parents were making their own. And Jostens is one of our local companies. Yep, you phone Jostens and you are calling one of my neighbors. Some used the Do-it-Yourself from the bridal section, others used scrapmaking tools. One parent made several small scrapbooks of her child and sent those to family (I think she used snapfish).

Breathe and enjoy this time. The boys came home for Christmas and after one semester of college, they were so grown up and ready to return to their new homes.

 

[nsmith]

We had dd grad party on a Friday nite the week before she graduated. It was a bit of a rush after work for our guest but everyone arrived hungry and ready to have fun after a long week at work. There also weren't any other parties that night so our guest came and stayed.

I use oriental trading company for decorations. Sent custom post cards as invites, the postage is less expensive, bought them online at a stationary web site.

We hooked the iPad up to speakers and played music via pandora. There were over 90 people (DH is one of 9 and I am one of 5) so we used a caterer but would have made homemade food for 25-30.

I purchased a cupcake stand at michels with a 40% off coupon, cupcake sleeves from oriental trading. It made a beautiful center piece and delish dessert.

We borrowed patio tables and chairs from all of our neighbor and set up in the back yard. The weather was just right as the sun was low after by 6 and
set by 830pm. We then lite luminary bags on the tables and around the yard.

The teens capped off the night with a Bon fire.

 

[ldo]

we did Mexican for 50:
grilled chicken ahead of time--a day or two prior is fine (then rewarm in oven)
refried beans/cheese in casserole dish
black or pinto beans
Mexican rice
white rice
velveta/salsa to make queso dip and chips
a couple of veggie and fruit trays from BJs/coscto
hard/soft taco wraps
lettuce/tomato/etc.
That way, someone can make chicken with salad, bean/veggie soft tacos, as well.
I got boneless chicken on sale for $2/lb.
sheet cake from Costco.

 

[imsayin]

You said you were going to pay a lot for cake. Sam's club has 32 cupcakes for less than $15.00. You can special order specific colors for no extra cost.

For DD, we made our own deli trays. Bought plastic trays at the Dollar Store, and meat/cheese from Sam's club. Put the meat/cheese on the tray with some lettuce for garnish.

You can also get colored tablecloths at the Dollar Store.

I didn't do this, but saw someone else's picture: for a decoration, they had had cap, gown, and tassel hanging on a hooked shelf with grad picture and diploma on the shelf. Very cute and inexpensive (if you already have the shelf).

 

[Mama Steph]

My oldest DS graduated last year. I was thrilled with the way things turned out for our party.
Location: We rented the Knights of Columbus hall for a very small fee since dh is a member. Normally I would not spend money on this but we do not have a/c and were concerned about weather. It was perfect as they had indoor and outdoor areas.

Decorations: I bought some balloons and my sister made a few poster boards with pictures.

Drinks: we went with cans of Faygo soda and water bottles.

Food: Fried chicken from a local deli and walking tacos. These were the best idea ever. I cooked up about 25lbs of ground beef and seasoned with taco seasoning. Since I did this ahead of time, I bagged it in 2lb packages. We heated them in the crockpot and had small bags of Doritos and Fritos. We also had lettuce, cheese, sour cream and salsa for topping. Taco in a bag!! People loved it. Since we had extra meat I just put them in my freezer and we used them at home.
I also had a few friends and family bring salads. Cake was from Costco.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[jen73]

our DD graduated last year and we had her party at the house. We had it catered from her fave italian restaurant (had lasagna and chicken alfredo, garlic bread, and a salad) and instead of a cake, we ordered a cookie cake from the cookie place in the mall. I think it was $40 for the sheet one and the kids loved it. We aren't really big cake eaters. And everyone said it was a nice change from typically serving cake.

Decorations were bought at Party City, I remember a few weeks before graduation season started, they emailed me a bunch of print out coupons so those I used towards her party. I bought all her decorations, plates, napkins, silverwear, tablecloths there using the coupons, so maybe go online and see if you can sign up online.

We had a chocolate fountain and wow! What a hit!!! We owned it already, so that helped. I made pound cake and we served it with strawberries, pineapple, big marshmellows, and pretzels.

I splurged and decided to set up a Candy Bar for everyone to make and take a bag home. I originally wanted the candy to ONLY be in her school colors, but for cost effectiveness, I gave up..lol I actually found little colored containers to hold the candy at the Dollar Tree (where everything is a $1) and got 12 of them. I then went to our Sprouts store (not sure if its a TX store) but they sell bulk food items there and I bought all the candy in bulk. A lot of diff gummies (sweet and sour) and sour balls, taffy, and then I bought m&m's. Clear bags were bought at the Dollar Store as well. I think all in all, I spent $50 on the candy bar, which I thought was a great deal as we had close to 75ppl at the party.

Good luck and how excited!! I love planning parties and can't wait til our twins graduate in 6 years..I'd love to start planning it now...lol

 

[AZMermaid]

I haven't read all the replies so forgive me if this was said, but my friend decorated for her sons party with a timeline of pictures intermixed with shirts of all of his schools, from prek to high school. She had to drive around to get the shirts, but I thought this was super cute!

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

Just adding another thought - not specific to the party, but specific to announcements.

IF your school uses Jostens for purchasing the cap, gown, announcements etc. I have a very budget friendly tip - probably learned it hear on the DISboards...

• 
  
  You do not need to purchase a whole package of the junk they try to sell you. If you look at each line on the order form, way down at the end of the form, you can buy announcements by the EACH. So - if you want a couple to send to grandparents, great! Add another 1 or 2 for yourselves. I think the cost of the "eaches" was about $1.25 each. We just did that, and got the cap, gown and tassel. It was FAR LESS, and I mean FAR less expensive than getting any of their packages.​

I would agree - this semester is going to go fast - so planning this far in advance is really smart! And - if you think this semester goes fast - the summer will be a blur.

Luckily I had read that on the budget board in the summer I think or last year so I didn't buy a package . We did order announcements from Jostens and of course the cap and gown, I'm going to find another source for party invites.

Make sure your DD even wants a party. Mine is thinking of an extra trip instead. We usually go to WDW last week of May and her graduation will be that weekend so she thought maybe forego a party and go on another vacation.
Pop and water is the least of the expense, punch can get messy and not everyone likes it. I would fill a cooler with ice and put in cans and bottles. Walking tacos are usually a hit with teens as well as nachos and cheese. You can get a lot in bulk at Sam's, Costco or GFS and they have good cakes and cupcakes at Sam's reasonally priced. With a smaller party you could do Ziti, etc. unless you plan on an open house style and it would have to be kept hot. Most of the parties DD went to were Saturday afternoons and she has gone to a lot of them the last few years! Some are like wedding receptions!!! Personally a little overboard imho.
She said her favorite party was a pool party (they have a pool in the backyard) with family and some close friends. Not the party hopping that a lot of them are like.

Actually DD really wanted a Mom/daughter Disney trip instead, but we had to nix it because of DH being gone, I don't have anyone to keep my youngest son.

 

[runwad]

My oldest DS graduated last year. I was thrilled with the way things turned out for our party.
Location: We rented the Knights of Columbus hall for a very small fee since dh is a member. Normally I would not spend money on this but we do not have a/c and were concerned about weather. It was perfect as they had indoor and outdoor areas.

Decorations: I bought some balloons and my sister made a few poster boards with pictures.

Drinks: we went with cans of Faygo soda and water bottles.

Food: Fried chicken from a local deli and walking tacos. These were the best idea ever. I cooked up about 25lbs of ground beef and seasoned with taco seasoning. Since I did this ahead of time, I bagged it in 2lb packages. We heated them in the crockpot and had small bags of Doritos and Fritos. We also had lettuce, cheese, sour cream and salsa for topping. Taco in a bag!! People loved it. Since we had extra meat I just put them in my freezer and we used them at home.
I also had a few friends and family bring salads. Cake was from Costco.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

So they just open up a bag of doritos or fritos and pour the meat in with whatever toppings and then eat it with a fork? I've never heard of this but am intrigued with this idea and can see it being a big hit! Kids love nacho's with meat. I'm a little puzzled if you actually eat it in the chip bag or something else?

Our first child is a senior so we'll be planning a party too. I really don't want to go too big. I'm trying to keep it at just immediate family and close friends and I'll be close to 60. I want to just rent a pavillon at our local park. DH wants to have it at the house, ugh. Too much work getting the house and yard ready then too. I know it's a pain to take everything to a park but that's the route I'm going to go. One other reason is no booze allowed at the park. We'd have to beer and wine if we had it at the house with our families. PLUS our families NEVER LEAVE (Thankgiving they were hear from 1pm till midnight), at a park there is a closing time.

Oh and I like the rootbeer float idea, I'm keeping that one too.

 

[purpledisneyprncess]

For big parties we host, we do a big tray of baked ziti and a crockpot full of meatballs in sauce. You can do get a lot of lunch meat, cheap rolls (we get them from a local farmers market) and roll up the lunch meat and cheese on a platter for everyone to make sandwiches. We have olives out too along with the sandwich fixings.

To save $, make your own cake or buy one from Costcos.

I like the idea of having punch!

 

[Mama Steph]

So they just open up a bag of doritos or fritos and pour the meat in with whatever toppings and then eat it with a fork? I've never heard of this but am intrigued with this idea and can see it being a big hit! Kids love nacho's with meat. I'm a little puzzled if you actually eat it in the chip bag or something else? .

Yep, right out if the bag! I know it sounds weird but everyone loved it! We bought the cases of chips at Sam's.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[runwad]

Yep, right out if the bag! I know it sounds weird but everyone loved it! We bought the cases of chips at Sam's.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Ha I just read this to my DS13 and he said ya they've done that at school for lunch before and I've seen them at games (concession stands). Uh, learn something new everyday. Thanks

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I talked to my friend about making the cake today and she said she'll just charge me for ingredients for the free advertising so that will be a big help to my budget (although I'll be sure to give her a generous tip).

Those of you who did the walking tacos, how did they go over with the adults? That will be the majority of my guests.