Save money by decorating parties for long-term joy

I know, I know. It’s a weird title, so let’s dive in.

What do I even mean by that?

TL;DR: In short, you can save money if you buy pieces you can either reuse for next year’s party or enjoy outside of the party (the latter making set-up for that party take all of a second!).

People are starting to plan ahead and think about the various holiday parties: Thanksgiving, [Christmas or Hanukkah], and New Year’s Eve, and maybe birthday parties too.

Again and again, I see the same mistake being made: people buy single-use disposables and decorations for their events. It might seem like the least expensive option. Let me break that myth apart right now: it’s not!

In fact, in the long run, you may end up spending more on single-use decorations than you would if you found long-term alternatives.

Let’s crunch some numbers. Skip the next paragraph if math isn’t your thing.

It’s usually $8 for a pack of 100 balloons. If you’re just floating them, you’ll want to buy 2 helium tanks for 100 balloons ($53*2 = $106), 2 rolls of ribbon ($4), and some way to weigh them down ($1 per weight, let’s say you need 6 of them for a total of $6). This is $124, and with NC’s 4.75% sales tax, that’s a grand total of $129.89.

$129.89 on one party element (balloons).

Which of these elements can be used again next year? Each helium tank holds 50 balloons’ worth of helium, so that’s all gone, and you can’t really reuse the balloons or cut ribbons again next year. But you probably didn’t use all of the ribbon. So, the weights and some ribbon are what’s left.

Let’s think about this in terms of time.

That is $129.89 for, say, a 5-hour party. That’s now $25.98/hour for just the balloons.

And what happens to the balloons afterwards?

If you’re like me, you’d want to have them around for a couple of days until the balloons look a little sad. But if you’re like my dad, then they need to be removed by the end of the next day, because it’s just not the vibe you want in your house for longer than the party goes on.

Enjoying them for a few more days stretches your funds for more long-term enjoyment of the décor (a better bang for your buck), but if you’re like “Oh no, I’m siding with Katie’s dad here,” then I see you and I understand.

So here’s a solution:

I’m not telling you to go plastic-free, but I am telling you to buy things you can reuse, sell, or enjoy around the house for a month or more. This will absolutely be a boon for your wallet, and here’s why:

I’m going to crunch a few more numbers to prove my point.

In the fall of 2019, I won a $200 gift card to Michael’s (I know right?? How awesome is that??). I ended up spending it on 9 faux autumn leaf garlands, a cool skull wreath, centerpieces, candle wraps, battery-powered candles, a cute skeleton couple, and numerous small reusable Halloween decorations. I spent $50 over the gift card’s limit (guilty as charged). That’s $250 for a reasonably full autumn-only display I can enjoy mid-September all the way to Thanksgiving, with Halloween additions for the month of October.

Those garlands were the bulk of the cost but provide the bulk of the décor impact. It’s not for everyone, but I love it, and it’s great for both parties and day-to-day enjoyment.

Now let’s break that $250 down by time:

$250 spent, 2.5 months of enjoyment per year. One month (for simplicity’s sake, I’m going to say 30 days/month) has 720 hours. You probably only get to enjoy it after work when you’re awake, so let’s say that’s 4 hours/day or 120 hours/month. There are additional weekend hours, but I’m going to keep it at 4 hours/day because you might not even be fully home for some of those weekends.

 *Drumroll*

In year 1, that’s $0.83 per hour.

In year 2, that’s $0.42 per hour.

By year 5, it’s only $0.17 per hour.

By year 10, it’s only $0.08 per hour. For all of those decorations.

Let’s compare:

1 year for balloon party: $25/h

Next year’s balloon party: Still $25/h

The difference is between $0.83/h and $25/h. Wow!

And the best part about reusables? You don’t need to buy them all at once! You can accumulate them every year, buying what you can afford in the moment, and enjoy them as they grow.

“But what about birthday parties? That’s only a day!”

And that’s absolutely a good point: single-day décor greatly brings up the price (but it is worth it for the joy it brings!).

But instead of going for disposable décor, consider things you can use for everyone’s birthdays, again and again, year after year.

Some reusable décor ideas:

• Bubble makers (honestly, I love that “Just Be” in downtown Greensboro uses this all of the time outside their shop) – unfortunately the bubble soap isn’t reusable.

• Paper & wood ideas (can be reused if using stronger paper and storing it correctly)

  • Paper balloons and lanterns

  • Paper stars

  • Paper airplane garlands

  • Pom Poms

  • Craft stores sell some cute reusable projects too!

• Lighting ideas (more expensive but versatile across all party types and seasons!)

  • LED curtain lights, string lights

  • Painted bulbs

  • Projectors

  • Reusable light-up, helium-free balloons

• Plastics

  • Reusable garlands

  • Decorative pieces you want to use again and again

  • Some wreaths

  • Reusable helium-free balloons (they’re out there!)

• Miscellaneous

  • “Alters” and displays can be reused if you do it right

  • Vases and glass jars

  • Metal or feather “butterflies”

  • Feather trees (use feathers and a Styrofoam cone) – not advised for cat owners ;)

  • Thrift store finds – limitless possibilities here

  • Dried flowers, especially hydrangeas, are great too because they last a long time!

I hope this helps!

With love,

Katie Sautter