Kiplinger set itself three basic rules to follow for affordable holiday entertaining: “make it a team effort” by splitting hosting duties or having guests bring food, “borrow what you don’t have,” and ” be creative.” Following these rules, they came up with ten ideas for holiday get-togethers that even people on tight budgets can pull off. Here are the first three.

• Holiday open house — “Invite guests to an open house spanning a couple of hours. That way, you can celebrate with all your friends or family without too much crowding. Serve up drinks and simple hors d’oeuvres.”
• Intimate dinner party — “Invite a handful of your closest friends…. This is a great way to go elegant on a small budget.”
• Potluck party — “Everyone brings a dish to share. You would need to handle only the main food item — something that feeds a lot of people for a little money, such as a roasted turkey or a steaming crockpot of chili.”.

“Holiday Entertaining on a Budget” [Kiplinger]
(Photo: Getty)

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