Frugal but Fabulous

Throwing a party that won't break the budget doesn't mean skimping out on all of the good stuff. Our hints will help you have a jolly holiday without the next-day spending hangover.

Serve small plates with big flavors. Appetizer-themed parties do triple duty: they're simple to prepare, you don't need formal sit-down space or tableware, and you don't have to serve a full (and more expensive) meal.

Supplement with simple but dazzling ready-to-eat foods. Fruit and vegetable trays are party staples; make yours interesting by alternating only red and green fruits and veggies on the tray. Red grapes, strawberries, red apples, kiwi, green apples, and honeydew melon are good fruit choices; try veggies like radishes, grape tomatoes, red bell peppers, broccoli, cucumbers, and celery.

Don't overdo the food. A hostess's worst nightmare? Running out of food. Yet don't most of your parties end the opposite way, with you packing away more leftovers than you can possibly eat? At an appetizer party, count on about six appetizers per guest, but don't stress one bit if you run out of something. Just quietly remove the tray from the food table and be happy guests liked it enough to gobble it up. Have some extra ready-to-eat nonperishable foods stashed away in your cupboard (such as a snack mix from the club warehouse) and rest assured that you have a backup, just in case.

Use colorful plates and décor. Brightly colored plates and napkins don't cost any more than white or neutral, and they help set a festive mood. Plain red and green or blue and silver are usually less expensive than printed plates.

Stick with one "punchy" drink. Sangria is an excellent drink with small plates. Try a winter version made with inexpensive boxed red wine, oranges, and lemons spiked with cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. Make a delicious non-alcoholic sangria with cranberry juice.

Forgo party favors. Instead of sending guests away with party favors (cute, but often time-consuming and an easy cost to cut), spread a little cheer with a white elephant gift exchange, where you ask guests to wrap up something from their house that they want to get rid of. It's a lot of fun to discover the meaning of "one man's trash is another man's treasure" as guests fight over the best used gifts.