Plan the Ultimate Housewarming Party on a Shoestring Budget

So, you've bought your dream condo, you've decorated, and have even bought curtains. You're a grown up now and you want to show your friends and family just how much you've changed. What better way to do that, than to throw your own housewarming gala? But there's the problem - you don't have hundreds of dollars just lying around to buy all of the food and alcohol because, well, you've just bought your place. No need to fret. Here are some ideas to spark your creativity and help you throw the ultimate shindig.

Remember potlucks from back in the day? I do too. All you need to do is send out invitations to your friends and family and tell them to bring a dish or alcohol. It's so easy and you don't even have to mail out invitations anymore. Simply gather all of their e-mail addresses and send them an invite via Evite. Your people can respond with a yes, no, or maybe and the best part about Evite is that it's free. Now, everybody will show up to your place with a dish or drink in their hands and you'll be able to have a great party with little to no money.

But what if potlucks aren't your thing? Have you ever thought of throwing a barbeque? It could really work on a limited budget. Don't think about having a barbeque in terms of hunky steaks and chicken breast ala all of your time wasted slaving over a hot grill. Think of it in terms of making kabobs. You can make so many different variations of shishkabobs including meat, veggie, and fruit and it's relatively inexpensive. All you need to buy to get going are sticks, meat, veggies, and fruit. It will take a little bit of time to cut up all of your ingredients, but who doesn't like skewering meat and veggies on sticks? I know I don't. If you need recipes? Check out Epicurious or All recipes.