Sarah Willingham, founder of Let’s Save Some Money gives us her money saving tips for the perfectly affordable Christmas party.

It’s party season and the average lady spends £206 on looking fabulous for her Christmas do!

BUT You can cut that cost right back by renting a designer gown instead of buying, and here are 10 more money saving party tips!

1. MAKE UP: Discount make up sites like Gorgeous Shop and Allbeauty cut the RRP of your favourite products by up to 70%. And you could try a free make-over at the make-up counter of a department store, it’s considered polite to buy something, but it is only compulsory if you have a MAC make over.
2. MUSIC: Don’t splash out on a DJ or band when a personalised playlist will guarantee you get the songs you want. A free trial of Spotify Premium will give you access to millions of songs and you can create your own playlist without ads.
3. FOOD: If you’re throwing a party push it back until after dinner so you don’t have to provide a feast. Or if you’re looking for good priced nibbles ASDA and Iceland are very budget friendly. You can then present their nibbles nicely on a silver tray (2 for £3 at Wilkos). There are loads more tips for saving on food on my Supermarket Guide.
4. BYO: A bring a dish dinner party is another great way to save on food, ask your guests to bring a starter, main or dessert. This is especially fun if you have a theme. Oxfam have a great, free,dine the world party kit.
5. GLASSES: If you are buying plastic glasses in you can get 100 for £1.50 at ASDA with free delivery or free click and collect. Or if you’re looking to hire, Sainsbury’s offer free glass hire but you must give at least 48 hours’ notice and pay a £20 deposit.
6. INVITES: Internet invites are the future! Marvellous site evite has lots of free templates you can email which also have an RSVP function that will email you the replies, handy!
7. FINE DINING: If you’re going for a meal before the party starts, order yourself a 30 day free trial for Tastecard. This fab card will get you 50% off loads of great restaurants.
8. COMPARE: You can compare the cost of food and drink at the online supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsbury’s, ASDA, Ocado, and Waitrose) and high street supermarket Aldi at mySupermarket which will also quickly show you the multi-buy deals available. Do also check Majestic Wines for great offers if you’re buying booze in bulk.
9. VENUE: If you can’t have your party at home, have a look at pubs, bars and restaurants that might let you have a room for free if your guests use their bar.National chain Revolution offer free venue hire. Also check out village halls that can be yours for as little as £5 an hour.
10. HAGGLE: Haggle indiscriminately, haggle politely, haggle lots. This works especially well in independent stores which could be convinced to throw a freebie in with your purchase. If you are holding an event in a hotel make sure you ask about a discount on their rooms for your guests.

Find more tips in the 1 Minute Guide to Throwing a Party on Let’s Save Some Money

On the 20^th November the Girl Meets Dress team at De Montfort University hosted their first EVER advanced try on – The Girly Night In! Here’s what happened!

Written by Rachel Hyde.

“With nibbles and wine the girls all grabbed their favourite party dresses and ran upstairs to try them on (a few had to share their favs!).

Once everyone was suited and booted, we all took turns in front of the camera! Pictures were necessary and everyone wants to look good on camera so it was good preparation for a proper night out/ party!

Everyone was being complemented on how good the party dresses looked, which was amazing as each dress fitted everyone’s individual style. After the photos were taken none of us wanted to take the party dresses off as we all felt AMAZING in them!

Finally we all picked a second favourite and went to change into them, again photos were taken and again the dresses were absolutely LOVED! It also took us forever to take these dresses off and we all stood around gossiping in them for ages – perfect for another photo op! Everyone felt confident in them and it really made the atmosphere of the night a good one!

The orange Stella McCartney Pleated Stretch Dress and the Clover Canyon Corset Print Dress were the biggest hits of the night and they definitely were keepers. After the party dresses were off we all sat and discussed them, browsed them online and picked what type of occasion they would all be perfect for!

It is always nervous being the host of a night and when you’ve got designer dresses in your hands too it was even scarier, but everyone enjoyed the night as it made a change to our usual social events! I had nothing but good feedback and it really helped get everyone excited about Girl Meets Dress. It can only get more exciting from here.”

Thanks Rachel – we’re so glad you had such a great evening! x

Santa Baby, come over here and let’s sneak a kiss under the mistletoe! Even though it’s mid-November, there’s no denying it, Christmas is upon us. The Christmas adverts are on the television and fires are being lit all over the UK – as Noddy Holder famously belts out in Slade’s classic Christmas song, “iittt’s Christmas”! Here’s a selection of party dresses we’ll be wearing over the coming weeks:

Jarlo: Pia Dress – Wiggle on over to the mistletoe, or be swept off your feet and carried there! The peplum of this black dress is very on trend and the delicate lace and adds luxury to this party dress.

Oh My Love: Hook An Eye Dress – If you’re having trouble getting that special someone under the mistletoe, hook them with this dress and they’ll have to follow you! With the unique trimming detail of the dress, keep accessories simple and silver.

Dark Pink: Joy Halter Maxi – The high neckline and beautiful tie at the back might seem conservative at first, but this black maxi dress has a secret. When you’re under the mistletoe, there’s a cheeky slit to accommodate that perfect leg popping fairy tale kiss.

Here at GMD HQ, we’ve had a couple of Winter Cocktail Party invitations arrive in the post. They’re not quite Christmas parties, so we’ve chosen some transitional black cocktail dresses to see you through the Winter months, leading up to the Christmas office parties and end of year celebrations. Everyone’s saving up to buy Christmas presents so what better way to save even more money, than by renting little black designer dresses for under £50!

Halston Swing Cocktail Dress – Such a chic dress at such a great price. Made of luxurious silk, we love this black dress with its metallic detail running through the material. The gold ‘H’ on the shoulder is a signature of Halston dresses, it’s even removable but we love it just the way it is. The one shoulder look is right on trend and perfect for those beady fashionista eyes.

Kirsty Doyle Tuxedo Waistcoat Dress – The androgynous look has made a real comeback in recent years. This black dress comes with the option of a waistcoat, really great for outdoor cocktail parties. As it’s made of wool and cashmere, you’re safe in the knowledge that you’ll staying warm on a chilly night. We do say though that if it gets too cold, asking to borrow a handsome suitor’s jacket is highly recommended!

NLY Jules Dress Silver – This dress mixes black sequins and silver sequins for a totally gorgeous, shimmering look. It’s a mini length and backless for that added wow factor. We like to keep accessories simple with some dresses, but with this one, we say go all out! For something a little different, how about piling your hair up high and wearing a necklace, but backwards so that it drops down the bare back; go on, give us a twirl!