Party Hacks To Save You Time And Money

What It Is: Easy way to make a bunch of hot dogs for a crowd of people
Estimated Cost: $2.50-$6 for a 12-pack of hot dogs*

Making hot dogs in a slow cooker is an easy way to make a bunch of juicy, delicious hot dogs for a crowd. It beats grilling all afternoon and keeping some of your guests waiting, and you can add seasoning to the hot dogs to give them an extra, slow-cooked, flavorful kick.

Cook Hot Dogs In A Slow Cooker @stockpilingmoms / Pinterest.com

You can use a tall, round slow cooker or an oval slow cooker for this hack; you just have to make sure that your hot dogs will fit. Place the hot dogs into the cooker and cook them on high for two-and-a-half to three hours. Make sure that the dogs are hot in the center before you pull them out. 

What It Is: Extra storage space for drinks
Estimated Cost: Free/$2 for ice 

Everyone that’s ever thrown a party knows that the refrigerator gets filled up pretty quickly. Even if people bring their own booze, they usually want somewhere to put it so it doesn’t get warm. Instead of splashing the cash on several coolers, fill up the washer with ice instead. 

Use The Washer To Chill Drinks @burkiett / Pinterest.com

Buying a bag of ice from Walmart costs next to nothing, and most people already have a washer at home anyway. Since the drum is designed to get wet, it’s the perfect place to store beers. Plus, the metal will keep the ice cooler for longer. 

What It Is: Creative way to hold dip for chips
Estimated Cost: $1-$3 per glass*

Wine glasses are a cheap, unique way to hold dip for chips. If you have an assortment of dips and salsa and want to come up with a way to separate them without resorting to boring old bowls, place them in wine glasses. You can even buy cute labels at the dollar store or on Amazon to designate which dip is which.

Use A Wine Glass For Chips And Dips @martini1141 / Pinterest.com

If you want to keep food from being communal (probably a good idea), you can do this trick with miniature shot glasses or small, child-size cups. These cups are also cheap, and they can serve as individual dip-holders for your guests.  

What It Is: An ice alternative
Estimated Cost: $3*

Ice is easy to make and cheap to buy, but you might want to think twice before you put it in your wine. Sure, it might be good for the first little while, but when it starts to melt it’s going to make your drink watery and nowhere near as tasty as it should be. 

Use Frozen Grapes Instead of Ice @MrsKrishan / Pinterest.com

Instead of using ice cubes so readily, stick a bunch of grapes in the freezer and use those instead. They have the same cooling effect without melting down and making your Bud taste like a watered-down version. 

What It Is: An unbreakable drink vessel
Estimated Cost: $2*

Paper cups are all well and good but they can go soggy after a while. Plastic cups are just plain and boring, but what about bags instead of glasses? They hold more liquid, can’t be smashed on the kitchen floor after one too many, and you can stick a straw in the top. 

Use Bags Instead Of Glasses @HiptoroNews / Pinterest.com

It might look slightly unsavory at first, but guests could learn to love these spectacular vessels even more than they love a traditional red cup. Why not give it a go at your next bash and see what your friends think? It could be the start of something wonderful. 

What It Is: Hot chocolate with liquor in it
Estimated Cost: $15-$25*

Chocolate and alcohol are a winning combination, and you can give that combo a wintry twist by making boozy hot chocolate. The drink is super easy to make, even if you’re someone who doesn’t know a strainer from a shaker.

Make Boozy Hot Chocolate For Holiday Parties ©Fascinadora / Shutterstock.com

For one boozy hot chocolate, you’ll need two ounces of semisweet chocolate, chopped finely, six ounces of milk, 1 and ½ ounces of the liquor of your choice, and mini-marshmallows. If you don’t want to put that much effort into it, buy Swiss Miss packets of hot cocoa and whisky and do it that way. You can even add sprinkles and candy canes to the cocoa to make it more festive.     

What It Is: A handy way to keep chips fresh
Estimated Cost: $3*

Opening up a bag of chips and pouring them out into a bowl is something most of us do when we have people over. However, if they don’t all get eaten then it’s somewhat of a waste. Instead of going all in, take an old baby wipe pack and cut off the seal. 

Seal Chips With Baby Wipe Lid @huffpostuk / Pinterest.com

Cut a hole in the front of a bag of chips and then stick the lid on top. It might seem like an unnecessary chore, but you’ll be glad you did it when the chips don’t get thrown into the trash at the end of the day. 

What It Is: A better way to serve cake
Estimated Cost: Free

Let’s face it, cutting any kind of celebration cake can be a messy process that takes up more time than it’s worth. If there’s only a few of you and you want to make sure everyone gets a decent amount of cake, take wine glasses and use them to cut the cake by scooping it into the glass. 

Serve Cake With Wine Glasses @chloebates05 / Pinterest.com

Hand every guest a fork or a spoon and there you have it, instant dessert without any of the complications that come from serving cake on napkins or paper plates. Frankly, this should be a worldwide sensation. 

What It Is: A handy little DIY speaker
Estimated Cost: $3*

Not every party is meticulously planned, so if you end up having an impromptu get together, then you may want to remember this one. You can make DIY speakers tons of different ways, including using toilet paper rolls and some carefully placed tape. 

Make DIY Speakers @cnet / Pinterest.com

A quick Google will tell you that there are plenty of different ways you can make a speaker for your phone, but as long as you’ve got some sort of cardboard and some tape, then you should be able to fashion something worth using.

What It Is: A way to get crystal clear ice cubes
Estimated Cost: Free 

Most of us fill up ice cube trays straight from the tap, but have you ever thought about why the ice cubes look cloudy? This might not be true if you use filtered water, but if you don’t, you’ve probably noticed the cloudiness. 

Boil Water Before Freezing It @wdana1 / Pinterest.com

You can fix this by boiling water before you freeze it. It might seem counterintuitive, but it makes all the difference when you’re serving it to your friends. The best part? This hack is virtually free, with no expensive Amazon gadgets in sight. 

What It Is: A handy way to tie balloons quickly
Estimated Cost: $3 or free if you already have pliers* 

Tying balloons over and over again can feel like a repetitive, boring, and frustrating waste of time. It’s not always easy to get the job done, but it could be. Instead of making your fingers sore and cursing like a sailor for an hour straight, use a pair of pliers to help. 

Use Plyers To Tie Balloons @Reel Heat / Youtube.com

By carefully using the pliers instead of your fingers, you should be able to get a bunch of balloons tied up in no time at all. If you don’t already have a pair of pliers, then don’t panic. You can pick them up at places like Home Depot for just a couple of dollars. 

What It Is: A whole watermelon juice dispenser
Estimated Cost: $5-$10*

This hack may not be the cheapest around, but it will wow your guests and take care of refreshments. Buy a whole watermelon, a juice dispenser tap, and you’ve got yourself something impressive. Cut a hole in the top of the watermelon and pour in some fruit juice or even coke. 

Make A Watermelon Juice Dispenser @kookfanspinterest / Pinterest.com

Stick the dispenser tap at the bottom and turn it on to release the juice. The best part? You can keep topping up the watermelon throughout the party so it never runs out. This is something so interesting that guests might even post about it on Facebook. 

What It Is: Jello shots in a hard-boiled egg casing
Estimated Cost: $5=$10*

If you’re desperate to make jello shots but don’t have shot glasses, all is not lost. Instead of abandoning the cause totally and making regular drinks, boil some eggs. Scoop out the yolk and pour the jello mixture inside it. 

Make Jello Shots In Hard Boiled Eggs @u/Freekmagnet / Reddit.com

Once they’re set, you’ve got a weird egg-beverage hybrid that no one would ever see coming. Is it a hack that everyone will enjoy? Absolutely not. But it will be talked about for years to come, for all the wrong reasons. Being a normal host isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be anyway…

What It Is: Party poppers made from confetti and toilet paper rolls
Estimated Cost: $5*

Party poppers are fun, but they aren’t exactly good for the environment. For a start, they’re made from plastic which isn’t biodegradable. If you want the same effect but would rather do something a little greener, you can make your own poppers out of toilet paper rolls and paper confetti. 

Make DIY Party Poppers @ForModernKids2 / Pinterest.com

Balloons (you can also get biodegradable versions of these) act as the “popper” making the confetti fly everywhere. It’s just as messy, the clean-up is just as bad, but the celebration vibe is just the same. What more could you ask for?