Every year, our congregation hosts Passover for anywhere from 20 people or more.  It takes time and effort to pull it off, but there are a lot of ways we can cut our costs and make it less stress and more enjoyable for everyone.  So I thought I would share a few of the tips we have learned along the way with you to help you save money on your next large event whether it is for your congregation, a special interest group, or even just a special party you plan to host!

1. Plan ahead.  Begin by listing out everything you will need such as decorations, special food, sound equipment, computer and projector, serving utensils, etc.  Give yourself as much lead time as possible.  The more time you have to work with, the bigger your savings can be!

2.  See what you already have.  It will amaze you what you personally already have.  Maybe that special platter you have sitting in the back of the cabinet has just been waiting for this event.  We had a beautiful cut glass pitcher we had bought a few years back that worked great for the head table at our Seder.

3.  Find out what you can borrow.  Do you have a friend who also enjoys hosting events that you might be able to borrow a few things from?  It can even be as simple as needing a couple of extra crockpots and being able to borrow them from a couple of friends for a few days.  We needed an overhead projector, and instead of running out and buying one for over $300, I knew a friend who had one.  I asked him if we could borrow it which he gladly agreed to.  That was quite the savings!  We only need one a couple of times a year, and he happily borrows it.  I’m always careful to make sure that I keep close track of all the chords and that we are very careful with it, and let him know that we appreciate it.

4.  Look for used.  If you have time on your side, you can enjoy some garage sale shopping and thrift store shopping to find the items that you might need.  It is amazing to me what great finds at a fraction of a cost you can find.

5.  Use sales to your advantage.  If you cannot find used or buying used would not be appropriate, then watch for sales and even coupons.  We needed a group of 4 matching pitchers, so I used 40% off coupons to get them at our local Hobby Lobby.  That saved me about $20 on those alone!

6. Ask people to contribute if appropriate.  Depending on the type of event, do not be afraid to ask for help.  People love to be involved.  You can ask them to come a couple of hours ahead of time to help set up and decorate.  Or you can ask people to bring dishes.  In our case, our congregation provides the Seder elements and the lamb; however, we ask each family to bring a dish to share to make up the main meal.  This helps to cut down on the cost and is not too much for each family.

7. Finally, enjoy the event!  Do not overstress yourself to the point that you cannot enjoy it as well.  As the organizer, I know how it can be very tiring; however, try to plan things out far enough in advance that you too can enjoy the event.