My co-host and I did the pre-baby-shower shopping this last weekend and WOW!  I had never been in Party America before and now I’m wondering WHY?  That place is awesome!  We spent more than I’d anticipated, but it wasn’t really over-the-top.  I think we made some good decisions and we both kept in mind that we had a budget.  Here are some tips that we used and some that we should have used!

• Before shopping, make a list of what you need.  Your planning needs to be done at home, not in Party America with all the wonderful decorations and party supplies staring you in the face.
• When planning where you’ll shop, check sites like Retail Me Not for coupons to bring your cost down.  Oh yes, and then remember to USE THEM!  I had some printed out and then forgot to use them at the cash register.  I’m so on top of things.
• If possible, do all your shopping at one place.  This cuts down on impulse buys.  If you have to go to more than one place, know what you need from the other places and only buy those items!
• Scan all the possible themes and items before putting things in your cart.  This also cuts down on time!  A lot!
• Know what you already have at home.  We considered buying some serving bowls to match our theme, but I knew I already had some bowls that were almost the exact same color at home.  So that saved us at least $10 right there!  Also, keep in mind people that you can borrow from.  My co-host is borrowing a punch bowl from her mom, which saves us a lot of money, too!

Have a frugal party shopping tip to share?  Leave me a comment!  I’d love to hear it!

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