Impress Your House Guests on a Budget
Benjamin Franklin famously said that “fish and visitors smell after three days.” While Mr. Franklin may have been alluding to the idea of guests overstaying their welcome, many of us love the idea of playing host and welcoming in houseguests for either dinner parties or overnight visits.
But one of the problems with these types of visits is the need to overdo things and try to do “too much” to impress our guests. Here are some tips you can use to impress your guests if you are working on a budget:
- Keep everyone entertained — It’s great to think that all your guests will be able to sit around and mingle with lively conversation. But as a host of a gathering, you still need to provide some entertainment for your guests. This doesn’t have to be really expensive. In fact, one entertainment item is making a huge comeback—board games. Whether it’s old favorites like Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit or newer adult-oriented games like Cards Against Humanity, these activities can get people mingling, talking, and laughing in no time with a very small investment on your part.
- Spruce up the bathroom — This is where you can really shine with your guests. Add nice fluffy hand towels in the guest bathroom and throw in a scented candle for ambiance and decoration. Hand soaps and lotions are another good choice, just be sure to include a scented and non-scented option for those with allergies.
- Keep them eating — The key to a person’s heart is through the stomach and you want to make sure your guests have plenty to munch on. Ask them ahead of time if they have any allergies so you can avoid these foods. Then set out food spots around the house. If you have guests for overnight, be sure to keep plenty of fresh water, juice, and soda on hand as well as snack items in the pantry and fridge. Good options here would be granola bars and cheese sticks. If you are working on a budget, stock up at your local warehouse store and buy in bulk. You can always chow down on the leftovers after your guests leave.
- Get personal — If you’re having overnight house guests, a simple and inexpensive thing to impress them is with a personalized note. Simply get a small card or piece of stationery and write a personal note welcoming them to your home. If you really want to make it feel like an upscale hotel, have this on the guest bed which has been turned down with a piece of chocolate on the pillows.
Entertaining house guests doesn’t mean that you have to break your bank. Whether they are coming over for dinner or staying for a weekend, there are plenty of ways that you can welcome them to your home and impress them while still staying firmly on a budget.
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