Planning the perfect party does not have to be stressful. When you are the host for any type of event, planning, and preparing is important.
Have a holiday, birthday party or event coming up that you are hosting? Costco has key items that are going to save the day and make your party a breeze.
I started hosting large groups of people when I had my first baby. Since I have a fairly large family, our guest list for a birthday party was high. Through the years I hosted many bridal showers, baby showers, birthday parties and many holidays.
Those first events I hosted were a crazy hot mess. I would spend days cleaning and hours shopping for the perfect menu. I would put up themed decorations and send out cute little invites. If you need more tips on how to be a super host on a tight budget check out our post here.
At the end of the party I would be utterly exhausted, have spent way too much money, and left with a huge mess to clean up.
Ten years later I am a little more experienced and have mapped out how to successfully throw a simple party that serves it purpose and does not disrupt life for more than the day itself.
Of course there are certain events where you may choose to pull out some fun decorations and match the napkins to the plate, but for most everyday gatherings I recommend to keep it simple and let the convenience of Costco help you out.
These 14 Costco party tips will make your party planning a breeze.
MEAT
Decide what you are serving for the main dish. Want to keep things cost effective? We typically serve up ham on rolls, sloppy joes or shredded chicken sandwiches.
I can make this ahead of time and warm it in a crock pot. Chicken thighs are full of flavor and low on cost. You can get them for $2.79 lb at Costco. Leftovers will freeze well.
*Check out my first shopping trip and meal menu at Costco here.
PARTY PLATTERS
No time to make your own main dish? You can sometimes pick up party platters right in store, but calling ahead is your best bet. Those roll ups are my bridal shower favorite.
ROLLS
These rolls will go with any type of meat sandwich. I love that 2 dozen come in a bag for $ 5.99. That price is a $2 savings from our local grocery store bakery.
APPETIZERS
Little smokie sausages are $8.49 for two huge packages and the big meatball bag is $16.99. If you are going to shop Costco for party tips this is the easiest one. Everyone always raves over these heated up in a Crockpot with some BBQ sauce.
More Ways To Save at Costco:
- Best Kids Snacks to Buy at Sam’s Club for Lunches
- 13 Frozen Foods You Should Buy During Your Next Trip to Sam’s Club
- The Best Costco Membership Package on Groupon
CHEESE AND SAUSAGE
Keep it incredibly simple and just buy the cheese and sausage tray for $14.99. It tastes fresh and saves you a good 20 minutes of prep time.
Costco is known for its amazing cheese and sausage prices, so if you insist you can still do great buying it and cutting it yourself.
COOKIES
When I host any type of event I like to have a small dessert out with the meal and serve a larger dessert after.
Depending on my menu I might whip up some homemade cookies or I will keep it simple and purchase one of these cookie sampler trays for $ 7.99 each.
CAKE
Get your event cake or cupcakes right from Costco. You can call ahead to order if you want a special design or theme. We have had a Costco cake several times and it is always really good.
Our Costco has some pretty talented people decorating and you can ask for just about anything. A half sheet cake is ready to grab for $18.99.
VEGGIE TRAY
I buy these veggie trays all the time for $9.99. They are so easy to pull out of the refrigerator and serve to my family at lunch and they are cost-effective in comparison to buying individual produce.
For a party, they keep things efficient. Everything is washed for you and you can pick one up and pull it out the day of the party.
BJ’s Wholesale club is another great choice for fruit and meat platters. Check out our BJs Blog here.
WINE SPIRITS and BEER
Depending on your event you may be enjoying some wine, liquor or beer. Costco has an absolutely enormous selection of just about anything you could desire.
FRUIT
While you are saving time with vegetables, why not save time with a pre-cut fruit. I used to be completely against buying pre-cut fruit because of the price.
Sometimes, I make an exception when I see a good deal like this for $9.99 This can save so much time and energy.
PLATES
When I first started shopping Costco I was not convinced on the paper plate prices. I whipped out my calculator and started price comparing everywhere I went.
When I am serving a heavier dish I prefer to get my guests a heavy-duty plate-like these. For $21.79 you can get 165 plates.
CUPS
It will almost always be less expensive to serve liters of soda, punch or water at your party in cups. Now that I shop at Costco I have a constant stock of paper/plastic items to make hosting easier.
To avoid spills I do get these quality plastic cups. For $9.99 you get 140 cups. My husband had a great idea to always put out a permanent marker so that guests can write their names on their cup.
DINING SPACE
It is so important to make sure that you have plenty of table space for your guests to sit down. Elderly and children are always my first priorities as it is more difficult for them to sit on the floor or hold their plates while eating.
Invest in a few of these foldable banquet tables you will use for years. They store easily and pop up in a second. You can get them for $49.99 each.
CHAIRS
We tend to pull out chairs quite often when we are having people over for any type of event. For years we were using chairs handed down to us from grandparents weighing literally 10 lbs each.
We grabbed some cheap chairs that broke after a few uses. We decided to make the investment into a set of 6 lightweight foldable chairs like these. Costco has them for $ 18.99 each.
Throwing a party is supposed to be fun. I like to bring people together for a good time and make sure that I can also be a part of it.
I clean little before a party, because I know I will have to clean after as well. For most events, my family does not care if my bathroom or floors are spot-free.
When the party is almost over I always say yes when help is offered. I know it might be hard in the beginning to make some of these choices, but I promise you a stress-free party is much more fun.
The next time your hosting head to Costco. Plan your party with these tips and I know you will have a successful event.
oh those smoke links are the best, all I do is put them in sweet baby rays and let them simmer and I am good to go.
Hi Jess