How to Throw a Budget-Friendly Bachelorette Party (& 13 Cheap Bachelorette Party Ideas)

In this post we are going to share some of the best tips and hacks to help you throw an awesome party on the cheap.

We’ve also got some out of the box cheap bachelorette party ideas for you to consider.

Happy planning!

Money saving tips for your bachelorette party

Here are a few tips to help you throw a budget friendly bachelorette party…

1. Set a budget before you begin

What’s the first thing you should do when you’re working with limited cash flow?

Set a budget.

We sound like a broken record here, but it’s true. The easiest way to overspend is to spend mindlessly.

Knowing what you can afford, or what you’re willing to allocate to certain aspects of the party, will help you stay at or under your budget.

Need help making your first budget?

Checkout “How to make a budget (for beginners)”

2. Make it one night only

One way to exacerbate costs is to drag the festivities out over several days or a weekend.

Make the bachelorette party a one day or one-night-only event and concentrate on making the time you do have with the bride-to-be count.

3. Keep it local

Cut down on travel and lodging costs by keeping the party local.

Some of your guests will thank you for not requiring them to stay overnight if they don’t want to – or can’t, for whatever reason.

4. Take advantage of personal connections

Just have to get away?

If you know a friend or family member who has a guest house or condo or other space they’re willing to donate or discount for the night, see if you can take advantage of that opportunity.

It can’t hurt to ask if you do it the right way.

As always, remember to be a courteous and respectful guest if this option is available to you.

Don’t leave without changing sheets and returning to the way everything was before you arrived.

Your host will thank you for it.

5. Stay in for the night

Rather than going out, where you might be tempted to spend extra cash, consider a night in with the girls.

This intimate setting can be one of the best opportunities to really focus on the bride before her big day.

6. Go outdoors

If the bride loves being outdoors, no matter how adventurous, you can make a day/night of an outing in nature that doesn’t have to hurt your wallet.

7. Do it yourself – as much as you can

The more decorating, food and drinks that you can take care of as a bride’s attendant or member of the wedding party, the less money you have to shell out for a professional to do it.

8. Raid coupon sites for ideas and great deals

Sites like Livingsocial and Groupon often feature entertainment, dining and retail deals that can save you a lot of money.

Once you have an idea of what you’d like to do for the bachelorette party, keep an eye out for discounted opportunities through those sites.

9. Take advantage of free stuff

Scour upcoming local events calendars to learn about fun and free activities that are happening in your area that you could work into your bachelorette’s last hurrah.

Aside from free activities, you can find all sorts of free stuff to take advantage of on the web, from free bachelorette games to free cocktail and music ideas.

Cheap bachelorette party ideas

Need ideas for a party she’ll never forget?

Make it personal.

Plan an event that suits your bride’s interests and personality.

Weekend trips and all-inclusive resorts have their charm but aren’t accessible to everyone.

Think outside the box.

Following some of the tips and tricks we’ve mentioned above, try any of the following ideas and maximize fun while minimizing costs for the bridal party.

1. Host a slumber party

Host the ultimate night in with the bridal party – a bachelorette sleepover.

Gather the girls in their finest sleepwear for DIY manis/pedis, a funny/scary/romantic movie or Netflix marathon, and good old-fashioned bonding time at a friend’s house, Airbnb rental or affordable hotel room.

Order pizza, play games and dish like you did back in middle school.

Chronicle the night for the bride to remember for years to come.

2. Bar/winery crawl

Pick a handful (even just 2-3) close bars or wineries and do a mini-crawl.

Up the ante with matching party shirts (also a handy souvenir for the ladies to keep forever) from a local printer or website.

CustomInk.com can do fairly small orders for just under $20 a shirt.

Still too much?

Get plain white T’s and a pack of Sharpies and make your own!

You can even have a contest for best T-shirt design, and let the bride choose the winner.

Try turning the crawl into a scavenger hunt and encourage lots of photos as team members mark “A clock displaying 11:11” or “A team member posing with the guy who sells flowers” off the list. (Check out this blog for more ideas for picture challenges, or make up your own!)

3. Mini-golf/bowling outing

Turn the party into a competition with a mini-golf or bowling outing.

Neither costs a lot and can take your guests out of their element for a little bit of friendly fun.

Bowling alleys, especially, are great if you’re looking to incorporate alcohol.

See if your local alley has any beer buckets on special when you’re planning the outing.

4. Host a home product party

You can make a real party out of any home product sales pitch – just add beanie weenies and boxed wine.

These aren’t your traditional Tupperware parties anymore (although those do still exist).

Here are just a few:  

• Jewelry & Accessories: Chloe + Isabel, Stella & Dot, Initials, Inc., Thirty One
• Clothing: cabi, India Hicks, peach, LulaRoe
• Makeup: Mary Kay, Avon
• Health and Wellness: Le-vel, Team Beachbody
• Home: Small Living Company, Pampered Chef, PartyLite, Pink Zebra, Scentsy
• Crafts: StampinUp

If you want to go a little crazy, consider an adult toy party.

Companies like Athena’s Home Novelties, Pure Romance and Surpr!se Parties specialize in adult toys, lingerie and body lotions and oils that can come in handy on a bride’s wedding night.

Most of the time you don’t even have to buy anything to test the products and play the games the consultant brings along, but if guests do buy something, hostess credit can be given to the bride.

Bonus!

5. Painting parties – Pottery painting, wine and canvas, craft night

If your bride is a crafty chick, consider a painting party or craft night.

Wine and canvas-type parties tend to run the gamut, from painting on canvases that have designs pre-drawn on them, to freehanding a design following the direction of an instructor.

Other painting parties take the fun off the canvas and onto pottery, door decorations and even pumpkins, if it’s the right time of year.

Most either sell or will let you bring in your own wine or beer and snacks.

Ask about booking a private party so everyone in attendance is with the bride, then happy crafting!

6. Host a wine tasting – at a winery at home

You could attend a wine tasting at a winery, or go the cheaper route and host one at your home.

Your wine tasting bachelorette party can have a theme, or not.

You can have an expert host come to your home to put on the event (like with Traveling Vineyard), or not. It’s really up to you and the bride.

Want to taste some wine and also give back to a charity?

Check out One Hope Wine.

If you want to save the max amount of money, choose five wines from the grocery store – either by color or region – and host your own.

Just be careful about serving more than five so you don’t overwhelm guests’ palettes.

7. Concentrate on food and cocktails

If your bride is into cooking or bartending, center your party around the food and drinks themselves, and turn it into a whole thing.

Have different guests participate by taking care of one course each – appetizers, main course, dessert, etc.

Get enough people to host a full course meal – the cost of which can be distributed amongst guests.

8. Dinner and a movie

“Dinner and a movie” sounds like a cliche, but that’s because it’s actually a classic.

Want to spice up the night?

Have dinner someplace non-traditional and unique and afterward, choose a showing of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” or something more interactive than your typical movie experience to keep the party going.

9. Comedy Club

A lot of comedy clubs are free, except for a drink minimum, which can easily be kept under budget (then the girls can go for a drink after if they want).

Get a good laugh – and be sure to let the club know you’re with a bachelorette, so it’s more likely they’ll work you into the show.

10. Theme park

Theme park tickets aren’t super cheap, but if your crew can each afford a ticket in – the rest can be done fairly cheaply.

Plus, there are tips and hacks you can use to get cheap tickets and discounts.

Like:

•  These tips for Six Flags discounts.
• And these tips to save money at Disney World.

Pack a lunch to break up the day outside of the park, or go for just half a day and have lunch before or dinner after.

It’s a thrilling option for a non-traditional bachelorette party.

11. Outdoor fun – pool party, camping, float trip

If your bride enjoys the outdoors, consider a camping trip (here’s a list of free camping sites near you), or a float trip bachelorette party.

If you live near a river, many have public access points inside state parks, and it generally doesn’t cost too much to float.

If you have enough people and want to stay overnight at a float resort, cabin packages are usually fairly affordable and can be split among the group.

BYOB on the trip, but make sure to respect the environment and leave no trace that you were there.

Enjoy some time in nature for less than it costs to rent a hotel room.

Not into nature, but interested in getting some sun?

Consider a bachelorette pool party.

If you know someone who has a pool, see if you can crash it for the day/night.

Local hotels or colleges also might offer this option if you inquire about a pool party.

Use the opportunity to cook out, or pack and bring lunches from home to save money.

12. Attend a sporting event, theater, museum trip, concert

Depending on where you live, public events like sports, theater engagements, museums and concerts might not seem like an affordable choice.

If you live near a minor league or college baseball team, for example, tickets are often a fraction of the cost of what you might see at major ballparks.

Check out local little theaters or park production troupes to see if any productions are taking place in the time frame you’d like to plan the party.

Shakespeare in the Park, anyone?

Some museums are pricey, but others – especially if you live in St. Louis – are cheap or free.

Take advantage of those options and make a day of it.

For concerts, check out local bar schedules and college campus event listings to see about free or affordable music festivals and concerts you can check out with your bachelorette on her special day.

13. Fitness class – Dance class, aerial yoga, etc.

Fitness classes – from pole dancing to aerial yoga, are all the rage these days.

Plus, you’ll want to be in shape for the bride’s wedding day.

See if there are any local studios that will let you rent the class out for your bachelorette party.

Even if the guests are no good at yoga, the experience should be fun and challenging – it might even produce some laughs.

Your experience

Tell us about the best bachelorette party you’ve planned or been to that didn’t break the bank.

What helped cut down costs?

Share your tips and ideas in the comments below.