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If the idea of planning the food for your special holiday party has you a bit nervous because of the cost, you came to the right place. You needn't spend all your hard-earned cash on snacks, beverages, or a meal for your holiday get together. With a bit of imagination and some smart planning, the food for your holiday party could fit your budget very nicely.

Here are some simple tips and suggestions to help you save money on food when throwing your next holiday party, without sacrificing fun:

Frugal Thirst Quenchers - Most every holiday party would benefit from serving an inexpensive but pretty punch. A punch bowl is very festive and it goes a long, long way. Use frozen juice concentrates in any combination you like, throw in some bubbly soda pop, some ice, and you've got yourself a great centerpiece. You should also have an assortment of soft drinks in big bottles as well as fresh water in pitchers. For a casual holiday gathering, your guests can help themselves as long as you have cups and ice available. If you have someone serving your guests, just keep filling their cups and you'll be hailed as a great host!

Snacking Is Classic - Sticking with classic holiday season snacks may be the perfect thing for your party. Traditional foods at casual holiday gatherings include fresh vegetable trays with an assortment of creamy dips, as well as trays of cheese and sausage. Don't buy pre-made veggie trays. Instead, buy vegetables in bulk and wash and cut them up yourself. They'll be less expensive and better quality when they're fresh cut by you. Buy cheese and sausage the same way. The little extra time you spend cutting up your own snacks will be worth it both in money and in what your snacks look like, and taste like. Buy nuts in bulk and put in pretty and festive little dishes around the room. If you can afford an assortment of olives, that's a nice touch next to the sausage and cheese trays.

Finger Foods For Fun - Serving small sandwiches, an assortment of fresh cut veggies, chips, and dip is probably one of the easiest ways to please your holiday guests. Add some Pinwheels to that menu and you are guaranteed to hear some compliments. Pinwheels are just tortilla roll-ups, with a few ingredients inside, cut into circles, but they are always a hit. Look for a recipe or create your own. Big bags of boneless chicken wings or meatballs is another way to inexpensively include a filling finger food in your holiday party menu. You can make any tray look festive by decking it out with some fresh greens like kale or romaine lettuce. Just look for something green, fresh, and inexpensive and lay your veggies or wings on top. A few slices of lemon makes everything look great. Then all you need is some pretty paper plates and napkins and let the mingling begin.

Culturally Inspired - What if your holiday party has to be a sit-down dinner? Every culture has some kind of dish that is designed to feed a large gathering inexpensively. An Italian inspired meal could include a couple spaghetti dishes, perhaps a tomato sauce and an olive oil and garlic sauce. Be sure to include lots of crusty bread and a fresh antipasto platter on your holiday table. An Asian inspired dish may include a stir-fry of fresh vegetables with ginger and cashews or almonds for crunch. Serve over sticky rice to complete the meal. If you like Mexican food, try some big plates of Nachos, Chilies Rellenos, or Enchiladas. Have lots of chips and salsa to round out the meal. Give some thought to your own background. Maybe some Red Beans and Rice and Blackened Catfish is where you're coming from! Have some fun with it and your holiday guests will, too!

Share A Potluck - If you thought potlucks were just for church gatherings, think again. This holiday party planning option is catching on big time. This holiday party is usually a casual gathering of folks who know each other pretty well, and if not, you'll get to know each other better. The host of the party needs to provide a main dish, but everyone else, in order for it to be a true potluck, brings whatever they want. Now, if someone asks you what you should bring, you can use the opportunity to request a specific dish, but I like the surprise, myself. Ask everyone to bring a copy of their special holiday recipe, unless it's a well guarded family secret recipe, of course!

Dessert Time - If your holiday party is later in the evening, or if your guests are the type who like to eat dessert first, this plan is for you. Some inexpensive angel food cake can be all gussied up to look like, and taste like, an expensive gourmet shop dessert quickly and easily. Melt some chocolate, even cheap candy bars will do, and stir in some cream and a pad of butter. When it's nice and thin, pour it over slices of cake on dessert plates. Garnish with some fresh mint leaves or sprinkles of fresh edible lavender. Try drizzling some thin powdered sugar frosting, flavored with any citrus extract you like, over the slices of cake, then topping with some fresh carnations or even lilacs. The petals are edible and pretty! Or just grate some orange or lime zest over the frosting to give it a bit of flare. Do this in front of your holiday guests to really make their mouths water and come off looking like a real chef!

Movin' The Party - If you're planning a holiday party with friends and family who are nearby, the perfect way to plan the party may be to share the party and the food. You share the guest list and start out at House #1 with drinks and snacks. Then on to House #2 where you have the main meal. Finally, on to House #3 for dessert and coffee. This works especially well when you keep the food casual because no one will be stopping to sit for any amount of time. You'll want everything to be buffet style so folks can come, eat, visit, mingle, and move on to the next house. Block off chunks of time for each part of the holiday meal on the invitations so if someone can't come until later, they'll know which house to go to in order to catch up with the party!

As you can see, your holiday party does not have to cost a lot of money to be a huge success. Be creative and plan some time to shop around before you make your final decision. You can do this!