Stag and Hen parties on a budget

Stag and hen parties can be very expensive affairs nowadays! Even if you’re staying in the UK but visiting another city the costs can soon mount up for attendees.

The are only a few big costs usually involved with a stag or hen party which are listed below, and we’ll explain how to save money in each area:

Accommodation
Travel
Activity
Food and Drink

Accommodation and Travel

Remember: the longer you are away from home the more expensive your stag or hen party will be.

An increasingly popular alternative is to stay in your home city. This way you’ll still get a great night but you get much more control over the costs as you can cut out accommodation for anybody local and you can tailor the stag or hen party to suit your budget. There’s also no pressure to make a whole weekend of the party, and you could even shorten it to just a night out – great for stag and hen parties on a budget. Remember; stag and hen parties aren’t a competition or popularity contest – we think it’s about celebrating with your closest friends and family.

If you are travelling to another city then book your hotel and travel early and search for special offers and discount codes. However, be sure to collect money from attendees before booking if the tickets are non-refundable (special offers often are). You don’t want to be out of pocket. If there’s an attendee who lives locally then get ask them to pick up people who are arriving by rail, bus or air to help save on taxi costs – but be sure to ask people to put in for petrol money.

If people are travelling by car then check if they can car share to save costs and check if you’re hotel has free parking or the charges in the local area – these can be surprisingly expensive.

Activity

Here’s a few low cost stag and hen party ideas if you’re on a budget and want to stay near home:

Barbecue (weather permitting) or picnic
Game of poker (for stags) either at home or even in a local casino – many offer beginners lessons or packages
Ann Summer’s party (for hens) – a few bottles of wine and you’ve got a great party in your house.
Bowling – cheap and everybody gets to take part
Ice skating
Cinema – either go to a regular showing or enquire in you can hire a small screen for a private showing of your favourite movie
Bingo – you might even come out with a few quid!
Hire a bike or take a walk in the countryside
Do a treasure hunt – it’ll help you see your city in a new way.

Food and Drink

If you make drinking the only focus of your stag or hen party then it will be expensive, it’s more likely to get you in trouble and to be honest it’s a bit lazy as there’s plenty of great activities to fill your time. So, the easiest way to save money on drinking is to avoid it by doing something else! If you do want to drink then do it in moderation and try not to do it in the pub – have a barbecue, or picnic.

It’s the same with food, try to take your own or research places to eat before you go out so you know where’s cheap. If there’s a large group of you contact local restaurants as many will offer a special set menu or drinks package which is better value – don’t be afraid to ask.

Communication

More often than not if you’re open and honest about costs up front then most people will be ok, or will join the party for the bits they can afford. Money becomes an issue when it’s asked for unexpectedly so be sure to thoroughly research costs and set a price for everybody that you can stick to so nobody gets a nasty surprise.

Also, make sure you don’t end up out of pocket; don’t book anything non-refundable until everybody has paid. Set a deadline for receiving payment and be absolutely clear with attendees that if they don’t pay they don’t go or have to make their own arrangements. Harsh but fair.

Take a look through our complete list of city guides to find inspiration and ideas for the perfect local stag or hen party: