How to Host Overnight Guests on a Budget this Christmas

How to Host Overnight Guests on a Budget this Christmas

Most families have started making plans for the festive season now. Are you hosting this year, perhaps with some friends or family members coming to visit and staying overnight? Then you have come to the right place. In this article, we will explore how to host overnight guests on a budget this Christmas. It might require a bit of effort and planning but it is possible.

Hosting family and friends overnight will ensure that it’s easier to spend quality time together on Christmas without anyone worrying about travelling back to their own home late at night. Arranging a sleepover is a great way to be able to spend time with family and friends this Christmas.

We host family every Christmas to ensure that we can be together and that everyone can relax knowing that no one needs to drive back home in the dark on Christmas. Let’s look at how you can make hosting overnight guests easier and affordable.

Set up a Sleeping Space for Guests

If you have a guest room, it’s really easy to set up a sleeping space for guests. While our youngest was still sharing a room with us, we had a guest room set up and that was great for when family was visiting from near and far.

We don’t have a guest room anymore though as the kids have grown and need their own space. These days when we have guests, our older two kids have a sleepover in one of their rooms and we use the other room for the guests.

We have a trundle bed and this is one of our best buys as it makes it so easy to host an extra person or two as needed. Whatever bed works for your home is fine though – you can get fold up guest beds or simply ensure that any beds that guests might use are a good size for adults, like a small double bed for example. If you’re looking to purchase a new bed to help you with your festive hosting and beyond, now is a great time to shop with all the Black friday deals available, offering huge savings on lots of great options.

Guests also need bedding and towels. Depending on how many people you are hosting and where they’re travelling from, they might be able to take their own with them. This would mean less washing for you and remove the need for having extra duvets and sheets available. When we host guests from abroad, we always provide the full set-up but my father-in-law, who travels over in the car, often takes his own duvet and towels with him to make it easier for us. Your guests won’t mind either way, just let them know beforehand what you can provide and if they need to take anything with them. 

If you do want to have everything ready for your guests, I recommend buying some nice sheets and towels when you spot a good offer and then keep these as your guest set. Then this will always be ready when you need it and stay in good condition. 

Budget Friendly Food Options When Hosting Overnight Guests

Since it’s Christmas, you’ve most likely spent quite a lot of money stocking up for the big festive meal as well as on nibbles and drinks. To save money on the rest of the food whilst having guests, think of meals and snacks that can easily feed a larger group of people on a budget. Some good options include things like lasagne, chilli and jacket potatoes, stew, soup and fresh bread, brownies or other traybakes, hot chocolate etc – pretty much anything that you can cook in a big pan (or slow cooker) or in one oven tray to make things easy and affordable.

Also stock up on tea, coffee, sugar, biscuits and other snacks for everyone. Places where you can buy in bulk, like Costco and similar, are great for bulk buying things when you are hosting extra people. 

Most guests will arrive with some food and drink gifts for the household too. Don’t feel embarrassed to ask people to bring specific things as part of a meal plan for example. You could agree to share the cooking tasks and costs this way too if your guests are staying for longer. 

Keep the Bathroom Stocked on a Budget

Just like the kitchen, the bathroom needs to be kept well stocked when you have guests. Stock up on toilet roll (buy a big pack when you spot a good offer) and ensure that guests can easily help themselves to more when needed. Fill up all the soap dispensers with hand wash and ensure all the essentials are available in the shower – affordable shampoo, conditioner, shower gel that you don’t mind getting used up. Sometimes guests forget things at home, so it’s a good idea to have a pack of toothbrushes and some extra toothpaste available too, just in case.

You’ll need to change hand towels and bath maths more often when more people are using your bathroom too, so make sure you have a few spares to make it easier for you. There are lots of budget friendly options for bath maths and towels available from supermarkets, for example. 

Conclusion – Hosting Overnight Guests on a Budget this Christmas

Hosting overnight guests on a budget is possible – you just need to plan ahead a bit and stock up on a few essentials when you spot things on offer. Don’t worry about the little things though – the most important thing is that you will be able to spend time together with your loved ones this Christmas.

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