Michelle and Michael Wlosinski’s popular New Year’s Eve soiree will scale back this year on its endless drinks and food but it will maintain the main attraction: an eclectic mix of revelers.

“All of us being together is the most important thing,” Michelle Wlosinski said. “We don’t need 100 varieties of food or every single brand of liquor to have a good time. It’s about the unique people, and that’s not going to change.”

The East Amherst couple are looking to reduce their party’s budget—and in turn, stress—with a limited menu. So instead of buying the favorite drinks of each of their dozens of guests, the Wlosinskis will serve appletini, beer and wine. Also, instead of offering salads, cheeses, sandwiches, pastas, sushi, they will provide their guests with a meat and a veggie option.

“It’s kind of silly when you think about it; we would have enough leftovers to feed an army,” said Michelle Wlosinski, who has been throwing the party for almost a decade and attracts 30 to 40 people each year. “We’re not a restaurant, so we don’t have to have every single option on the planet available.”

The Wlosinskis’ new approach to party planning is among many ways to continue festive holiday get-togethers without spending your last dime.

“It’s going to save us a lot of money but still keep everyone happy, and they’ll get everything they need,” she said.

Jennie McManus, president of the Town of Tonawanda-based Details, Details, an events planning business, said, “Limiting the drinks choices gives you more wiggle room in your budget—that way you’re not going out spending money on gin, whiskey, vodka, beer and wine.

“Go with a signature cocktail, beer, red or white wine, and sparkling cider,” McManus said. “You’ve given them enough choices where they don’t miss the martini and whiskey.”

Christine Collins of Buffalo has organized her successful “greed” Christmas parties the past seven years and highly recommends going the signature cocktail route when it comes to serving drinks, with cocktails like egg nog and white chocolate martini.

“It is so much cheaper to have one specialty cocktail, made of vodka or rum, and then just open what was brought by the guests,” said Collins, who usually entertains 20 to 30 people at her annual party.

Collins said you’ll usually need just one bottle of inexpensive liqueur, which will run around $24, to the minimum $100 needed for 10 bottles of different wines.

“When you say this is what I’m serving, people will usually just drink that, so they’ll take what they get,” she said.

There are many ways to save on food, which could ultimately be your biggest party expense, including the Wlosinskis’ idea to limit their menu offerings. But you’ll see the greatest savings with a potluck holiday party, requesting guests to bring their specialty dishes, essentially spreading the cost of food, McManus said.

Lisa Redino, owner of Party Harty in Williamsville, said to prepare main dishes a day ahead to give yourself an early start and reduce stress on the day of the event. Consider serving pasta casseroles; they can feed plenty and their ingredients are inexpensive, Redino added.

Collins recommends creating a menu based on items that are on sale.

“If chicken cutlets or shrimp is on sale, then serve that,” she said. “You’ll save a lot by doing that.”

Prepared foods, although convenient, are more expensive than homemade eats, so Collins said it’s wise to avoid them if you want to cut costs.

Collins’ parties usually feature 17 different kinds of international cheeses, but when dairy prices climbed last year, she served a variety of dips, including hummus and artichoke and spinach. She’ll probably offer dips again this year to save money. For desserts, family members contribute their treats.

McManus said desserts can be the main items at a holiday party and reap more savings than providing dinner. For dessert parties, schedule them after dinner and let your guests know there will only be desserts.

“You don’t have to feed people, so be creative with your dessert and drinks,” she said. “And you can still have all the holiday cheer and keep your budget intact.”

Cookie parties are gaining popularity, she added, and are especially fitting for this time of year, when you can serve a variety of festive holiday cookies.

“It’s a new kind of party, so people are kind of excited about it,” she said. “It’s like a dessert buffet, and who doesn’t like chocolate.”

Mike Lauria, a native Western New Yorker who lives in Chicago, has organized a Christmas party in his boyhood Town of Tonawanda home the past 18 years. The event has grown and has become an annual reunion for Lauria and his old schoolmates.

“A lot of people depend on this party to see everybody they only see once a year,” Lauria said. It attracts about 100 people, and Lauria said he spends about $200 for party costs. Although not overly money conscious, Lauria still finds deals when planning for his party. He buys trays of cold cuts for sandwiches and shrimp when they are on sale. Lauria then makes his own trademark cocktail sauce. He also serves his mother’s homemade pizza and some guests bring their best desserts.

Another area to cut costs is decorating.

Lauria decorates his walls with the plethora of Christmas cards he receives each year.

“People love it,” he said. “They enjoy looking at the cards and seeing the different families.”

McManus said there’s no need to go out and purchase new ornaments and other decorations; most likely you already own what you need.

“Everyone has decorations in their basement or attic,” she said. “There are boxes of Christmas and holiday things you don’t even know are there.”

If you don’t have a basement or attic, McManus said you can pick up items at the Dollar Store, where you can buy an assortment of decorations— from wine charms to ribbons to candles.

“It’s a fabulous resource,” she said. “They have things that you could spend a ton of money on if you bought them elsewhere.”

Redino said, “Use things from around the house,” such as spray painting pine cones and sprinkling glitter on twigs found in your yard, to create table scapes. She also recommends picking a decorative theme and sticking with it.

“That way you are more focused, and you’re not picking up just anything when you are out shopping,” she said.

When serving guests, Collins said using your best china and glasses will prevent you from spending unnecessarily on paper and plastic products, and will enhance the elegance of your event.

“You will end up doing dishes, but you’ll have less spills because people are more cautious holding a wine glass than a paper cup,” she said.

Spending can also be reduced for office parties. At Gowanda Electronics, its 100 employees are treated to a company-paid, catered hot lunch with meat, on site, which saves money renting a hall or dining at a restaurant. But Donna Ciulis said the approach is more for convenience than cost-cutting, so employees don’t have to attend an evening holiday party on their time and splurge on an outfit.

“It’s our thank you to them,” said Ciulis, the company’s human resources manager. And the workers bring in their signature desserts.

Savings can also be found with the invitations by creating them online at Evite.com or other sites.

When all the partying is done, Redino uses index cards to create a list of the event’s hits and misses.

“You’ll know what worked and what didn’t, and it will help you for next year’s party,” she said.