Planning a stag party is one of the highest honors that a friend can bestow upon you, so it’s extra important that you don’t mess this up! Now that the hard talk is over, it’s time to be real about this. All of your friends are going to be there and that’s what’s going to make the party really great, it doesn’t matter if you don’t have the biggest budget. Our most cherished memories come from bringing friends together, no matter the context. With that in mind, keep your friendship group in the front of your mind when you read these tips. If one of them doesn’t seem quite right to you, then feel free to cast that one aside. Every group of friends is totally individual, so the things that work for one, might not sit right with another. We’ve had to be general, in order to save you some money and make sure that the lucky groom can have everyone he wants at his stag do, without anyone having to worry about breaking the bank.
Living Like a King For Less
There are some activities that scream luxury and cost a fortune, and there are others that seem just as lavish but are surprisingly inexpensive. If your friend has champagne taste but a beer budget then you need to find those activities and make the very most of them. For example, a day out horse racing seems incredibly bougie, it’s the sport of Kings after all! If the party are generally sports fans then this can be a good way to fill up some time before you head out to a nightclub, and also lets you feel a part of high society. You can often get discounted boxes if there is a large group of you, which sometimes includes food as well. Those with smaller parties shouldn’t be put off though as there are always great views of the track from the general admission grandstand, and the food on course won’t be extortionate. If you want to place a bet whilst you’re watching the racing then it’s important to make sure that everyone present will be able to afford to, if they want to as well. Looking for no deposit offers ensures that even those on a tight budget will be able to bet without breaking the bank.
Horse racing isn’t the only bougie but budget day out either. You could try a round of golf during the afternoon, a spa package deal that comes with your accommodation, or even snap up treats like wine tasting on voucher sites. Use your imagination and the wonders of Google to help you search for the best deals. Remember that often booking sites take a commission, so if you find something that looks great, look for their own website first and try to book through there.
Home or Away?
There’s a lot of pressure nowadays to take everyone away on a 5-star holiday and whilst that’s a great way to celebrate for those who are “rolling in it”, for the rest of us it’s prohibitively expensive. However, that’s not to say that there isn’t the potential to go abroad. Depending on where you’re based, there might well be some options abroad that could work out cheaper than partying at home. Those in the UK might find that cheap flights to the continent will end up saving your party more in cheap accommodation and drinks than staying locally might. Eastern European cities like Budapest, Prague and Riga are all popular stag destinations, because you can fly there from as little as £29 each way, basic hotels are often less than 20 Euros per night and a beer can be as little as one Euro. When you take into consideration the average pint being a staggering £5.33 in London and even very basic hotels being upwards of £50 per night, the prospect of forking out for those flights might actually be a good budgeting technique.
Those in the US will find it a little harder to go abroad on a stag party, but traveling internally and going for a weekend by the ocean can also be affordable. It’s worth doing a little search on where hotels, food and drink are cheap, and weighing up how much more excitement being in a new city will add to the occasion. The other incredibly important thing to bear in mind is that not everyone will have a passport. So, before you get too far into your vacation planning, check with all of the guests that they have a passport already, or alternatively that they’re willing to pay for one in plenty of time.
How Important is Accommodation?
Almost without exception, the biggest spend on any stag party is the accommodation and although you can certainly make some savings, you probably aren’t going to change that. It’s worth being reasonable about the facilities that you actually need as the height of luxury probably isn’t necessary. If you can scrape by without a luxury power shower, or access to a spa then don’t spend the extra money on it. Strike a balance between finding affordable accommodation and finding a place to stay that will make the stag party one to remember.
One thing to bear in mind though, is that if you’re clever about it, the accommodation can save you money elsewhere. For example, if you choose to stay in separate budget hotel rooms then you’re not going to be able to hang out anywhere as a group, unless you head out to bars or restaurants where you’ll need to spend some money on food and drink. However, if you go for a massive Airbnb and share the cost between you, then you’ll benefit from some shared areas where you can spend some quality time together. Arrange a big food and drink shop to arrive on the first day and you’ll be able to save on the cost of breakfast and lunches, plus enjoy some cheap drinks at your accommodation before heading out on the town. Whilst the initial cost of the Airbnb might be more than a budget hotel, the savings you make could easily make up for the added cost and then some.