how to save money for my 40th?

[want2change]

i am planning a kind of all afternoon and evening party - as some people will want to bring kids - some wont. So, entertainment for the kids in the afternoon and tea and cake at some point. in the evening, some kind of buffet and drinks - am just wondering if it is going to cost a fortune to provide drinks for people all night - about 50-60 people - and also if the people who are there in the afternoon - from about 1pm will also expect booze and food..
any thoughts or ideas gratefully received

Maybe include on the invitation what food will be served and when appoximately, then folks know what to expect. If it's at home, you could request that people bring a bottle
. Don't know what it'd cost to provide all drinks - depends how boozy a party it's going to be!

Please don't cater it all yourself. Its your birthday. You don't want to be stuck doing the food all the time.

Why not ask people to bring a dish? IME people normally bring drink anyway.

I had a big party for my 40th - it was my Mum's 70th and DD's 1st too. It was lovely, I got lots of presents that, ahem, I regifted, guiltily. Unless you especially want lots of gifts, you could put no gifts on the invitation as suggested and then not worry about asking for people to bring food and drink.

could you do it somewhere with a bar s you provide the first drink free after a certain time and then guuests pay for drinks
that's what I'd rather do, eat the buffet and then buy my own drinks rather than run out

thank you..Also, for the evening i want some kind of ''feature'' other than just food and drink - thinking of something like a chocolate fountain - but nothing that fiddly - ideas?