• Rent, don’t buy, linens. Some of your biggest savings can come from renting tablecloths and napkins. They’re usually available in dozens of colors with prices starting around $1 for napkins and $8.50 for tablecloths.

• Rent an extra oven. You can agonize over the kitchen remodel that never happened, or you can simply rent the kind of professional equipment that catering services use. An oven large enough to cook a turkey runs about $200. Also available: tabletop burners, convection ovens, even pizza ovens and deep-fat fryers. Large appliances come on casters (ovens often go in the garage) and work on propane. Delivery fees cover the setup and installation.

• Don’t make a knee-jerk decision about dining chairs. A lot of design-savvy choices are available, including modern Victoria Ghost chairs by Phillipe Starck and classic Verner Panton chairs, which will cost about $15 apiece. At the other end of the budget spectrum: Some customers forgo the ubiquitous plastic Samsonite folding chairs because they are often the cheapest (starting at about $1), but rental companies say they are actually quite comfortable.

• Make a final check. Go down your menu and walk through the entire event. Ask yourself: Do I really have time to polish my grandmother’s silver? Do I need a coffee maker? Do I have enough spoons for soup and dessert? If flatware costs just 50 cents to $1.60 a piece, perhaps it makes sense to order more.

• Think beyond the meal. Sometimes you can rent additional items, such as rollaway beds, for out-of-town holiday visitors. Highchairs and booster seats can be useful for a whole stay, not just one party.

• Leave the dishes for someone else. Perhaps the best part of renting is that plates, glasses, cutlery and linens do not have to be washed before they are returned. When the party’s over and the last guest has left, simply rinse tableware, put it back in the plastic crates for pickup and savor your smart planning.