DEAR ABBY: I am planning a 30th birthday party for my husband. I would like to invite friends and family to join us for dinner at my husband's favorite restaurant.
Because I have a small budget to work from and he has a large family, I can afford to pay only for my husband and me. Would it be OK to invite people to attend and ask them to pay for their own meal, and if so, how do I appropriately say that on the invitation? -- NEEDS TO KNOW IN FREDERICK, MD.
DEAR NEEDS TO KNOW: To invite people to a party and expect them to pay for their own meal is considered tacky. Since you can't afford to give your husband a party, instead invite your friends and his large family to your home after dinner to celebrate with dessert and coffee. That way you won't be criticized.