July 4th weekend is a great opportunity to meet with friends and enjoy a party or barbecue. In today’s rough financial climate, it’s much harder just to make ends meet and many of us don’t have extra money for things like parties. Here are three great ways to have your party without breaking the bank.
1. Use Serving Dishes and Pitchers Rather Than Factory Packaging
Serving snacks and drinks on dishes and in pitchers rather than in their original packaging does more than just make your party look better. It also gives you the opportunity to buy generic chips and drinks without looking cheap. Very few of your guests are likely to notice the difference in brand without the packaging visible. This is especially true for soda, which on average is half the price per liter when bought generic.
2. Serve Home Baked Treats
Making small cookies and other baked goods is a terrific alternative to expensive catering foods. Many households already have everything they need to bake basic things like rolls or cakes, so it may even save you a trip to the grocery store. It may be a significant time investment depending on the size of your party, but if things are tight it may be worth the extra effort.
3. Rather Than Shouldering The Cost of Food Alone, Have a Potluck
The most expensive part of most parties is the food. Depending on the size of your party it could cost hundreds of dollars to make sure everyone is fed. Rather than having something like a barbecue and taking on that burden alone, why not throw a potluck? A potluck dinner style party is a great way to avoid the high cost of food and also offer a varied menu of different cultural dishes.
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Written by: Bridget Sandorford
Bio: Aside from school and working part-time as an Assistant Chef, Bridget Sandorford is the resident Culinary Schools blogger where recently she’s been researching Canadian culinary colleges as well as Auckland culinary colleges. She lives outside of Charleston, South Carolina.
Photo Credit:
Image: Sarah Arbogast / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
