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Thanks for all your entries. We had so many good tips, we’re choosing two winners: Johanna and Cathy B.
Johanna says:
Kids birthday parties can be so much work not to mention expensive these days. Here are a few tips I use for my kids parties to keep cost down and the kids and parents having fun.
1. I recruit my teenage nieces to work for food! Then, I set up mini-activity stations for each girl(sometimes I can get all three of them to come over, but two helpers works great.) The activity stations are fun and easy. You can do temporary tattoos, face painting and a coloring contest.
2. Instead of putting out a lot of junk food, I put out just a few things and I get the hotdogs and chicken nuggets (always buy one get one free at Publix) served up right away. This eliminates the need for a lot of snacks and excess mess.
3. I only buy one packgage of plates and napkins with the party theme from the party store. I then supplement that with items in solid colors from the dollar store.
4. After all the kids have been through the activity stations “my helpers” play 2-3 party games with them to keep them involved. This is a nice opportunity for the adults to feel welcome, relax and enjoy each others company as well.
5. My kids make their own pinatas. I use a small cardboard box and let my kids decorate it with stickers, cut outs, etc. that correlate with the parties theme. Then I use some thin rope to make the streamers with a big knot on one end. I put that through a small hole onthe bottom of the box and this is what the kids use to pull open the “pinata.” This works really well and my kids love participating in the party preparations.
5. Instead of stuffing the goody bags with items that will end up in the trash before they even make it home I stuff the bags with a new box of 24 Crayola crayons and a mini coloring book. The secret is to stock up with crayons when the back to school sales have them at 19 cents a box!
6. Plan ahead and pick up all your juice boxes, 2 liter sodas, snacks, etc. buy one get one free in the preceeding weeks at Publix!
HAVE FUN!
Cathy B says:
In this hot weather, most of us prefer not to eat heavy, so light meals and snacks are the way to cut costs but still bless your guests.
Most of my friends and guests love arriving to a table filled with all kinds of salads, finger sandwiches, fruit and cheese plates, and even sometimes offer to bring some themselves. We usually have a large halved watermelon filled with lots of cut up fruits of various kinds, along with potato and pasta salads…some with fish or chicken and some just vegan. And then who can resist plates of dipping spices in oils with cut up toasted bread pieces… sitting by plates of chilled grapes, and cheeses? Hummus platters are really popular as well and keep the budget down. To let your guests feel appreciated it is nice to make up little individual cupcake boxes and send each guest home with a ribboned box with a little tag of thanks or love note. Not expensive when you make it yourself. We also love to have several large pitchers of chilled herbal, fruit, or decaf iced coffees, so everyone can have a try of different beverages. This is much less expensive than buying individual bottled drinks.
Every weekday for a month, someone reading these posts and sharing their knowledge will win a generous bag of cool groceries. Why not you?
To enter today, share your best tip for entertaining on a budget. How do you make guests feel welcome and appreciated without breaking the bank? (Each weekday’s contest will be different.) Post your tip in the comments section at the end of this entry.
Please use your real email address when you register, so we can reach you when you win. (We won’t use it for any other purpose, I promise.) We’ll pick the best idea or recipe and award that person yummy foods to try!
When you win, we’ll contact you about how to collect your bag ‘o yummies in a reusable, eco-friendly shopping bag (Thanks, Whole Foods, for the bags!).
Watch this space for new questions and prizes every weekday for a month!
The bags contain lots of new foods you might not have tried. A few prizes are coupons for free items which will be sent to you, at no cost. Each bag also has extra packets of grocery coupons.
Every bag is different, but some of the items included are: Hungry-Man meals, Lance whole-grain snack crackers, Crisco olive oils, Skinny Cow ice cream treats, Wickles pickles, Penzey’s cinnamon, Orbit gums, Pepperidge Farm 100-calorie packs and granola cookies, Tyson products, Truvia sweetener, Eagle Mills Ultragrain flour, Zen Crunch, Dunkin Donuts, and lots of grocery coupons, too.
Is there a soul out there who doesn’t love a “bring a dish” party? What a wonderful opportunity for your guests to prepare their favorite recipes. All you have to do is provide the venue, the mood music, the ice and the paper plates. (When you issue the invitation, be sure to check on what they intend to bring, so you don’t have too much of one thing.)
I always check the local store ads for whats on sale and what coupons I have to go with the sales.I also look on line for coupons at http://www.smartsource.com, http://www.kraftfood.com or http://www.bettycrocker.com This way I can make my dollars go futher. I really like to throw dinner parties!
Prior to date of party check local food adds for sales — plan
menu with what is in season and prepare many do ahead recipes as
possible. Make a detailed shopping list about 5 days before party
and pick up perishables about a day or two before.
Also using the extra large zip lock containers fill with ice cubes
prior to party. Day of party place bags of ice cubes in traveling
coolers to free up ref. space and keep drinks cold.
Brunch! We have had brunch parties for the last few celebrations we have hosted. You can really put out a generous spread of food for WAY less then for lunch or dinner. Eggs are pretty cheap, so i make a few quiches. Bagels and cream cheese, tuna salad, fruit salad (berries are cheap right now) and a selection of juices and iced teas will run you just a couple bucks a person. I buy a couple of bottles of cheap champagne for mimosas.
Plus, the party is over by the early afternoon when it the heat is the worst.
I always try to serve appetizers with cocktails. This Meatball recipe is always a hit.
Start with homemade or store bought bite size meatballs. 1 or 2 pounds depending on size of party. 2 ib wil make about 30 servings.
Combine Chili Sauce (12 oz bottle)with jellied Cranberry Sauce. Cook on med low heat till smooth. Add meatballs to the sauce cover and cook for 15 minutes or meat is heated through. Stir occasionally to spread sauce evenly.
Serve and enjoy your party.
Have a party at a season when your home is already decorated so it will already be especially inviting to your guests and you don’t have to make special purchases of decorations.
Always clip coupons for items you might ever puchase when entertaining to maximize savings when shopping. Plan your menu and shop sales of non-perishables immediately.
Serve an alcoholic punch (not too sweet) along with an assortment of non-alcoholic beverages with no choice of individual mixed drinks. Have buffet with some appetizers, raw vegatables/salad fixings and dressings/dips, fruits and desserts along with a main item such as turkey with customary hot accompaniments.
Hosting a “Recession Party” can be a budget saver and fun! The host/hostess provides the main dish and the guests each bring something assigned to them (it makes it so much easier on the guests when they know what to bring.) If I have a cookout, I have a friend that makes “to die for” potato salad and I ask her to bring that…another friend makes the best brownies you ever ate and she brings those to the party..for my “non culinary” friends there is always paper plates, chips, buns etc. Think—you will figure out their specialty and it will make them feel good. If someone has a WII game…now there’s a party!!!!
Your guests will wonder how you ever accomplished such an amazing appetizer: listen carefully… Gravlax! Buy a large piece of salmon at Cosco. We are going to cure that baby! In a baking dish, put kosher salt in bottom of dish, place raw fish in kosher salt, then cover with more kosher salt. Cover with Saran and leave on counter top for around 8 hours. Then wash salt off salmon, pat dry fish and put a little olive oil over fish. Sprinkle any herbs(parsley, any seasonings) and wrap the fish tightly and put in refrig. When you are ready to serve, slice very thin. Serve with small dark bread and some cream cheese. They will love it!
Kids birthday parties can be so much work not to mention expensive these days. Here are a few tips I use for my kids parties to keep cost down and the kids and parents having fun.
1. I recruit my teenage nieces to work for food! Then, I set up mini-activity stations for each girl(sometimes I can get all three of them to come over, but two helpers works great.) The activity stations are fun and easy. You can do temporary tattoos, face painting and a coloring contest.
2. Instead of putting out a lot of junk food, I put out just a few things and I get the hotdogs and chicken nuggets (always buy one get one free at Publix) served up right away. This eliminates the need for a lot of snacks and excess mess.
3. I only buy one packgage of plates and napkins with the party theme from the party store. I then supplement that with items in solid colors from the dollar store.
4. After all the kids have been through the activity stations “my helpers” play 2-3 party games with them to keep them involved. This is a nice opportunity for the adults to feel welcome, relax and enjoy each others company as well.
5. My kids make their own pinatas. I use a small cardboard box and let my kids decorate it with stickers, cut outs, etc. that correlate with the parties theme. Then I use some thin rope to make the streamers with a big knot on one end. I put that through a small hole onthe bottom of the box and this is what the kids use to pull open the “pinata.” This works really well and my kids love participating in the party preparations.
5. Instead of stuffing the goody bags with items that will end up in the trash before they even make it home I stuff the bags with a new box of 24 Crayola crayons and a mini coloring book. The secret is to stock up with crayons when the back to school sales have them at 19 cents a box!
6. Plan ahead and pick up all your juice boxes, 2 liter sodas, snacks, etc. buy one get one free in the preceeding weeks at Publix!
HAVE FUN!
Entertaining does not have to break the bank, consider your local Farmer’s Market to wow your guests! Try these tips:
1. Use various fruits, herbs and veggies for a fabulous tablescape that can of course be used for several meals later.
2. Did you know a pineapple can be cored and used in fruit salad and on those fabulous chicken kabobs, and then how about taking that hollowed out pineapple and serving your guests a fabulous refreshing summer cocktail!
3. How about scooping out some melons that can be chilled and filled with salads or even to hold items such as sour cream or various dips. Again get creative you can use your items as a food and a clever container, no need to buy containers at the party store!
4. The Farmer’s Market can be your best friend in the summer, you can save anywhere from 30-80% over grocery store prices.
5. A lot of items from the Market can be cleaned, cut and frozen so you can enjoy things like berries and corn when they’re out of season.
Your friends and family will be amazed by these quick, inexpensive ideas and you will love the money you will save and with any luck the kids may just surprise you and eat a few vegetables after all! Enjoy!
To chill a room temperature beverage (can or bottle) really fast, get a bowl of cold water and ice cubes then add a spoon of salt, place your beverage into the bowl and leave for two/three minutes. Your drink will be nice and cold (much faster than a fridge or freezer) .
this week Publix has an ad in there weekly flyer $3.00 off if you buy to cooked deli chickens which makes them $11.00 for 2 whole chickens! Debone them and you can make all kinds of dishes. I made chicken devan in a large foil pan. buy acouple bags of broccoli florettes, 2 can of low salt chicken broth, I make a rue with 2 tbsp. of olive oil & 1 tbsp of butter in a sauce pan melt together add 1/2 cup of diced onions till soft now slowly add 3 tbsp of flour keep stiring now add chicken broth (stock) stir till blended(you can add a little white wine now). Turn oven on 350. Put broccoli in bottom of foil pan, pour 1/2 of sauce of vegs. now put chicken on top cover with remaining sauce, sprinkle with parm.cheese. Cover with foil bake 30-40 mins, remove foil top cook 10 mins. Now everyone can help them self, it taste so good (I don’t use salt)
I usually have a cooking contest. Everyone tells me what they are bringing in advance and we have silly prizes for best desert… best pasta… best burger.. best salad… best alcoholic beverage.. best dip etc. This brings the cost down for me : ) and gets everyone into making a really good dish and we have a great time trying everything and voting!! The prizes are usually silly but fun. Last party the worst dish got a prize of a Emerils cookbook!! It is so much fun and there is an awesome amount of food and drinks and very inexpensive for me : )
I usually have a cooking contest. Everyone tells me what they are bringing in advance and we have silly prizes for best dessert… best pasta… best burger.. best salad… best alcoholic beverage.. best dip etc. This brings the cost down for me : ) and gets everyone into making a really good dish and we have a great time trying everything and voting!! The prizes are usually silly but fun. Last party the worst dish got a prize of a Emerils cookbook!! It is so much fun and there is an awesome amount of food and drinks and very inexpensive for me : )
I start with a nice table scape I make my own center piece cut out watermelon fill with fruit,bright colored accesories, handmade place cards & decorations. The meal is a build your own taco’s choice of condiments cheese,tomatoe,olives,jalepeno, salsa, onions,
sour cream,lettuce,guacamole,refried beans.
black bean salad,margherita’s, iced tea, lemon aid,and sherbert for dessert.
Entertaining on a budget in the summer is SOOOO easy because of a few essentials! First, an outdoor grill…any kind will do. Grill out sausage wrapped in foil with cut up green peppers and onions…add shredded cheese when grillings complete and throw them on buns…delicious! The kids will be more than thrilled with grilled hotdogs. Wrap baked potatoes in foil and throw them on the grill as well. Corn on the cob can also be grilled or done in boiling water very easily. These items are almost always on sale…Albertson’s and Winn Dixie frequently run buy one get one sales on hot dogs and two packs of sausage for $5. Buns are currently running four packs for $5. One large green pepper and one large onion is quite enough for the sausage. Shredded cheese is optional…but again inexpensive. Baked potatoes are only a few bucks a bag and sour cream is under $2 for a large one. Corn on the cob can be found for 6 for $2.
Dessert is easy in the summer too. Buy frozen strawberries, one can of pineapple, two 4 oz strawberry jellos and one 16 oz sour cream. Boil two cups of water, stir in the jello packs and then stir in frozen strawverries and crushed pineapples (with juice). Pour 1/3 into a pretty glass bowl and refrigerate until firm. Spread one half of sour cream over firm jello then pour 1/3 of unrefrigerated jello/fruit over sour cream. Refrigerate until set. Spread remaining sour cream and the pour remaining jello/fruit mix on top. Refrigerate until ready to use. Cost: jello $1, strawberries @$2.80, crushed pineapple $1 (usually 10 for 10 at Winn Dixie), sour cream less than $2.
Dinner cost: about $20…less depending on coupons and sales
Dessert cost: about $7…less depending on coupons and sales
This could feed 8-12 easily and prep time lets you enjoy your party!
For drinks…try making fresh lemonade with about six lemons (3 for $1) and sugar to taste, about two gallons.
In this hot weather, most of us prefer not to eat heavy, so light meals and snacks are the way to cut costs but still bless your guests.
Most of my friends and guests love arriving to a table filled with all kinds of salads, finger sandwiches, fruit and cheese plates, and even sometimes offer to bring some themselves. We usually have a large halved watermelon filled with lots of cut up fruits of various kinds, along with potato and pasta salads…some with fish or chicken and some just vegan. And then who can resist plates of dipping spices in oils with cut up toasted bread pieces… sitting by plates of chilled grapes, and cheeses? Hummus platters are really popular as well and keep the budget down. To let your guests feel appreciated it is nice to make up little individual cupcake boxes and send each guest home with a ribboned box with a little tag of thanks or love note. Not expensive when you make it yourself. We also love to have several large pitchers of chilled herbal, fruit, or decaf iced coffees, so everyone can have a try of different beverages. This is much less expensive than buying individual bottled drinks.
We love to shop at our farmers market when we have get togethers. The prices are cheaper then the regular grocery store and our guests feel special knowing that they are eating locally grown food. I also like to try a recipe from a book that i have been wanting to try, i always have people asking me for the recipe or telling me to make sure i make it again;)
Entertaining friends is not very difficult with a small budget. First of all, your state of mind sets the mood, so if you are relaxed and enjoying yourself, everyone around you will get those vibes and feel the same way. As far as food is concerned, if you buy seasonal produce, you will get great quality at the best price. There are so many recipes that are delicious and do not require a whole lot of ingredients. Sometimes it’s easier to put something together without planning so much, just go with the flow!
I have found that the best way to entertain my 12 Bunko ladies on a budget is to prepare a homemade meal of Chicken Cacciatore, salad, and breadsticks. For approximately $30 (using coupons and sale items of course), I can feed them a meal and a homemade dessert: core and peel 12 small green apples, dip them in cinnamon and sugar and cover each with a pillsbury roll and bake for 30 minutes. Each bunko lady has her own individual apple pie in a pretty homemade package.
Entertaining on a budget without breaking the bank is fun and easy! Have “theme dinners!” You can do mexican night…set up a taco bar and let everyone make their own! Ground beef and chicken are very inexpensive, and so are the toppings.(you can even use boneless skinless thighs, throw them in the crock pot with packets of taco seasoning in the morning and by dinner the chicken will be so tender and delicious your guests will love it!)Or you can do pasta night! Make spaghetti, a big salad and some nice hot crusty bread and voila! Put on some Italian music and have the bottles of Chianti sitting on the table and its fun! (the chianti with the straw around the bottom of the bottle is inexpensive and very good)Or if your crowd eats meat, its fun to have chili dog night! Get the lovely potato roll buns, grill up some dogs and again put lots of different toppings out for everyone to fix their hotdog their way! Chili, cheese, onions, relish, chopped tomato…you get the idea. These theme dinners really get everyone involved and make a fun and INEXPENSIVE night!! Plus its not a lot of work for you! Try it, theme dinners will be your new favorite thing!!
One of the best tips I got when I started living more frugally was to plan your menu around the grocery sales…especially if you plan to serve a protein, this is often where your budget is either saved or killed. If you choose items on deep discount, it will save you a ton…and give you some money to splurge on beverages.
Also, my favorite sales are buy one get one free sales. Most stores will accept one coupon for each item, making them very cheap. Love that!
Finally, I shop year round for deals. I am always on the hunt of children’s party gifts…either to give guests in a goody bag or to give school friends of my kids for their parties. I hate spending a lot of money on school friends who may not be friends long. So when companies like Target clearance toys, I buy and stockpile toys to use later in the year.
It’s all about planning ahead and shopping smart.
We love to use the shelter at our local park. The parties are usually in the afternoon, so you don’t have to plan on feeding everyone a meal. We make a fruit salad, chips, dip, juice boxes , drinks and of course cake and ice cream. The shelter has picnic tables and a great park for the kids to play. The adults get to visit and the kids have a wonderful time. We have even had parties when it rained because the shelter is covered. The kids played hop scotch and pin the tail on the donkey. The kids didn’t mind the rain and they had a blast. The best part about using the park shelter is it is very easy to clean up.
I have 3 or four recipes that are yummy, quick and contain items that can be kept on hand.(don’t spoil easily)I keep a watch for those particular ingredients to go on sale so I can buy them economically. When people stop by I’m ready to whip up a great treat! or two!