To continue our series on entertainment on a budget I thought we should discuss entertaining at your own home! So far we've discussed a variety of things. If you missed them check out:
- Pizza Night
- Hobbies
- Free gift cards
- Free babysitting
- Planning
First of all, this is a great inexpensive option to have on hand. It is almost always cheaper to make something at home for friends than to go out to eat and out for an activity. Keep in mind that you can keep your menu simple and inexpensive and still please everyone!
One thing that can really help is when friends offer to bring something let them!! When planning a meal have something in mind that your guests can bring IF they offer! This could be something simple like the salad, bread, drinks, dessert, etc. That way if they like they could always just buy something. It will save you time and make hosting a little more affordable.
Another option is just to have friends or family over for a dessert. You could have dessert while playing a game or watching a movie or everyone's current favorite show, like for us LOST!
I know for myself this is an area where I need some work! I have so many friends and family who I would love to have over but I rarely do so! I need to challenge myself in this area of hospitality!
I'd also like to ASK A QUESTION here - What are your favorite meals to make for a crowd that are easy to fix and not too hard on the budget? Thanks for sharing! Look at Biblical Womanhood for more frugal ideas!
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We make ayummy bean dip in big batches whenever we have friends over (either ours or our girls) and it goes along great with just about any in home activity. Here's the recipe:
http://digitaldaydreamsscrapping.blogspot.com/2007/07/double-dippin.html
Hello!
Meals we have found for a crowd that don't break the bank here are:
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Quesadillas w/cheese, chicken or beef (whatever is on sale)
Taco Bar with rice and/or beans
Baked Potato Bar with Salad
Soup or Chili with Salad & Bread
Thank you to earthmommy and Mrs. Byers for sharing! Bean dip is a great idea! I also think soup would be really easy and not too expensive! Good ideas!
I needed that reminder! I have a hard time letting people bring things! :) My favorite entertaining meals are lasagna, (very cost effective if you're into stocking up your pantry when the various ingredients are on sale) and chicken pot pie. My mom always loved to serve chicken and broccoli casserole... any casserole ends up being much more cost effective than the standard meat and sides meal. Thanks for the visit to my blog too, btw!
Good ideas. We used to have game night at our house every Tuesday(before baby) and I would make beef and bean burritos quite a bit. They are really easy and inexpensive to make and everyone seemed to enjoy them. Tacos are great too. In the summer we'll grill hotdogs or even brats if they are on sale.
I agree with what you said about letting others bring something over. Usually when I go to someones house for a get together I WANT to bring something.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you everyone! I love these suggestions!
Cool ideas for entertaining!
One thing that I do especially in the summer time is have friends over for a BBQ....hubby and I tell them to bring a dish to pass and the meat of their choice to put on the grill. We provide all the rest(paper goods, beverage, etc.) We found this to be easy on our budget and also then we are able to entertain families rather than just adults.
Thanks Sonshine! I have been to get togethers like that but have never thought to host my own!
Well, I'm still working on the meal things myself, but here are some that we've enjoyed with company:
* Chili (vegetarian or not) with brownies
* Homemade pizzas with Blondie Bars
* BBQ Pork (recipie below)
Sprinkle ribs with salt.
Pour 1 bottle BBQ Hickory Smoked Sauce over pork ribs. Add a little water in the pan. Cook in oven @ 300 degrees for 3-5 hours. We did this for Sunday lunch...cooking it while we were at church and then it was ready when we got home. I'm pretty sure you could use it with different meats on sale too.
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