Summertime is the perfect time to bring good friends, good conversation and good food together for a summer barbecue! Thankfully, there are five ways you can significantly save on your next backyard barbecue and all of them will help you come in way under budget.
1. Let Your Friends Bring the Food
Providing absolutely everything as a host can cause you to focus less on your guests and more on preparation. Also, buying all the food isn’t very kind to your budget either! There is no shame in allowing guests to pitch in. Prepare a menu with guests in mind and highlight each of the items you’re able to delegate. Anytime someone asks what they can bring, simply give them one of the options on that list. Even simple foods can be a huge help!
2. Make Your Own Invites and Decorations
With Pinterest, it’s super easy to gather party inspiration and DIY ideas that don’t break the bank. Start a summer barbecue board and pin anything you can find that sets the mood for your event. There’s usually a simple tutorial involved that you can easily replicate.
3. Look for Grocery Store Deals
During the summer months, grocery stores often run sales with barbecue specific items. Combine these sale prices with coupons from the Sunday newspaper and you can score items for quite a bit cheaper and sometimes even free! By Labor Day, sales are phasing their way out for the fall and winter baking season, so grab what you can while the prices are right.
4. Save on Meat
This essential item can take up your entire budget depending on the type of meats you buy, but there are a few ways to cut down on the costs while still pleasing all the meat lovers on your list. Ground beef from discount stores taste just as good for a fraction of the price and if you’re short on time, frozen patties from the grocery cooler work great in a pinch. For any sort of kabob, just slip a few veggies in between the meat to stretch it even further. Your guests won’t even notice!
5. Create Your Own Seasonings
While pre-packaged seasonings can cost anywhere from $4-$6 for a tiny bottle, you probably have most of the same ingredients at home that you can just throw together for pennies a cup. It can be really fun to experiment with all sorts of flavors and blends and the best thing is you can always try something different each time you bring out the grill. It’s a great way to add some variety to your barbecue, without spending anything!
Now that you’re armed with these cost-effective tips, you can create a perfect, budget-friendly menu for a relaxing and fun summer evening.
Source: Kayln Brooke – CreativeSavingsBlog.com
