Barbeques are one of the best ways to take full advantage of the summer months. With the delicious foods and great company it is hard to turn down throwing such an event, even when you’re on a tight budget. Barbeques don’t have to leave you hurting for cash though. In fact, there is a number of ways to throw a fantastic barbeque without spending over $50! This will leave you summer’s filled with great memories and good times. With this low budget party you can have as many friends over as you want to enjoy the beautiful weather and delicious food. So, don’t waste your summer weekends because you’re afraid of spending too much!
1. Bulk Buys
When shopping around for meal ideas for the barbeque you should always looking into buying meat in bulk. The best thing you can do is try to go shopping in a bulk store, rather than the local grocery store. Usually you can get a triple pack of hamburger meat or hot dogs for just a little over the price you would pay for a normal pack. Most of the time there are larger packages of vegetables, fruits and cheeses available that can help you give your meal a little extra zest. Buying meat in bulk is one of the best ways to go, especially if you don’t want to get fancy with your meal items. Not to mention, if you have a lot of leftovers you can either use the meat for something else or cook it up and eat it as leftovers for the next few days.
2. Shop for Cheaper Items
If you usually go out and cook steaks, ribs and brisket then you might want to settle for items that are a lot cheaper to make. Hot dogs are one of the cheapest meats to grill and can go far, especially if you’re feeling a lot of children. Hamburgers are also a cheap meal that can really be spiced up by inexpensive ingredients. For instance, you can add some ranch seasoning to a batch of hamburgers for some extra flavor. You can also add in mushrooms, jalapenos or cheese for an exciting flavor that would please the pickiest of guest. Chicken, especially legs and thighs, can be a great way to add something a little special to the mix. Chicken is great because it can be given a barbeque coating or a nice dry rub that will impress the guest. You can even throw some corn on the grill for a nice inexpensive vegetable.
3. Create Your Own Sauce
The sauce is what really makes a barbeque special, but pre-made sauces and rubs that you find in stores can really cost you a lot. The best thing you can do is experiment with making your own sauce from ingredients you already have in the home. There are a lot of barbeque sauce recipes online that could be fun to learn and will also help you keep your spending down. They usually take common household spices and tomato sauce that is generally quite cheap to buy in a grocery store. Of course, everyone loves a nice dry rub on their barbeque every now and then. Dry rubs are usually the cheapest to make and only require you to use a few spices. Dry rubs are also fun to play with, but if you’re feeling insecure about mixing items then there are also many dry rub recipes online to help out.
4. Bring Your Own!
One really simple way to be frugal without having a bad party is to have your friends and family bring some of the items. Potlucks are a lot of fun and you can really get to try some amazing dishes when you have them. Friends can help supply meat for you to grill up which could actually end up saving the guest money too. Just think, if everyone brought a four back of chicken or steak then everyone could have a really nice meal without anyone going over budget. Some people might prefer vegetarian style menus too, which will help you cater to their desires without having to spend less on people who want to eat meat. Side dishes are also a major deal for many at a barbeque, which is why potlucks work out so well. A lot of people tend to bring desserts, but you can also end up with a lot of delicious salads, casseroles and other unique dishes that will make your guest full and happy.
5. Limit Side Dishes
Side dishes can be a huge expense when you are having a barbeque. A lot of people tend to go for chips or other junk food items that don’t go very far at all. Pre-made sides are also one of the worst ideas for people who want to save but are in a hurry. The best thing you can do is look for items that are in season. For instance, throw some vegetables on the grill for a nice side dish. Typically corn, peppers and a large number of other vegetables are in season during the summer. These will make great side dishes and additions to sandwiches. You can also use seasonal vegetables to make salads. Macaroni salad and potato salad should be incredibly cheap to make during the summer and they are usually a hit during barbeques. Instead of making heavier and richer desserts try whipping up a fruit salad with seasonal fruits that don’t cost a lot.
6. Save Charcoal
Charcoal grills can be pretty cost effective if you have a good grill. Most grills require you to preheat in order to cook, but unless you are cooking some intricate meals this can be overlooked. Hot dogs and hamburgers are pretty straight forward to grill, so you don’t have to wait as long before you put them on. The less you wait means the less the coals have to burn. Good charcoal grills will actually put out the coals when they are being used, which means you can leave them in the grill and use them on your next barbeque. As summer gets closer the price of charcoal will actually go up, so you won’t want to have to go out and buy more coals every time you intend on cooking out. So, make sure your grill is somewhere that won’t get wait and keep those coals locked away for your next big event.
7. Buy a Nice Grill
One of the best tricks for saving money is to actually spend a little first. When you pick out a grill you should consider how much wear and tear you are going to get out of it before you have to buy a new one. For instance, a $20 grill might sound pretty appealing to you because of the low price. These grills don’t last very long though and they tend to not cook evenly. Thus, if you plan on cooking out a lot you will be better off spending a larger sum of cash on a nice grill that won’t break opposed to having to pay the $20 several times during the season. A nice grill will also encourage you to use it more often. If you love the way the food taste then you will feel more at ease with using the grill and will thus get your money’s worth out of it. Nicer grills will also save you on charcoal and propane cost that will actually ensure that you are more than making up for the amount of money you spent on the grill.
8. Bake Your Own Buns
If you plan on making hamburgers or hotdogs then you might want to learn to make your own buns. Buying them in stores can often not be cost effective, while baking them at home can cost you pennies if you already have the ingredients in your home. There are a lot of bun recipes online so you can choose the one that will work best for you. The best thing is buns are easy and cheap, so you can practice making them before the big barbeque. If you end up with an excess amount of buns then you can always use them for sandwiches later on. Buns can be customized to suit your guests too. For instance, if you really want to get into it you can add cheese and jalapeno for an extra kick to your burgers. You can also add sesame seeds and other interesting ingredients for a taste that has been enjoyed for decades. If you really get good at making buns you can always sell some of the extras off to friends or at bake sales.
9. Skip Disposable Eating Accessories
It is pretty tempting to buy paper plates and other eating accessories when it comes to hosting a barbeque. The idea of doing that many dishes is pretty scary, but when you think about how much money you will save you won’t feel so bad afterward. Paper plates are one of the worst things to buy, especially for barbeques. Most paper plates can’t handle things like barbeque sauce so they end up breaking before the meal is over. Thus, people tend to have to grab two or three just to get through their first helping of food. That is a lot of paper to waste, especially since you can’t really recycle the plates with food on them. The plastic plates aren’t as bad as the paper ones but they are definitely more expensive and some in smaller packages. Plastic eating utensils aren’t as pricey but they tend to be a waste of plastic as they will only be used once. The best thing you can do is pull out your plates and silverware and run an extra load of dishes after the party. It might be more work, but the environment and your wallet will thank you for it.
10. Clean Your Grill
You might not realize it but cleaning off your grill can really help you save a lot of money. The grill can acquire a lot of burned food over time, so it is important that you scrape it off after you use it and before so you can ensure your meat won’t stick. When you have clean grill your food will cook more evenly and you won’t have to throw out hamburgers that taste terrible. A clean grill also means that you won’t need to use as many coals to make the grill hot. With a dirty grill the heat will take longer to hit the metal so your food will take longer to cook and won’t taste as good as it should. Cleaner grills also last longer and need less maintenance. So, if you want to save money in the short and long term make sure to keep your grill clean and watch out for problems that might occur with it.
Barbeques can be one of the best parts of summer, but if you’re low on funds this year you shouldn’t have to miss out on the fun. With these ten tips you will have your fun without having to worry about spending a lot of money each time you have a party. Your summers will be memorable and you will have amazing foods to brighten the longest of work weeks when you follow these simple tips.
Author: John Terris
