Plan Around Seasonal Ingredients
Planning your menu in harmony with the season will loosen some purse strings.
You’ll find in-season produce aplenty at your local farmer’s market. Your fruits and vegetables will be fresh because they don’t have to travel far. And since supply is abundant, expect the prices to drop.
These ingredients don’t have to be the star of the show. You can find online inspiration to incorporate them into your menu. You can use them with what’s already in your pantry.
If new recipes overwhelm you, stick with what you know. You can always steam or stir-fry your seasonal greens and serve cut-up seasonal fruits for dessert.
Cook Nice and Slow
Who doesn’t want to make a delicious, nutritious meal you can set and forget? And why do separate dishes when you can toss all your proteins, carbs, and fibres into one pot?
You can make cheap and tough meat cuts taste fancier with a slow cooker. It requires minimal effort and skills to cook heavenly-smelling stews and fork-tender roasts with it. Not only would you save on energy, but there are fewer dishes to clean up.
Make a batch enough to feed a crowd and leave plenty of leftovers for the family. You’ll thank yourself for it.
Skip Elaborate, Handmade Food
You don’t have to make everything from scratch. Just imagine all the prep work and cleanup. It will send you rushing to your favourite bakeshop around the corner.
Pick up something you can store in the fridge or reheat. You don’t have to buy extra ingredients that may go to waste.
Jazz Up the Table
Forget those Pinterest showpieces that leave little room for the actual food. You can spruce up the dinner table without losing an arm.
Nothing transforms a table instantly like a fresh tablecloth. A crisp white one is timeless and easy to dress up. Once you have a blank canvas, it’s time to get down to the brass tacks:
- Bring out your heirloom crockery and crystal glass collection to grace your tablescape.
- Shop secondhand if you don’t have those. You’ll never know what will turn up in your local thrift store. Keep an eye out for linens, vases, platters, and dinnerware.
- Place a table runner down the middle for a polished look.
- Repurpose your old jars into flower vases and votive holders.
- If you don’t have fresh blooms in your garden (or your neighbour’s), opt for native greenery. Take a stroll down the nearby footpath and pick a few vibrant fronds.
- Weave fairy lights around your table decors for something festive.
- Put candles and foliage around the house, too.
- Complement the table setting and put on something stylish.
Prettify Your Water Jugs
Infuse your water with slices of cucumbers and sprigs of mint. This will make your guests go from H2-no to H2-Oh in no time.
Your jugs won’t just look fancy, but they’ll have tons of cleansing benefits. The best thing is that it will cost you next to nothing.
You can make this the official drink of the designated drivers, too!
Pop Your Best Wine on Arrival
Wine shouldn’t burn a hole in your pocket. There are online wine retailers that frequently run flash sales and clearances.
You can score premium brands delivered to your doorstep if you’re lucky. You can also seek budget-friendly recommendations from your local wine store.
As soon as the welcome greetings are over, you’ll want a drink in your guests’ hands. Shower them with your warmth and have a glass yourself. Make a great first impression by immediately opening your best bottle of bubbly. Odds are they won’t remember what you serve them last.
Divide and Conquer
There’s no practical reason you should turn down offers of assistance. You’ll miss all the fun if you keep struggling behind the scenes. If your guests want to help, accept graciously.
An obvious sign that you’re an absent host is when they come to talk to you in the kitchen while you’re sweating over the oven.
If you have close friends or family members among your guests, recruit them into your crew. You can distribute the tasks from planning to after-party cleaning.
Host a Potluck or a BYOB
Bringing a gift to a party, even a casual get-together, has been trendy since the beginning of time. There’s no harm in asking your guests to bring a favourite homemade dish or something they can pick up on their way.
Another option is to provide all the food and ask them to “bring your booze” (BYOB). People might turn up with a bottle, which will considerably bring down costs.
Plus, you’ll have a steady supply of social lubricant to last the night. Spirits are great for bringing on the laughs or hitting karaoke.
Make a Rockin’ Playlist
Good music will set the atmosphere almost instantly. And it’s perfect for filling long, awkward silences, too.
You’ll have to set aside your musical taste, even if you think it might be a good idea. Add songs that most people like—easy-on-the ears and great-to-sing-along-to mainstream tracks.
You’ll know your guests are relaxed when they start bopping to the tunes.
Final Thoughts
Throwing an unforgettable get-together on a shoestring budget may seem impossible at first. But with a bit of creativity and some practical wisdom, you’ll still be able to host a dinner party on a budget. So feel free to use any of these tips!
