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Planning your Next Sports Party

Buzzle Staff
Planning a sports party without breaking the budget is tough to do. Follow these tips for some great ideas to plan an awesome party while saving money.
The Super Bowl has come and gone, but that is only the beginning of the season of sports parties. From March Madness to NBA Playoffs, World Series to World Cup, there will always be another sporting event, that will facilitate getting together with friends and family to eat, drink, and celebrate the world of professional athletics.
No matter, the sport, hosting a party to watch a game can make a huge dent in your budget. Grocery stores tend to suck you in to stock up on goodies for sporting events, and if you don't know what you're doing, you can end up costing yourself a lot of money.

Buy in Bulk
The first thing you can do is buy in bulk. If you know you're having a ton of people over, it's often cheaper to buy bulk meat, buns, snacks, soda, and other food items than it is to buy multiple bags or boxes of your favorite stuff. Visit your local Sam's Club or other store that sells items in bulk and stock up.
In a worst case scenario, if all of that food you bought doesn't get eaten, you can freeze it and save it for dinners for the week, which will save money on groceries. You can also get creative by looking up recipes to use the ingredients you have left over, to keep your family from getting bored with meals that are too similar.

Potluck

Most people are more than happy to bring a food item with them if they come to a party you are hosting. Don't be afraid to ask people to bring food; more than likely they won't complain.
On invitation services such as Evite, there is even a feature that allows you to make a list of items you need and have people volunteer to bring them so you don't end up with duplicates. This can help keep costs down for everyone involved, and help add variety to your party.

BYOB

Beverages are the big ticket items when you think about party planning. It's always the alcohol that is expensive, and there's no way around it. Plus, you want to be sure to buy a variety of things to be sure there is something everyone will like. A great way around is to provide all the food for the party, but to have everyone bring the drinks they want.
That way, those who want a specific kind of beer will have it, and those who only want soda will have that, too. You also won't have a bunch of beverages left over that you'll never drink and that you wasted money on. People will bring what they want and as much of it as they want, and the worry will be off you.

Make it Yourself

Ordering cute-looking sports cakes or having several pizzas delivered to your front door may seem like a fun and easy way to host a party, but that expense can add up really quickly. To save money, buy the ingredients and make it yourself.
Even if the ingredients cost about as much as the food does, you'll save a ton of money on delivery charges, and you won't have to leave in the middle of the game, to pick up your food, if you choose not to have it delivered.
Also, having a create-your-own pizza or burger station can be a really fun addition to every party, while ensuring everyone gets what they want.