Money Saving Tips for Those Throwing Super Bowl 2011 Parties

By brwood (view all posts by brwood)
at 9:57AM Tuesday February 1, 2011
under Money Saving Tips

The Superbowl is nearly upon us and even if you are a bit short on funds you can still throw a party all your bros will enjoy. There are things you can skimp on and things you cannot. No one will ever notice if you are serving Safeway brand generic potato chips, but if you think a case of Milwaukee Best is going to cut it in the beer department, you don't deserve friends.

I live in Southern California, which makes things easier. I never have to worry about what the weather is going to be for a Superbowl party. It's going to be 70 degrees--though it might be overcast and there's possibly a chance of drizzle.

What this means is we will be cooking out. If you live in the great white north and it's likely to be below freezing, you've got to plan on indoor cooking.

Now, just because you can't cook out doesn't mean you can't grill. Invest $100 or so in an indoor/outdoor electric grill and you can make real grilled burgers, dogs, or whatever no matter how cold it is outside. You don't get quite the same flavor you would from a charcoal grill, but it's cheaper and easier than moving.

If you're cooking out for this year's Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game, I suggest bratwursts, kielbasa and Italian sausage (representing the meat packers) and pierogi as a signature dish from the Pittsburgh area. Pierogi are the Polish version of a won-ton or ravioli, stuffed with potato, sauerkraut or other stuff and can be cooked just about anyway you want. I suggest frying them and dipping them in spaghetti sauce or sour cream. You can find Mrs. T's pierogi in most super market freezers. They make a great appetizer.

If you can't cook outside and you don't have an indoor grill, you can still have a successful sausage fest. My Italian grand parents would always make a big rectangular foil pan filled with fried onions and peppers and a variety of sausages. Fill a hot dog bun with that and some ketchup and you got a meal. You can also skip the buns and cube some potatoes and add that to the mix and serve it with plates and forks. You can also make a crock pot full of meatballs and sauce and make meat ball grinders. No need to splurge on the meats when you do this--good sausage is not expensive, neither are frozen meatballs or the ground beef to make your own.

For hors d'oeuvre, you can make the aforementioned pierogi and chips, raw vegetables (for the ladies), ranch dressing and the classic sour cream and onion soup dip. If you want hot appetizers, buy a handful of cheap frozen pizzas and cut them into little pieces, and don't forget little cocktail wieners. Everybody loves cocktail wienies.

None of this stuff is expensive. Usually the biggest waste of money in a party like this is getting too much and having to throw it away. Be honest with yourself and don't worry about running out of something. Though it may seem like Super Sunday is a national holiday--it's not and the game is on early enough most stores are still opened. Worse comes to worst, run out to the store. If the game or the commercials are good enough, no one will even notice you're gone.

Now the single biggest expense for a party, unless we are talking about a six year-old's birthday party, is the alcohol. In keeping with the Pittsburgh/Green Bay theme here are some good beer choices:

Those first three beers are obscure enough, but good enough that no one will think you cheaped out. The last two are cheap beers that have gained acceptance despite their low price and they are not undrinkable. Schlitz has novelty appeal, and after all it is the beer that made Milwaukee famous. After the first few beers no one will care that they are left drinking PBR or Miller High Life.

You don't have to worry about buying too much beer, because it will all eventually get drunk and it doesn't go bad. You do want to avoid buying so much beer that there is no more room in the fridge for groceries.

P.S. In my other Savings.com role I have created two identical NFLShop.com coupons, one for Packers gear, one for Steelers. Next week I'll let you know which was more popular--at the moment it's nearly even.