We love to entertain outside in the summer and grill out and have friends over. It gets expensive, however - especially with the cost of meat and groceries. If you have grill-outs, BBQs, or patio parties, what do you do to save money? Which meat is the best bargain?

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We have everyone that comes over bring something. Then when we have another cook out we switch it up. Like last weekend we went to a friends house to bbq. We brought the main food, hamburgers and brauts. But the time before that they had the main food and we had the sides. It does help and it keeps us from wanting to order pizza.

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I find that hamburger (or chicken if its on sale) is usually the best deal. Although hotdogs are cheaper then both!

Chicken can be alot cheaper in the long run against burgers because you dont have to buy all the extra fixings etc for them.

For us it is more about spending time with family and friends than alot of food.

Most of the time for us our BBQ's have been potluck! We usually do the main course chicken, hot dogs and burgers, steaks whatever we decide, and drinks. Then others bring the sides and desserts! People like this usually because there is always more food this way and a bigger variety of stuff!

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DH and I LOVE to grill! In fact, there are times that we have to have 2 grills going! Most of the time they are just spontainous. Normally, all I have to end up going to the store for is buns!

Typically we have hamburgers (we get them for free, in-laws own a beef farm), hot dogs (I stock up throught the year and put them in the freezer when on sale. this week they're on sale $1/pack!), keilbassi (freezer's stockpiled!), veggies (again, stock up when on sale-I get frozen), and potatoes (from our garden).

I also buy chicken when its on sale and keep it in the freezer so I can get that out if I want that instead.

If we have a planned party, I will make some pasta salad. I can make a one pound box of it for about $5. I buy the pasta and dressing at a scratch and dent place, pepperoni is normally in the freezer, and typically cubed cheese is in the fridge.

I think about this time all year long so I guess that helps. Although I do like the idea of inviting 15 people over and I just gotta go to the store and spend $4 on buns!

Sale + coupons on multiple normal size items is often cheaper than buying bulk size.

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* make iced tea instead of buying pop

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Definitely potluck, BYOB, and not being afraid to serve cheap food. I often grill chicken -- thighs and legs for 49c/pound plus cut each skinless breast in half, marinated! Pasta salad is usually pretty cheap, like Clarasmom07 stated.

I try to have one more expensive menu item and then one cheap item, for memorial day, we are having kabobs and hot dogs as the meat. Ill make my own macaroni salad, green salad, potato salad and probably buy a few other things. When people ask what to bring ill tell them soda or desert usually.

I agree with JVincent. The way to save money when entertaining is make a lot of the food yourself. Asking others to bring a dish to pass also helps, plus it takes the stress of the host/hostess. Think back to the BBQ's from decades ago... our parent and grandparents didn't spend a lot of money. Looking through an old cookbook sometimes helps for ideas. Old church cookbooks are the best!