Hi there. I'm new to this board, but have really enjoyed some of the tips you all have and wanted to join in. I have a fairly constant challenge to my grocery budgeting....feeding company. We live just far enough from family that we often have them here for the weekends (overnight). We also try and have friends over for dinner every once in awhile. The problem I have is that I find it impossible to stick to my budget when entertaining guests. Has anyone found a solution to this problem? I should add that I am not a gourmet cook. I try to make nice meals, but am struggling to find that balance without blowing the budget.

Thanks in advance!

Pasta, pasta, pasta!! Whenever we have a big crowd it is penne and meatballs, or chicken broccoli & ziti, or lasagna, etc. - all with a salad and garlic bread. It is universally liked and relatively cheap!

For breakfast I recommend french toast, eggs, or waffles, with a side of frsh fruit. Or make some muffins with yogurt. Maybe a bit carb heavy, for some, tho...

Just suggestions, I do hear you though! It is hard to feed a crowd, but the way we work it with friends & family is alternate hosting, so it is not always you with this dilemma... HTH!

Ultimately, I think planning ahead is key, so you don;t end up ordering pizza at dinner...

Most people will offer to bring something, so be sure to take them up on it! Whether it's a bag of chips, hotdog buns, or a dessert it can really help.

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A big pot of homemade soup with homemade biscuits and a homemade apple cobbler with ice cream is pretty cheap, yummy and filling!

I agree with the pasta tip. You can do so many different things with pasta. And if you can find meat on sale like chicken, it just makes it that much more filling.

Also, if you have friends over, why not make it a potluck at the same time?? Try out new recipes with friends and family. Come up with different themes, you could have a ton of fun with it. Even if someone just brings over an appetizer or salad.

For big breakfasts when we have company we do just the basics. Eggs are still fairly cheap. Scramble them up and some shredded cheese and even some cut up lunch meat that you want to use up. Cup up some potatoes and fry up-add onions if you want.
Watch the grocery store flyers and stock up on bacon or sausage. Add some toast and there you go.

Lunches do just munchie type things. Lunchmeat from the deli, cut up some cheese and add some crackers. Offer bread, mayo and mustard if someone would rather make a sandwich.

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Typically my guests will treat us to dinner out.
But when we do have to feed a group
Taco bars, BBQ burgers, pasta, lasangna are what I think of
Or my family favorite breakfast for dinner

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Kimberly Proud Mommy to Bethany Rose April 2006

You have received some really awesome advice. This is my tip, look for frozen lasagne on sale. This week, my Fred Meyer (Kroger) has the Stoeffer's 96 oz. party size on sale for $7.99 with a coupon (you can get two at this price.) Keep at least one in the freezer just in case. I don't think I can make one for $7.99!

i agree with this make it a potluck and do themes i love going to things like this and nobody cares if they have to bring stuff anyway.. don't be afraid to delagate some to people...

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I agree with Kim, accepting potluck when it 's offered. I wouldn't think of going to someones house for a meal, let alone the weekend without bringing one or two dishes at least.

We used to be the drop in home and most often footed the bill for the entertaining. Some of this was my own fault because I liked to cook fancy meals and some of my guests really couldn't afford it.

Now that I have my head on straight we eat more simply, pool our resources and enjoy our company more than focusing on the meals.

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I had to think about your post for a while. We have friends who entertain ALL THE TIME on a very limited budget. Seriously, they will throw a party for 20 people at the drop of the hat. People will drop by and 'happen' to stay for dinner. Houseguests are common. I used to wonder how they did it. When I first met them, I was a poor starving student. I was barely able to feed myself much less entertain. I decided to carefully watch how they did it.

The majority of their grocery budget was spent on the weekends. During the rest of the week they ate very simply and it was usually leftovers or 'remakes'. For instance, if they made a big roast for a dinner party, the leftovers went into burritos or a casserole.

Serving portions were smaller. They tended to eat or serve little bits of a wide variety of foods. Expensive desserts were 'stretched'. I distinctly remember ice cream that was stretched. Instead of serving it in one big scoop (I think they were running low) she put three very petite scoops in the dish and added a decorative cookie, a smattering of fudge sauce, and a sprig of mint. It was very festive and much less expensive than doing up big ice cream sundaes for everyone. If they were really low on ice cream, she might have made a quick fruit cobbler and served it with a little scoop of ice cream on the side.

When people asked if there was anything they could bring, they said, "Yes." Then left it up to the giver what they wanted to bring. I know I got into the habit of never going to their house unless I had a food-related 'hostess-gift' in my hands. Our meager offerings were always used and appreciated. They were so generous with everyone who was there, it was easy to become generous with them in return. Note however, that we never left with 'care packages' of food. As above, those were kept for themselves during the week.

They planned 'big pot' meals for the weekends whether or not they were expecting visitors. There was almost always chili or soup on the stove and some baked goods in the oven. Once rice cookers became popular, the cooker was filled to capacity with rice. Even if it didn't get eaten that weekend, they saved it for the week or frozen it for later.

There was always something in the freezer or in the pantry that could be dragged out and used if more people came. This goes back to the 'big cooking' on the weekend. Eventually they moved to a more rural location but people still came - probably more than ever because their house was such a relaxing get-away. But that meant they were also much farther from the grocery store. The 'big cooking' concept really went full-steam at the rural house. They didn't grocery shop on the weekend but fed everyone out of the pantry / freezer. I later learned how easy it was to always 'make one for the freezer'. Such as making one small pan of lasagna for just my family during the week then making one larger pan for the freezer in case company came next week.

I considered the wife to be a gourmet cook but in hindsight I realize she never let anything go to waste. That meant they ended up combining some foods that weren't in any recipe. If someone came over with a jar of lemon curd, she found a way to use it. If someone gave them a bag of homegrown peaches, those were made into a variety of dishes from fresh salsa/relish for the main course to being mashed for a spread on top of toast for breakfast. I never got tired of her cooking. I realize, too, that she cultivated friends who liked to cook as much as she did. She shared her space in the kitchen with people who would suddenly appear with a new recipe that they wanted to try out. When I complimented a particular dish she'd say, "Oh so-and-so made it!" Not only did this relieve her of some of the cooking chore but she learned new recipes, too. It all went into her memory banks in case she needed a new way to use up some particular food. As for me, the best I could do was help with clean-up. I learned so much about cooking from watching her and was thrilled that she let me observe while in her kitchen. Their kitchen truly is the heart of their home and half the party would be gathered in there, chattering away as the cooking went on.

No one was asked what they wanted. Picky eaters were not catered to. If someone came up with a child who would only eat Spaghetti-o's, unless the parents brought the can of Spaghetti-o's, heated it up and served it to their child (and clean-up afterward), then the kid starved. Funny, but I didn't see many picky eaters up at their house. I do have several food allergies and if there was something being prepared that I couldn't have, I was warned not to eat it. Again, this gets to the point about little bits of a wide variety of foods. I didn't feel like I was missing much because there was so much else that I could have.

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