How to Entertain on a Budget

I used to be one of those overly complicated hostesses. You know, napkins match the plates, which match the platters, which match the cups and on and on and on. When you're trying to stay on a budget though, complicated is out in favor of simplicity.

Everything from the food down to how everything is served should be simple - regardless of whether money is an issue or not. After all, entertaining is a lot of hard work and keeping it simple means maintaining your sanity and actually enjoying yourself with the guests - what a concept.

Here are a few tips on strategizing money and time-wise when it comes to the big day (and most of my suggestions come from the same rotation of stores making it easier if you're doing your shopping all at once).

Alcohol: There's no side-stepping the additional cost serving alcohol can add to the overall tab for a party. If you're looking to pinch pennies, scan the ads or go to a place like Costco or Smart and Final. If you are serving wine, grab a bunch of cheap bottles of wine or imported beers from Cost Plus or Trader Joe's (think Two Buck Chuck) that everyone can taste or sample at the dinner.

Appetizers: It's nice to be fancy and spend five minutes assembling each little appetizer that goes out on some cute little platter (for some people anyway), but that can be costly in terms of both price and time. If you insist on serving some sort of appetizer to your friends, there is nothing wrong with a little meat and cheese, crackers and cheese or bread and cheese. Ditch the potato skins or soup in favor of foods that are cheap and don't require cooking time. Go to your local Hickory farms (or just the grocery store) and pick up a block of cheddar and salami. Or, buy a baguette from the grocery store, slice it and top with some cheddar or Parmesan. You're looking at under $15 in total cost and about 10 minutes in preparation.

One-dish meals: Items like enchiladas, salads or chilis make hearty enough dishes that they can stand up on their own without needing a bunch of different, expensive sides. So, why not plan your event menu around a single main dish and then throw in simple sides like chips, a small green salad or a great type of bread that are no-brainers to prepare? Enchiladas can be served with a simple side of rice. Salads and chilis or soups can be served with great garlic or crusty bread. One main dish makes things easier and comes out cheaper during check-out at the grocery store. Total cost for enchilada ingredients could be around $25 to serve about eight people at a total preparation time of about 25 minutes (oven time is about 30 minutes).

Dessert: Serving cookies on a platter should be sufficient enough for a laid back get together. You can find a lot of low-priced, sweet treats at mom-and-pop bakeries in your area if you look hard enough. Places like Trader Joe's or Cost Plus also carry dessert-type items from around the world - for cheap. You can pick up tubs of macaroons or lemon drop cookies for under $4 at Trader Joe's or international candies for under $5 at Cost Plus.

Or, if you're going for something a little fancy, buy a cheesecake, a can of strawberries and a can of blueberries. Then, offer guests the two topping choices for their slice of cheesecake (and my suggestion would be to get the cheesecake from Trader Joe's - it's under $10).

Don't Be a Type A: This means, if you feel overwhelmed, get your guests involved. If multiple items you are serving need cooking and attention, delegate duties rather than slaving away in the kitchen cursing everyone in the living room actually enjoying themselves. And, if you're really looking to get people involved, have your guests each bring something and make it more of a pot-luck time affair where everything brings something and then pitches in to help make it.

Serving Pieces: If you are new to entertaining and don't have anything to serve your food, I have one word for you: Ikea. Ikea has cheap serving platters and bowls if you are in desperate need. Plus, they sell packs of extra thick napkins, that seem fancier than their under $2 price tag.