What’s You Best Tip for Feeding a Crowd on a Budget?
Who says hosting has to come with a hefty bill?
It’s the last day of Hip2Save’s Birthday Week! 🥳
All good things must come to an end, and we’ve reached the final day of Hip2Save’s birthday week. We hope you all have had just as much fun as we have! We appreciate each and every one of you for sharing your input in the comments and for being amazing members of our Hip Community. 💗
There’s still time to enter, so be sure to check out the previous giveaway prompts, too —
- What would you buy if you had $25 to spend on Amazon?
- What’s one thing you’ll gladly pay full price for?
- Which store has the best clearance section?
- What’s one grocery name brand you’d never switch from, no matter the price?
During our birthday giveaway, all you have to do is comment for a chance to win. This format is just like our monthly reader giveaway and makes for some great conversation among our Hip2Save community. The giveaway prompt posts will be going live each day now through Friday, and your comment will get you entered to win that day’s prize. Easy peasy!
Today, we’ve got one $100 Amazon eGift card up for grabs. Comment now through Sunday, June 29th 11:59 PM MT for your chance to win.
We want to hear from you!
Today’s Birthday Giveaway Question:
What’s your best tip for feeding a crowd on a budget?
Share in the comments section below for our Hip community to read. By leaving a comment, you are entering to win a $100 Amazon eGift card!
Entries for this giveaway are now closed.
How to Enter:
- Comment Below: Share your favorite way to feed a crowd on a budget.
- Duration: The commenting entry period starts on Friday, 6/27/25 at 7 AM MT and ends on Sunday, 6/29/25 at 11:59 PM MT.
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Winners will be contacted via email at the email address associated with their Hip2Save account or the email used when leaving their comments. You do not need to include your email address within your comment. All giveaway correspondence will come from our giveaway team at giveaways@hip2save.com.
Winners will be contacted by Tuesday, July 1st with the details of their Amazon eGift Card.
Here are our Hip team’s favorite ways to feed a crowd on a budget…
“A baked potato bar is always fun, especially since everyone can customize their own! Bags of potatoes are always super inexpensive, then just add bowls of different toppings like cheese, butter, sour cream, chives/green onions, chili, taco meat, etc!” – Erika
“My go to is pasta (typically baked ziti) when I’m feeding a big crowd. It’s SO cheap, easy/quick to make, and you can pre-make it all beforehand, then just heat it up and not be in a rush day of trying to cook. Plus, sides are super easy too. Just grab a few salad kits and a few loaves of garlic bread and you’re good to go! Easy peasy.“ – Liz
“My daughter hosted her church group recently – over 25 kids. I tried putting a bunch of Nathan’s hot dogs in the slow cooker and that worked so well! 🌭 The taste was awesome, and they could dish up as desired with all the toppings. Cheap and so easy/good. I served chips and cut up watermelon, and they loved it.“ – Lina
We can’t wait to hear your brilliant hosting tips to feed a hungry crowd!
Thank you for celebrating our birthday all week long with us! 🎉 Now let’s get back to the deals…
Pasta bar, tacos, baked potato bar. Yum!
Sloppy joes, taco bar, ice cream bar
Cincinnati chili or chili topped on macaroni, customized with optional toppings such as onions, cheese, sour cream, and etc.
I would first search out sales for bulk, hamburger, sour cream, etc. Sam’s club and put together a taco bar. Side of watermelon slices for a fresh fruit.
Base on current sales. Last week, potatoes were .99 for a 5# bag. Potato bar! When pasta is a deal, large pasta salad
Try to make as much as possible from scratch ahead of time. Even a couple weeks ahead for things you can freeze.
Any type of buffet or “bar”. Pasta bar, baked potato bar, nacho bar. It makes it fun while you are loading on cheap food and very little expensive protein.
Mexican food is always budget-friendly and can feed a crowd. Set up a tostada and nacho bar. Shredded chicken thighs in chipotle sauce (chicken tinga) make an excellent base for a taco salad. The addition of lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, shredded cheese, and salsa is a perfect accompaniment. Don’t forget the beans! You can make them borrachos or refried—both options are great.
Taco bar
Taco/nacho bar is delicious and easy for a crowd!
I host several large parties (50+) throughout the year and almost always go with a taco/bowl bar. It is so easy to prepare a lot of it ahead of time and can easily make in bulk quantities!
baked chicken, pasta and green beans
I like to have different salads, Ceaser salad, macroni salad, taco salad, potato salad, shrimp / and or crab salad- Variety is the key to hosting a crowd.
Chicken quarters on the smoker for a large crowd. Delicious and great price.
shop sales ahead of time. prepare what can be ahead of time. pasta, sloppy joes, tacos, shredded beef, chili and hot dishes are all budget friendly 😋
I do breakfast for dinner. I make sheet pan pancakes, one half fruit, the other chocolate chips, and scrambled eggs, with tortillas and salsa if they want breakfast burritos.
Multiple soups along with breadsticks and a salad.
More sides & salads to choose from & smaller buns for the meats. It helps with not having to buy as much meat. Plus, leaves more room on the plate to get more sides & salads 😉
Pasta salad, kale salad with sweet potatos, frozen meatballs in the crock pot with jam and served with rolls or Hawaiian buns.
Chili or tacos are our go-to crowd dinners!
I would do a nacho or taco bar to feed a large crowd. Add a few bags of chips from Sam’s or Costco the buy fruit to make a fresh fruit tray.
Don’t do it alone. Ask other gifts to bring a side or dessert-they’re often more than happy to oblige!
My comment is more of a tip. If you have had to stretch your budget to feed a crowd, have someone serving the guests at the buffet for at least the first round.
I put together a meal for about 25 teenagers on a tight budget, went with a pasta bar and meatballs. The first guest in line, a tiny little gal, put about 20 meatballs on her plate, saying “I just love meatballs!” and I had to scramble to make sure there was enough for everyone else. And no, she did not eat all those meatballs.
Serving also helps keep the buffet sanitary and keeps food from getting spilled from one container into another.
I had this experience too. That’s a great tip!
Rice and a meat using a slow cooker…loves fresh fruit in summer too…like a watermelon goes a long way…
We tend to do a taco bar for large crowds. But for my daughters graduation last month, we made a large charcuterie board and that worked out well for that type of party.
Tacos for the win! Yummy and good for the budget!
I try to shop during the sale cycles prior to if I know I’m hosting a big event. One of my “go to” large group meal options are slow cooker hot sandwiches. For example, I will buy a few turkey breasts before Thanksgiving when they are on sale and freeze them so I’m prepared when I need it. Last year, for my son’s graduation party we had turkey and BBQ pork sandwiches that I found on sale and froze. I also purchased the soda, chips and condiments before Memorial Day when they were the best price for the summer party.
Pasta definitely!
Don’t turn down offers to help, let them bring a dish!
I would do my Cajun pasta with french bread and a salad and chopped up watermelon. Another option would be a Guisado with rice and beans.
Taco’s or pasta!
I would make everyone’s favorite which would be Mac and cheese. Buns and a salad to go along with it would be a hit.
Lasagna is my go to dish. It feeds a crowd very reasonably.
I always try to stock up with sales. Pigs in a blanket is always a reasonably priced favorite!
A big pot of chili in the winter and bake a pone of mexican cornbread to serve with it. Quick, filling, inexpensive, and can easily be made large enough to feed a crowd. For the summer smash burgers with pasta salad and fresh summer fruit on the salad. Quick and easy and the grilling outside doesn’t get the house hot.
I like to do a baked potato bar. You can accomadate vegan, vegetarian, gluten, and dairy free diets. Also fun to include sweet potatoes!
Pot Luck! It sure is helpful if you make a big entrée and others bring an appetizer, side, or dessert.
Did a nacho bar for daughter’s grad party. Fed about 50-60 with plenty of leftover. The beef and chicken leftovers froze well and made quick work out of future meals. Would do this again!
If possible do a potluck or schedule your get together at a time that isn’t a typical meal time, so you don’t need to serve a full meal. I find that lots of people like to make their one specialty dish to share with others and asking each family to bring one dish isn’t too much to ask. Some may opt to bring something store bought, and that’s fine. If you’re hosting a party and don’t want to do a potluck and you don’t have the budget to feed everyone a full meal, schedule the party at a time of day that is not a meal time, like 2 pm for example. Put on the invitation what you will be serving, such as “appetizers and desserts will be served,” and then people know to eat lunch and not come super hungry.
Pasta and a large salad.
I would suggest shopping the sales/discounts and prepare from those. I would also suggest a dish to pass or ask some close friends to help.
Buy turkey on sale and make turkey and dressing sandwiches
I like to smoke a pork butt. It takes about 20 hours, but they are usually reasonable, and people love it. The sides that go with it are cheap, and I never turn down an offer to bring something.
Lasagna & Garlic Toast !
A baked pasta or a taco bar.
I love to make a couple pots of soup for a crowd. It’s easy to make a lot and if there are a couple options most will find something they like.
Do it potluck style where everyone brings something to share.
Taco salad bar or barbecue using a Boston butt for pulled pork
A taco bar is always a crowd pleaser.
My friend taught me this as we helped serve many luncheons together. Always put the less expensive things first, like rolls, salads, chips and desserts. People will fill up their plates with these things. At the end put things that are expensive, like meats. It helps save money. Or if you haven’t bought much of one thing, add those to the end.