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.
- Eligibility: All approved comments within the entry period are eligible. Winning comments will be chosen at random. Readers may only win one time during the giveaway.
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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…
Soup season is my favorite. Summertime is usually a bbq.
Spaghetti, salad and bread
Spaghetti, salad and breadsticks. Brownies for dessert. If they want a taco salad instead of spaghetti, use seasoned meat on your salad!!
Potluck breakfast. People bring different flavors of quiche, host fills in with pastries/waffle bar, fruit in season, juice.
A couple different pasta types cooked and add a little oil so they don’t stick and a few different varieties of sauce like alfredo, pesto, and marinara. You can even have some cooked chicken pieces to add some protein. Serve with salad and bread and you have a filling meal that didn’t cost a fortune.
Chili with different toppings, baked potato bar or spaghetti.
I like to order a large a bunch of fried chicken (think Walmart or Kroger) and do sides as a potluck. Or go with the Taco bar.
Our kids and their friends love sliders and so do I – quick and easy (and inexpensive)!
Homemade lasagne – plan ahead to buy ground beef on sale and freeze until needed; you can also make a vegetarian option with spinach. You can usually get cheese for a good price at stores like Aldi’s. They can be prepared and frozen ahead of time as well. Add a basic Caesar salad and maybe bread (I’m not a fan of bread on the side with pasta but I know a lot of people like that!) and you’re set. 🙂
Pasta salad! A 16 oz box plus add-ins always makes so much we have leftovers.
Potluck gatherings!
When the whole family is together, I always do a large brunch (2 meals in one!). I do sheet pan pancakes (that were featured on Hip2Save) with several different topping options. I also cook bacon and/or sausage that I buy on sale and freeze; whatever fruit is in season, eggs (when they were cheaper) + bagels or toast (whatever is on sale) and sometimes muffins if I have bananas or blueberries on their way out. All in all, it ends up being a cheap, filling meal that everyone loves!
Taco bar so easy to make ahead! A few trays of rice and beans. Shred a rotisserie chicken ( or a couple lbs of ground beef/turkey) throw it in a crock pot with a jar of your fave salsa, plus all the veggies and toppings.
A Mexican style theme with build your own taco salads with lots of black beans, kidney beans, seasonal veggie toppings, tortilla chips, and some taco meat… You can get great prices by stocking up in advance!
potluck style!
Taco bar, we do this for my daughter’s birthday, and hosted coffee hour for church with over 30 ppl, you can stretch your money.
A large crockpot with taco meat, a rice cooker for a huge batch of rice, and a stack of soft tortillas and hard taco shells.
For the fixings: finely chop romaine, store-bought salsa, or finely chop tomatoes, sour cream, shredded cheese, and hot sauces. If I find a good sale on avocados, I make a guacamole and a big bowl of Tortilla chips
Can’t beat Potluck!
Pancake & waffle bar!
I like charcuterie boards of various types, including dessert. I find that these go very far in feeding a crowd.
Pasta is the best money-saver out there! Plus the various sauce possibilities make it easily customizable for each child!
Baked potato bar!
Pasta is your friend with a crowd. I enjoy either spaghetti or baked ziti.
Variety! Whatever you do, make it into a bar and let people customize.
My favorite is pasta, choose 2 types of noodles, 2 sauces, and 2 proteins. Pair with a salad (keep toppings on the side so more people will eat it) and a bread.
Taco bar is always a hit.
Burritos. Buy wraps, shredded cheese in bulk, salsa, guacamole, rotisserie chicken, canned corn, black beans. Healthy, easy, inexpensive and a fun diy for your guests.
Walking tacos are a must! Can use any flavor of Doritos or Fritos. It’s a crowd pleaser 💗
A variety of freezer meal casseroles. You can make ahead with ingredients you find on sale. A variety means everyone can have something they like.
Pasta with Costco sauce, French bread from Safeway with garlic butter made at home, and Salad from Sam’s. Desert will be Brownies (homemade)
Spaghetti and salad for indoor but summertime more of a bbq ( either simple hamburger/hotdogs or we supply the meat and have others bring sides)
Pulled pork is always good but I’ve also had hotdogs, potato salad and chips for a large neighborhood lawn gathering
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Pulled pork bbq or if after easter or thanksgiving Ham and turkey sandwich bar with fresh baked breads and all the fixins
Have a potluck!
Happy Birthday H2S. I have never hosted a big gathering but I totally appreciate all the effort it takes to be a host. So as a guest I ask what I can do to help and have never been told no.
I think a taco bar is fun and enjoyed by all!
Costco has some great options…big lasagna, salad & rolls. Yum!
When we have our family picnic is always hamburger and hotdogs along with chips and a vareity of salads. Filling and on the cheaper side when everyone brings a dish.
Smoked Pulled Pork, Baked Beans and Cole Slaw
Prepare! Prepare! Prepare lol. Can’t last minute it and if it doesn’t go right don’t stress yourself out
Whatever you decide to serve, have people get the SIDES first, then the main dish. That way, they won’t load their plates with the most expensive part of the meal which is usually the main dish.
Bbq hamburgers and hotdogs, potato salad & chips.
Tacos are my go to. It’s even better if it is the kind of gathering where its appropriate for guests to bring a side then I just supply the meat. If not the whole meal is pretty budget friendly. In winter chili is my go to for a large crowd on a budget!
Most inexpensive would be tacos or chili. Feeds a large crowd on the cheap. Add in the guac 7 layer dip and chips!
Spaghetti
Mexican fiesta goes a long way on a budget. Taco bar which also leaves the option to make nachos, different types of rice , some beans and churros…..well I guess some magaritas too 🙂
Taco bar… we shop primarily at Aldi where we get ground chicken and organic ground beef as well and all the needed veggies and supplies. If you add lentils to your taco meet it goes further
i made a big batch of stir fry and served it in lettuce leaves, and my college friends loved it!
we make tacos with ground chicken or beef from Aldi and use lentils to stench it. doesn’t effect taste and makes it healthier. Veggies and supplies from Aldi too.
Taco bar with lentils, and meet and fixings from Aldi
We love pasta salad- especially during the summer months!
The best tip I can give would be not to lock in on a specific idea. Plan the meal around the big ticket items that are on sale that week. Also, if you have storage and know that you will be hosting in the future, get those big ticket items and freeze them.
My favorite way to feed my son’s high school baseball team is pulled pork made with pork shoulder bought on sale for $.99/lb and cooked in the crockpot. Give them a variety of buns and sauces and everyone is happy. I make homemade cookies because they’re cheap but the boys love them because most don’t get homemade cookies very often.