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…
always deals on pixza
I’m inspired by your April post on how to save by swapping plastic products out for reusables— a Plate Mixer party: guests bringing unwanted but nice dishware for exchange for a casual family friends meal, even better to have gathered dishware thru the week to dishwasher wash before or at the start of the event, reduce dishware waste, share between each other instead of donating out, a new dishware piece as a party favor, a lovely way to share out dishware when they become a partial set or when replacing a set.
Taco bar or Spanish hamburger with chips and dip, a big pan of au gratin potatoes. Also, what wrong with participants bring a dish to pass??!! If someone offers to help, take them up on it!!
I always bring an addition to family/friend gatherings most times you just know what would be a crowd pleaser.
Pulled pork – we make it ahead of time with a rub but without sauce and just pull it out when the need arises. I buy it when my Kroger affiliate has pork butter roasts b1g1free, and they end up being a great deal. Four roasts fit in my oven at once, but it takes over 24 hours to cook. It’s worth it, as I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t love it yet!
Crock pot of Chili. Crock pots of soup. Add crackers and bread.
Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Potato Salad, Macaroni Salad, Corn on the Cob, Salad, Brownies, Cookies etc. Almost everybody likes it and it is easy to prepare.
A Tex-Mex bar can really stretch things like simple diced chicken and meat. If people customize with salsas, chips, cheese, and all the toppings they feel like they are really getting what they want
Baked potato bar!
Homemade Mexican casserole, pineapple salsa, virgin margaritas. Chinese lo mein, fried rice, Thai chicken skewers, egg rolls.
When my extended family gets together we usually have the host home provide the main entree and the rest of us bring the side dishes, desserts, drinks, bread, etc.
Watch grocery store sales for the week or two before the event. Then hit up the meat or cheeses or olive oil on sale. I made a twist on a caprese salad for a recent community garden potluck. I’d bought the mozz on sale and added tomatoes and fresh basil from my kitchen plants to avocado and blueberries. Then generous olive oil (recently on sale) and balsamic vinegar. Tons of antioxidants and so delicious!
I try to get more filling items like mac and cheese or lasagna. In the summer potato salad or pasta salad
Baked potato bar with a variety of condiments
Loaded Nacho Bar and Root Beer Floats are a hit and pretty economical! When guests ask if they can bring anything, let them help bring toppings!
Have a potluck and have others pitch in with bringing food. Less stressful than having to prep everything yourself too.
My tip for feeding a crowd on a budget: comparison shop your local grocery stores, club stores, Target, Walmart for the ingredients you need, and make the food at home (rather than buying pre-made food).
Mostaccioli or spaghetti, garlic bread
Plan ahead – buy pork butt when its cheap and slow cook it, then freeze it – easy to reheat later and you don’t have to worry about paying high prices later.
Crock pot nachos; shredded smoked pork
Utilize your crockpot! My go to is saucy meatballs in the crockpot or wings for a large crowd because that’s a simple way to cook a lot of protein. Then you can make a simple potato salad with it and make some grilled veggies kabobs on the grill at the same time.
Deli style platters. Skip the pre-made. Buy your favorite meats, cheeses, crackers, olives, and veggies and do the cutting and presentation yourself. Fancy it up a bit by using lettuce underneath it all. Fresher and much less pricey when you DIY instead of buying the store platters.
I always like using pizza hut. My sons birthday party is usually the biggest crowd we have. Pizza hut always has 6.99 medium pizza deals that also includes pasta, and other sides. I usually get 6 pizzas and and a side for $50 and pick it up to save on delivery fees and tip. I buy chips and dip, soda from Walmart and make my own cake. Comes to under $80 for a party.
I always do pizza for crowds. My two go-to’s are Fat Boy’s Pizza and Mo’s Pizza. They both specialize in pizza and have HUGEEE slices! If both of them are closed, I usually go for Domino’s.
I like doing sliders, using Kings Hawaiian Rolls, and add a shredded meat you’ve cooked in a slow cooker. Our favorite is carne adovada for the meat, though slow-cooked chicken, seasoned like tacos, is also great! This sort of meal is perfect to share with a family with a new baby, or someone who’s been in the hospital. Add some chips, salsa, and a drink, and you’re good to go!
BBQ pork. It can be made ahead and kept warm in crockpots.
Best way to feed a crowd is with a pot of soup and crackers or some sort of Taco Salad pr bar where everyone gets tortillas or chips and makes their own.
Any sort of pasta salad and baked beans go a long way in a big crowd.
Planning ahead is my biggest tip. My sister and I used to split up what we would need and each get things. It’s sometimes easier for the host to get it and then the others just contribute financially. Shredded meats and casseroles are my go tos.
Nacho/Taco bar or pizza with salad and wine or spaghetti with salad and wine or a big grilled chicken Caesar salad or order a bunch of quarts of Chinese food along with egg rolls.. they always include fortune cookies.. I’d have ice cream to go with them or roast a Turkey or ham or roast and have serve with mashed potatoes (gravy) and veggies
Spaghetti, canned pasta sauce, and frozen meatballs is my go to!
Knowing the meal plan ahead of time helps for finding deals on the items you need.
Chicken salad (cook your own boneless chicken breast). Sandwiches and chips.
Watch for sales on the items you need and stock up ahead of time!
Made this last week for 15 people on vacation. Fast, easy, and delicious is the name of the game!
Slow Cooker Ravioli
2 lbs cooked ground beef
1 yellow onion
2 jars of favorite pasta sauce (24 oz cans)
1 family sized or 2 regular bags of frozen cheese ravioli
Cook on low for 3:30-4 hours.
Serve with garlic bread and a couple Caesar Salad kits.
spaghetti and meat sauce with a build your own salad always feeds a crowd on a budget
I always have a chicken taco bar. I buy a pack of chicken breast and cook them in the crock pot all day, then right before shred them up with taco seasoning and enchilada sauce. I set it up with lots of topping and sides and it is a huge hit!
Recently fed 107 youth and leaders and we did a cafe Rio night. Found pork shoulder on sale for 99 cents a pound! It took me a couple of weeks, but I cooked and shredded and then froze 50lbs of pulled pork. Instead of tortillas, we got tortilla chips at Sam’s club, then had all the toppings of shredded lettuce, cheese, salsa, cilantro lime rice, black beans and of course, the tomatillo ranch dressing. It turned out great and was super budget friendly feeding that many people
Baked Ziti is a favorite. Add some cheesy garlic bread and a salad. Ready for dinner.
Cheap, & filling ingredients like rice, beans, pasta. Utilize sales for an affordable protein. Pick a menu that uses only a few ingredients. Less ingredients, lower costs. Also, potlucks are a great money saver!
Spaghetti with salad and garlic bread
crock pot Swedish meatballs, hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza.
I’ve thrown a bunch of parties and Italian is a great way to go (meatballs or sausage and peppers). I’ve also done pulled pork as the pork shoulder is inexpensive and huge! Taco and sheet pan fajitas. Chili! Basically I think anytime that can be transported in a truck put is easy and feeds a crowd!
I love doing soup for a crowd. It’s easy to prepare in advance and can easily be doubled if it’s a big group.
Also, build your own salad bars with lots of toppings is always fun.
Pizza always pizza
A pasta dish.
For example. Baked ziti
Walking tacos! Crush doritos in single serving bag and add taco meat and toppings.
I like to make a couple of batches of pulled pork in the crock pot. Serve it with rolls, potato/macaroni salad, chips & coleslaw. Feeds a bunch of people.
Taco bar using crock pots
Street tacos for sure! Make a batch of shredded chicken using Costco baked chickens. Sauteing the meat little with a little Mexican flavor like Chile verde. Add chopped onions, cilantro and some lime juice to top them off. Then have salsas to pick from. Super fast and yummy
Dell’s Cheesy potatoes any time of the year work great as a side that feeds many. And it actually freezes great too.
Love doing a walking taco bar, cook up some taco meat and keep warm in the slow cooker, grab some beans, cheese, and some pre-made condiments, it works so well and is yummy. We have also done a taco bar, potato bar, and soup bar.