My husband and I are both hardcore extroverts, so having people over is an essential part of our lifestyle. But as people in our mid-30s who are struggling to pay for childcare, housing and some of the most outrageously expensive groceries ever to exist in Australia, the cost of catering for a group can be somewhat terrifying.
I want the event to feel special, and the food to be enjoyable, but I simply can’t afford to drop hundreds of dollars on a dinner party
And I hate the idea of skimping out on my friends and giving them a sub-par experience reminiscent of our uni days (I can no longer stomach black beans cooked in tinned tomatoes and curry paste).
I want the event to feel special, and the food to be enjoyable, but I simply can’t afford to drop hundreds of dollars on a dinner party, especially since we have them so regularly.
So over the years, I’ve curated some ideas that allow me to be the hostess with the most-est, without going into credit card debt.
Food
Nibbles
Instead of making a grazing platter of brand-name snacks, impress your guests with homemade delights that are actually pretty easy to make and miles cheaper than packaged goods.
Some ideas include:
Popcorn – add custom-made seasonings or homemade caramel for a fancy touch.
Hummus and other homemade dips – just whizz up cheap ingredients like beans along with the requisite seasonings and any herbs or veg you have laying around. Cut up a bag of Lebanese bread and toast for bountiful, rustic crackers.
Home-baked treats – a tray of freshly baked cookies, sourdough bread (see how I make the laziest-ever sourdough bread) or muffins always has a wow factor.
Cheeses near their use-by date – if your local supermarket reduces items nearing their use-by date, this is a great way to pick up some fancy cheeses for a salad or cheese platter that feels elevated.
The trick to a low-cost, high-impact meal for a group is to choose something that takes either a long time or a decent amount of effort to cook. This makes the meal feel special and conveys care and generosity of spirit without a high price tag.
Some ideas include:
Curry made from scratch (or at least add some fresh spices and aromatics to a curry paste) – serve with rice and homemade naan bread.
Pulled pork or chicken made in the slow cooker – serve with slaw, jalapenos, sour cream and soft tacos for a Mexican feast.
A roast chicken dinner with all the trimmings – add a couple of homemade sauces for an extra special effect.
Chilli con carne – serve with corn chips, rice, sour cream and guacamole (if avocados are affordable). A vego chilli will be even cheaper.
Elevate a roast chicken dinner with some homemade sauces.
Dessert
Dessert obviously isn’t essential, but the fact that you’re serving it at all already conveys a decent amount of effort to your guests. Here are some low-cost ideas that you can make ahead of time that will make your guests feel special.
Pavlova – yes, Christmas is over but pavlova is damn impressive any day of the year. It’s also surprisingly cheap to make and if you make it the night before, it’s very easy to serve up with some cream and defrosted frozen berries.
Poached fruit – grab whatever fruit is cheapest and simply poach with water, sugar and some aromatics. To level up, you can turn it into a crumble by simply topping with oats, flour, butter and sugar.
Baked goods – as above, anything home-baked feels special. Jam and cream sponge and cheesecake are two of my favourite cheap and cheerful options.
If you have any fresh herbs growing in your garden (or a friend’s) use them for garnishes to highlight how fresh and homemade your meal is and to give it that extra touch.
Wondering where to shop for the best grocery prices? Our latest supermarket basket survey compares prices on entertaining essentials from Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and IGA.
Serving some pretty non-alcoholic drinks is a super-cheap way to give your guests a restaurant-level experience. Fancy glasses are a must, so if you don’t have enough, grab some from an op shop for a few bucks ahead of time (op shops are absolutely bursting with unwanted glassware).
Here are some options:
Ice tea – go traditional or do a pretty pink iced tea using berry tea bags and a fresh mint garnish.
Signature mocktails – choose a cheap seasonal fruit or use tinned or frozen fruit as your base and whiz together with some sugar syrup and mint, and top with sparkling water or kombucha.
Decor is the key to making an event feel special on the cheap. Here are some simple, cost-effective decorating ideas that will make your efforts in the kitchen shine.
A simple flame always lends a beautiful ambiance to a space.
Fresh flowers – head to your garden or take a walk around your neighbourhood and take some cuttings of fresh flowers or foliage and prop them up in jars and vases around your home.
Tealight candles – you can get a pack of 100 for under $5, but if you pop them in some empty jam jars and dim the lights you suddenly have restaurant-level ambiance.
Thrifted linen napkins – you’ll need to keep your eye out for these as they aren’t necessarily easy to find, but once you nab some they’ll be the gift that keeps on giving in terms of lending elegance to your events (and they’re way more eco-friendly than paper napkins).
Name cards – if you’re handy with a pen, taking the time to write out some beautiful name cards always gives guests a thrill.
Fancy platters – I recently served a friend some hummus and corn chips. Far from fancy. But I served it on such a nice platter that she couldn’t stop exclaiming about what a nice spread I’d put on. The moral of the story? A fancy platter makes everything look expensive. The best bit? Op shops are absolutely full of stunning serving platters.
Grace Smith is a Content editor, she creates and edits content, stories and feature articles for CHOICE magazine and digital platforms.
Grace writes on a diverse range of topics, from money-saving and consumer rights, to product safety and household goods. Previously, she worked as a verifier, reviewing lab data and written content to ensure all information was accurate and rigorous, and also as a Content producer for the Household team.
Grace is the writer and producer of CHOICE Cheapskate newsletter, full of money saving ideas and tricks.
Grace has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney.
Find Grace on LinkedIn.
Grace Smith is a Content editor, she creates and edits content, stories and feature articles for CHOICE magazine and digital platforms.
Grace writes on a diverse range of topics, from money-saving and consumer rights, to product safety and household goods. Previously, she worked as a verifier, reviewing lab data and written content to ensure all information was accurate and rigorous, and also as a Content producer for the Household team.
Grace is the writer and producer of CHOICE Cheapskate newsletter, full of money saving ideas and tricks.
Grace has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney.
Find Grace on LinkedIn.
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