Cut Your Grocery Bill In Half! with Stephanie Nelson, The Coupon Mom

How to Save on Super Bowl Entertaining
by Stephanie Nelson
CouponMom.com
January 26, 2017

Whether you are having a small get-together or hosting a big gang for the Super Bowl, you can enjoy the event as a generous host without breaking the bank with Coupon Mom’s tips:

1. Save on Food:

First, if any of your guests offer to bring something, say YES!  You can make an inexpensive main dish item like chili in a crockpot, barbecue pork or chicken in the crockpot to shred for sandwiches or a big Mexican casserole.  Let people bring side dishes, salads, appetizers and/or desserts.

Shop smart: All the grocery stores will feature popular game day items to get shoppers in their stores.  Stock up on sale-priced or store brand snacks (chips, crackers, cookies). Use coupons—just print grocery coupons available online and find coupons in the Sunday newspaper circulars.  You can combine Ibotta and Checkout 51 cash back offers for food items with coupons to save even more.  CouponMom.com lists all the best deals for thousands of national and grocery stores across the country, combining sales, coupons, promotions and cash back offers to point shoppers to the best savings in their area.  This week, get deals like Free Nabisco Crackers and Cookies, $1 Coke 12 packs, Free Chips Ahoy cookies, Free Superpretzels as a few examples.  Go to your store deals list on CouponMom.com to find the best grocery deals at your store.

DIY—Do it Yourself:  Skip the high cost of party trays and do simple trays yourself to save 50-75% (with dollar store platters).  Quick and simple finger foods are great for a Super Bowl party and they don’t take long to make.  Make big sub sandwiches with deli meats and cheese and cut them up into small pieces on trays, cut your own $5 of raw vegetables and serve with ranch salad dressing as a dip, make pinwheel sandwich roll ups with big tortillas and deli meats arranged on a tray, serve homemade chili in disposable bowls.  Go online and find more simple food ideas to feed a crowd easily on a budget, like our Creamy Chicken Enchilada Roll Ups , Pepperoni Pizza Pockets and our Southwest Turkey Chili.  Everyone loves this $1 Hot Chocolate Brownie dessert that takes 5 minutes to make and it will feed a crowd for $1.

2. Save on alcohol: Decide if you’re making your event BYOB or if you’re providing the beverages.  Many people may prefer BYOB because they can bring exactly what they prefer.   If you’re serving alcohol, this can be the most expensive part of the event.  If you’re providing the beverages, keep it simple by selecting just two or three options (such as beer and wine or one signature cocktail). Depending on the size of the group, getting a keg of beer may be the least expensive option.

You can also save by shopping the sales at your local grocery store or discount store which are all featuring name brand beers at sale prices.  On top of sales, be strategic by using cash back apps like Ibotta or Checkout 51 to get offers for beers, wines and liquors.  For example, Checkout 51 has an offer for $3 on two 24 or 30-packs of Budweiser or Miller Lite cans.   Ibotta has dozens of offers on alcohol including major brands of beer, wine and liquor ranging from $1 to $10.  When you redeem your first Ibotta rebate, you’ll get a $10 bonus.  All you do is download the free app and scan your receipt after purchase to get the cash back.  No mailing of forms and waiting six weeks for a rebate.  You’ll get the cash within a day or two.

To save on the cost of whatever alcohol you decide to buy, you may pay lower prices at membership clubs like Sam’s or Costco.  You do not have to be a member to buy alcohol (due to legal restrictions) and prices can be 10 to 25% less than sale prices at grocery stores.  You can check the prices at your local Sam’s Club on their website to compare to other alternatives before making a special trip.

3. Save on décor: Festive decorations can make a party, but you don’t need to go to an expensive party store.  Just go to your dollar store and buy paper goods in team colors.  You can get plates, napkins, plastic silverware, disposable serving dishes, tablecloths and even balloons at a fraction of the cost of other types of stores.