Planning a party on a budget?

Question

Only $50 for drinks and snack food items? I am having some people over and I want to have some appetizers and some kind of mixed drinks. I need some ideas on something spectacular that I can make inexpensively. This would be for about 10 people or less
Thanks!

Answer 1

What do your guests like to drink? Hot, mulled cider will cost you about $6.00 or less. You can get four or five liters of wine in a box for $14.00 or less. Plenty of drinks for everyone. Buy sodas in the two liter bottles.

Snacks:

Sam's and Costco have really nice snacks in the freezer section. Get a veggie platter there for around $10.00. Includes dip.

They also have cocktail croissants - Sam's calls them Petite Croissants. For less than $5.00, you can get 36 of them. Serve with whipped butter or flavored cream cheese. Cost: about $10.00 with spreads

How about hot nachos? Sam's has a four pound can of ready-made nacho cheese sauce that costs around $5.00 or less. You can get a case of plain nachos there for around $6.00, also. Just heat the cheese in a crockpot and serve over the nachos.

Buy jars of pickles, olives and cocktail onions. Cube cheddar cheese and put on toothpicks. Cost: around $14.00.

Make sausage pinwheels: Got Bisquik? Make up a batch of biscuit dough, roll out on a floured surace in roughly a square shape 1/4 inch thick. Spread one pound of raw Italian or breakfast sausage on it. Roll up, slice, put on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until sausage is cooked & dough is golden brown. Takes about 20 minutes. Cost: around $5.00

What about caviar and cream cheese? Small jar of caviar at any grocery store is under $9.00. One small package of cream cheese is about a dollar. Buy your favorite crackers to serve them on. Total cost: around $13.00, depending on how much you spend on crackers.

Tortilla pinwheels: Soften 8 oz. of cream cheese, then mix with just enough salsa to make it spread easily. Smooth mixture onto flour tortillas, roll up. Cover and refridgerate for at least half an hour. Remove from fridge, slice 1/2 inch thick. Costs around $8.00

Answer 2

I would do a punch to keep alcohol cost down..here is a great chicken dip...tastes like wings..but a dip..and a fraction of the cost of wings...

INGREDIENTS
2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup pepper sauce, such as Franks® Red Hot®
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces
1 (8 ounce) box chicken-flavored crackers
DIRECTIONS
Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly. Serve with celery sticks and crackers.

Answer 3

If there's a Sam's Club nearby, it sells pre-made party platters. Also, in their frozen food section, look for the packages of Nancy's miniature quiches. These finger foods are easy to reheat and come in three types per package of ~50: spinach, a seafood one, and I can't remember the third type right off. They also have roll-type sandwiches, wings, mixed fruits, crackers, and all types of drinks--alcoholic and non.

Answer 4

$50 isn't going to go far for food & liquor for ten. What I would suggest is to BYOB and spend the money on drink mixers and food. But if your determine to supply the drink, I would go with a case of beer. Good luck!

Answer 5

Beer and nachos

A Christmas punch [gingerale/OJ/sparkling wine] and go to walmart to get appetizers [they have some amazing little appetizers in the frozen section!]

Red wine and chocolate fondue!! - go for cantelope/apples/bananas/pineapple/etc

Answer 6

why dun you call for Pot Luck party where everybody bring one food item each esp with your little budget...Its more fun and you get to taste many variety of food too...