Are you trying to make a barbeque happen this Memorial Day weekend, but don’t know how you’ll swallow the costs? Well, the good news is that barbeques, and other outdoors cook-outs, can be the most cost-effective way of throwing a party on a very limited budget.

My friends and I are all on very tight budgets for a number of reasons. As the times have tightened ever further, we still manage to host our outdoor BBQs for the simple reason that they are a very cheap way to entertain. After all, you don’t need to book a hall, or have food catered in, or even worry about a dress code. All you need to do is light that grill…and people you never even knew will show up!

So, how does BBQ frugality begin? The following tips will help you get an ample head start. Please note that all prices quoted are from Copps Food Store, which is actually a low-priced food store here in Wisconsin.

1. Go Green, and See Green.

There is no logical reason why your BBQ has to include paper plates, plastic cups, and plastic forks and knives. Sure, real plates and utensils will need to be washed later, but for the average BBQ attendance size of 20 people, is that really that much to ask? Besides, many BBQ foods are finger foods, and will not even require much cutlery.

While you are washing your dishes later on, consider that a typical pack of paper plates costs about $3. Three boxes of knives, forks, and spoons will run about $4. And then there are the plastic/paper cups, which will cost from $2-$3. So, you’ve just saved yourself about $10 by being green.

2. Choose cheaper (and healthier) snackies.

Arguably, those bags of potato chips, Doritos, M&M’s, and other munchies can cost more than a fine steak dinner at your local steak joint. And nobody considers munchies to be "real" food anyway. Rather than waste $3.19 on a bag of Tostitos (and another $2-$3 on salsa), $2.39 x 2 on Lay’s potato chips, $3.49 on M&M’s, consider making popcorn instead. 

At about $0.49/pound of kernal, popcorn is one of the cheapest snacks around. If not doused with excessive butter and cheese and salt, popcorn is also quite a healthy snack too. And by serving popcorn, you save yourself nearly $15!

3.  Drinkies don’t have to be sweet and syrupy, or even boozy.

This might be anathema on my part here, but you can make a BBQ happen without serving soda and hard booze. Soda is great, but it also drains you, of both your body’s liquid content and your money. A typical 2-liter bottle of Coca-Cola runs $1.89 (non-sale), and you’ll need about 6 bottles in order to satisfy the thirst of your guests.

Hard liquor is even worse. I’m not sure who even has the cash anymore to stock a BBQ with tequila, rum, vodka, etc., but it ain’t me. A bottle of anything decent runs $20-$25, and then you need the juices, liquers, and froo-froos like tiny umbrellas to make mixed drinks. One could easily blow $100 on just booze.

Since I absolutely abhor having a dry BBQ, I do get beer- and lots of it. I also make my own beer, so it’s not hard to have top quality liquid refreshment on hand. Given what I spend on my beer-making ingredients, I pay about $0.40 per 12-ounce bottle of micro microbrewed beer, which is all organic to boot. And as for "commercially" made, though still microbrewed, beer (sorry, but friends don’t let friends drink Bud or Miller), I typically find my deals at a Chicago-based liquor store called Binny’s or an Appleton (Wisconsin)-based liquor store called Flanagan’s. If you’re ever in Chicago or Appleton, stop by these liquor stores- they have some amazing deals.

In any case, I’ve yet to get to my favorite money-saving drink, which is neither beer nor soda. It’s actually your friendly neighborhood Kool-Aid. Mix a 15-cent package of Kool-Aid drink mix with a pitcher of water, add a little sugar, and you’ve got your drink requirements satisfied for $2 at most. And the savings? Well, you could have theoretically saved yourself over $100! Alternatively, there are the equally dirt-cheap drinks of iced tea or lemonade (from a mix).

4. Buy bulk meat, and buy chicken.

No BBQ is complete without some kind of grilled meat (unless you’re vegetarian). Unfortunately, meat is also expensive- boneless chicken breasts cost $3.99/lb, baby back ribs easily run $7.99/lb, and NY strip steaks can go at $10/piece!

When it comes to meat, the only way to save money is to forego convenience, small portions, and "brand name" cuts. So, instead of buying boneless de-skinned chicken breast slices, buy in-the-bone chicken thighs and drumsticks. Instead of buying 2 ounces of thinly sliced sandwich steak, buy a 10 pound pot roast. . Don’t worry if all your meat is not used up; you can always freeze the leftovers for future BBQs. And finally, don’t buy any meat that is labeled as "New York", "Kansas City", Filet Mignon, etc. Trust me, meat that is placed on the grill, and which has a 50/50 chance of being charred to death, does not need a premium name.

Additionally, consider buying chicken over beef and pork. Overall, chicken is cheaper than any other meat type. And with the right spices and marinade, chicken can beat out steak any day.

So, how much could you save by following my meat-buying advice? If you were to buy a few chicken breasts at $3.99/lb, prime rib at $8.99/lb, NY strips at $10.99/lb, and some ground beef at $3.99/lb, you’d end up spending almost $140, assuming you bought 5 lbs of each meat type and had 20 people over (with 1 lb of meat/person). However, if you instead went with chicken thighs and drumsticks for as low as $0.99/lb, pot roast at $2.99/lb, and ground beef for $3.99/lb, assuming you bought equal amounts of each meat type for the same 20 people, you’d end up spending about $53. Big difference!

5. Try potluck.

No matter how hard you try, you simply will not hit every sale and discount for all your target items. Don’t fret. Instead, ask your guests to help out. Ask them to bring certain items to the party, like certain dishes, chips, sodas, etc. If they desire liquor-containing beverages, make the BBQ a BYOB party. The key is not to suffer in (financial) silence. You’ll find most folks pretty happy to get a whole BBQ for the price of making or bringing just one dish. And this way you get to experience everyone’s cooking (or drink-making) abilities! 

With this in mind, let the BBQ’ing commence!