Big Game on a Budget

Description:

A big football game party is an easy, inexpensive and fun way to bring family and friends together. The best part is that even the kids can get in on the action by creating decorations for an event everyone will enjoy.

Send the Invites

Beyond the essentials of place, date and time, make sure your invitations include important information such as directions. If you are throwing a potluck, also include suggestions of what to bring. Also, make sure to let gursts know that thiw iw a houseparty and to expect great things!

Feeling creative? Skip the traditional invitation and save money by creating your own. With construction paper, scissors and markers, along with help from the kids, you can create wonderful themed invitations that really bring out the pigskin passion.

If you’re really pressed for time and want to save even more, you can send email invites instead. Search around; there are many websites that offer free football-themed email invitations.

Party Decorations

Decorations make a party special, and you don’t have to spend a lot to display team spirit.

The best way to start decorating while keeping an eye on the budget is to reuse football items you already have around the house. From throw pillows and blankets, to your son’s football or daughter's pompoms, there are many things you can use to get your house ready for kickoff!

Some budget-friendly decoration supplies include:

• Streamers in your team colors
• Bowls in your team colors (you can always reuse bowls)
• Construction paper and other craft supplies
• As a fun project, children can make banners, pennants and other football-themed decorations. Streamers are inexpensive and adding them to anything adds instant party flair. Remember, if you hang streamers from walls or other painted surfaces, use special putty-tape to ensure the paint stays on the walls and ceiling.

Here are some fun suggestions for where to hang your streamers:

• The backs of chairs
• The sides or top of the coffee table or kitchen table
• Streamer fringe around the bottom of your lampshade will cast a great glow.
• Around the television screen (but make sure it won’t fall down and block the view!)
• Around banisters or stair railings

Easy and Inexpensive Home Cooking

Some of the best football foods are also great for your budget. Making a meal in bulk and saving the leftovers can stretch one meal into two or even three for your family. A few tailgate favorites include:

• Sloppy Joes
• Pulled-pork sandwiches
• Barbecue chicken sandwiches

Do your best to make enough for everyone without overdoing it. If you are making burgers, don’t cook them all at once — keep a few ready to go in the freezer to ensure nothing gets wasted. The ideas above are very portable and freeze well. Also, they tend to be the food kids love the most!

Serve your snacks wisely to save the most money. Instead of just having a bag sitting out with all the chips getting stale, put some chips in a bowl and keep the rest fresh with a “chip clip” or rubber band. You can always refill the bowl if you run out of chips, and the rest stay fresh for later.

Here are some snack suggestions:

• Potato chips
• Pretzels
• Cheese and crackers (VELVEETA, OF COURSE)
• Tortilla chips and salsa
• Party mix
• Celery (the perfect complement to hot wings)
• Carrot sticks
• VELVEETA DIPS
• MORE VELVEETA DISHES

When the Guests Arrive

Party snacks are also great because they are self-serve. Once your guests arrive, you can simply give them a plate and settle in for a great .time while knowing you didn’t break the bank to throw an amazing party.

from Walmart site