Cheap Easy Party Food Ideas For The Ultimate Budget Party. (2024)

What if I told you that you can throw an incredible party even when you’re broke. These cheap and easy party food ideas will make any party a hit (and they’re budget-friendly). You end up creating an amazing gathering that people will be talking about long after it’s over for super cheap.

Cheap and Easy Party Food Ideas For Any Party

LOVE this! Perfect if you’re looking for a healthy way to feed a crowd. You can see this and other breakfast ideas here…

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This is brilliant! Grab a 30 oz jar of popcorn from Walmart for less than $3, toss in a little flavoring and movie night (with the whole neighborhood) was just kicked up a notch! You can even invest in one of the popcorn machines that you can use for years and still spend less than traditional party food. You can check out the full post here…

Who doesn’t love an amazing dessert bar filled with fresh fruit and whipped cream. You can find the full instructions to do this yourself here…

Who wouldn’t LOVE this s’more bar (kids or adults)? The best part, this post has a “menu” of s’more ideas that are epic… You can find that here…

Everyone loves bagels? One of the best breakfast foods EVER (and they’re really cheap!) You can serve them with plain cream cheese or fancy them up with homemade flavored cream cheeses. To check out the full post click here…

You can grab my favorite cheap whipped cream cheese recipe here…

This quick and easy snack will be a hit with the neighborhood kids! When you’re ready to be the coolest mom on the block get the full recipe here…

Create your own creamy version of “winter in a cup”! But the best part, the whole shebang can be purchased at the Dollar Tree. You can get the full scoop here…

Having a cheap and awesome birthday or graduation party is as easy as burgers and fries. This post has a TON of topping ideas, so you can spice things up a bit!

Walking tacos are da bomb! And they are super cheap and easy to make! For the full walkthrough, you can click here…

This DIY Sundae bar will be a hit! The waffle bowls run about $6.50 at Walmart (for 10) but they can also be replaced with these homemade ones… Either way, the waffle bowls are an unusual and fun “bowl” for the sundaes. You can find out exactly how to DIY this ice cream sundae bar here…

If you want to up your game and serve a hearty dinner that’s cheap and easy to throw together, this fajita bar is the perfect solution. Meat that is full of flavor, delicious vegetables, and a ton of toppings… everyone will find something they love. You can find out more here…

Pasta is a great way to feed a crowd First off, it’s super cheap and really easy to prepare. Also the topping ideas are endless… sauces, meats, vegetables, cheeses. This post outlines a pasta bar that will change EVERYTHING about the way you do pasta…

These strawberry shortcake kabobs are a clever way to serve a fun and simple dessert. So you can enjoy summer all year long. You can get the full directions here…

This cheap easy party food idea may seem beyond your budget but there is a cheap and simple way to make an AMAZING sandwich bar even on a tight budget. They will walk you through the entire process here…

Creating a DIY chili bar that rocks is easier than you think. And using a crockpot is a huge time saver. You can grab the recipes AND tips to make this party a success here…

A cheese board will be an amazing addition to any event. And this budget version is filled with things that people actually like to eat (rather than fancy French cheeses). Filled with Ritz crackers, cheese slices, fruits, vegetables, and nuts… this one is sure to win! You get the full directions here…

This DIY sundae bar will be an absolute hit on hot summer days (and nights). Add a few of your favorite toppings and don’t forget the whipped cream and sprinkles! You can find a walkthrough of how to do this on your own here…

This DIY cupcake bar is perfect for birthday parties, sleepovers, or weekends that require a sweet treat. Quick, easy, and awesome is what EVERYONE will be saying! You can get the full instructions here…

If you haven’t thought about baked potatoes for your event, you are making a big mistake. Because baked potatoes are the ultimate comfort food, and a potato garnished with your favorite toppings is bound to be a hit! You can grab the full directions to make this amazing and cheap here…

This make your own pizza bar helps you create these mouthwatering mini pizza’s which are great for parties, but also for a quick and fun dinner. You can find the easiest instructions for these pizza’s here…

We’ve done this for years for our Texas Holder Poker Parties (which cost $31 in total). Sometimes quick snacks are the best snacks. These “grab and go” veggie cups are perfect for poker parties, football games on the couch, and family game nights. You can get these and a few other amazing ideas for cheap snacks here…

Sticking with the “grab and go” theme if seafood is your thing this is bound to be a win! Shrimp is fancy enough to be impressive, but cheap enough to be affordable. Hint: Add an extra scoop of horseradish and some fresh lemon to give the co*cktail sauce a kick! You can find the full directions here…

This 7 layer “crack dip” will definitely feed a crowd. And, it’s as good as it looks. They walk you through the entire recipe (and what to use as dippers) here…

Everything you need to create the most amazing nachos EVER, can be found right here…

Add a little spice to movie night. This brilliant snack board will be hit with the family or featured ay your next sleep over. You can get all the ideas for this board here…

You don’t see this every day. A walkthrough of creating your favorite soda flavors can be found here… To bring this idea to the next level add ingredients to make floats.

How to Feed A Crowd On A Budget

When you need to feed a crowd on a budget, having a list of cheap easy party food ideas is a lifesaver!

This is especially helpful when you’re broke or you suck at budgeting.

When money is tight, parties can feel stressful and difficult.

I mean seriously… If you’re planning a graduation party or a birthday for your kids, it’s almost impossible not to get carried away.

These cheap and easy party food ideas will help you create an epic celebration on a rice and beans budget.

These cheap and easy party food ideas will…

Serve a boatload of people
Save you a ton of money
Create an elegant, impressive event
Let you entertain more without increasing your spending.

Plan the Party Before The Food

Grab a notebook and a pen and start writing down ideas…

Consider dates for the party.
Who are you inviting?
How will you let them know about the party?
- Phone call or text.
- Email invite (We use and love evites and then also send text messages as a back up).
- Invitation (you’ll need their address).
How many people are you expecting to attend? (I usually expect 80% of my invites to attend. So if you want a 20 person party, Don’t invite 60 people).
How will they RSVP?
What time of the day is the party? (Is it an all-day event? Or, just a few hours?) Hint: You can save a ton of money by having weird party times (like 2 or 3 pm for kid’s birthdays. Because you can do a cupcake bar or light food and you won’t be expected to serve a meal.

Menu Decisions.

Can you skip food completely? You can also use that “non meal” time frame for parties without food. Consider events like cookie exchanges, hot cocoa parties, pumpkin carving, wreath making parties (assuming you live somewhere that you can cut down pine boughs) or this $0 Make-up party. We’ve had parties with signature drinks only, or potlucks where everyone brings a dish.
Are there any allergies or special diets you’ll need to consider (peanut allergies, vegan diets, etc.)?
What about beverages? (Consider things like weather and temperature. If you’re outside in 95-degree heat you’ll need extra drinks, especially water. If it’s cold…coffee, tea and hot chocolate might be your savior.)
Will you be providing alcoholic beverages (expensive!)? Have guests BYOB? Having a signature drink is better than providing an alcohol assortment. Our favorite is Spiced Rum and Orange Vanilla co*kes. You can see a list of cheap signature drinks here.

Additional Considerations

Set a budget for the party. Hint: I like to reduce my grocery budget the week of the party and try to fit the party entirely into my grocery budget. I usually succeed.
Will the party be inside, outside, or both?
Will there be music? Pandora playlists are super easy.
Will there be activities? If so what kind? (Is there a reason for the party? Like a $0 make-up party, or a $31 poker party, etc?)
Will you need additional equipment? (extra chairs, tables, a tent). Can you borrow anything from a family member or a neighbor? Throwing out a Facebook post to see if anyone local can lend one usually gets great results.
What about decorations? Will you be making them? Purchasing them? Or skipping them altogether?
Is this a one-time party, or an annual event? Having annual parties and repeating menus save time, money and stress because you get better and better at prepping that menu every year. We do this and love it. We have an annual Christmas and Fourth of July party every year and then fill in with super low cost dinner parties, poker parties, joyful hours (our version of Happy Hour), and game nights.

Now that you have a basic idea of the details…

Finalize Your Plan.

Finalize a date for the party.
Choose the final details. (Place, time, equipment, decor, help, alcohol)
Invite your guests.
Track RSVP’s. (Check the boxes on your guest list as people confirm)
Establish a headcount. (Don’t be upset if people cancel last minute- That’s normal. Expect about 10% to back out last minute or no show.)

Create the Final Menu Plan

Finalize the menu.
Calculate the amounts of food you need. Hint: Use this Guest-Imator calculator to figure out how much of each dish you’ll need to feed your crowd.
Calculate the amount of beverages you’ll need. Use this calculator for alcohol and this article will help you calculate things like tea, coffee and soda…
Create a shopping list. (food, beverages, decorations, supplies, utensils, plates, napkins)

Once you have your menu and your calculations consider the following…

What needs to be ordered in advance? How long in advance? Write down the item(s) and the date(s) things need to be ordered.
What can be made ahead of time? How far in advance? Add that to the schedule.
Can you use crock pots to keep things warm? Who can you borrow these from? Contact them and “reserve” their crockpots (hint” label them with their name in masking tape when they come in!).

Party Prep

Choose a shopping day to purchase party supplies.
Consider any clean up/prep needed for the party area. Schedule a day time for that.
Create a schedule for food preparation. Who will prepare, what will they prepare, where will it be prepared, when will it be done?
Set up and decorate. If needed.
Arrange food and beverages before the party starts.

After the Party

Clean up.
Return anything you borrowed.
Debrief. What worked? What didn’t? Anything you would do differently? What would you skip completely? Anything that could have been amazing had you done it differently? Debriefs make me really love having annual events because they get better and better every year.

The options are endless, but one thing is for sure… using these cheap easy party food ideas, you can throw an amazing party for really cheap.

P.S. I know how stressful finances are right now. I also know that I’m uniquely qualified to help you.I’ve helped hundreds of thousands of people get out of the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle (after trying and failing for years), by teaching them how to work with their unique personality to actually stick to a budget.