3. SET A BUDGET AND GO SHOPPING

Party Countdown: One week before the party

Set a budget
Go shopping

Set a budget

We suggest deciding how much you need before heading to the store - this way you won't come away with 20 bags of cheese puffs. Here's the way to do it:

  1. Write down everything you definitely want to have and estimate a reasonable cost next to it. Include everything from butter for the corn to bug spray.

  2. Always overprice when in doubt - if you think hot dog buns cost between $2.00 to $3.00, mark it down as $3.00. This way, you won't be caught without enough money at the supermarket.

  3. After you've made up your list, total the cost of all your items, and add another ten percent to the price.

  4. If the budget comes out to be way over what you expected to spend, critically revise your list. (Do you really need to personalize each guest's paper cup?)

  5. Remember that people will eat more at your party than they do at a restaurant when they're paying for their meals. Free food + hot weather = voracious guests. Some easy guidelines are that two 2-Liter bottles of soda can take care of 5 people, plan on people eating 2 - 3 hamburgers each, and one bag of chips covers 2 guests.

Go shopping

Here's a very basic list of non-food stuff you should probably have, buy, or rent for your outdoor bash:

  • Large table for guests (or large blankets if people are going to eat on the ground)

  • Smaller table to hold the food

  • Enough chairs for all your guests

  • Paper or plastic plates and cups

  • Napkins (bring a lot of these! People are slobs!)

  • Plastic spoons, forks, knives

  • Large garbage bag or can

  • Bug repellent

  • A cooler (for the drinks)

  • A grill, charcoal, lighter fluid, tongs, and a funny talking spatula (if you're barbecuing)

  • Decorations (Decorations are especially important if you're having a theme party. They can also be functional - a string of novelty lights, for example, can look pretty and light up the night at the same time.)

And here's the food list. Keep in mind it will vary depending on your budget, location and desires:

  • Several different kinds of chips and dip

  • Salad and dressing

  • Fresh fruit or fruit salad

  • Potato salad and/or macaroni salad

  • Corn on the cob

  • Finger sandwiches

  • Meats (hamburgers, chicken wings, hotdogs, pork chops, steak, veggie burgers) and matching buns for grilling

  • Ice cream and toppings

  • Condiments (ketchup, mustard)

  • Drinks (plenty of water, plus soda, iced tea, and assorted juices. Oh, and alcohol, of course.)

  • Several bags of ice (don't forget this one!)

Expect to spend at least $50 on food and drink alone - more if you're entertaining more than 15 people, and a lot more if you're planning to have a party where people might get, shall we say, "sloshed."

Once at the supermarket, don't buy anything that's not on the list, unless it's something important that you forgot. Impulse buys are the bane of a good budget.