Got Any Ideas for an Inexpensive 4th of July Party?

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Definitely go potluck with everyone bringing a dish and perhaps you furnish the drinks and meat.

Posted by RuthM on July 02, 2009 11:40 AM

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Check the sales, and buy the cheapest foods you can find on sale for the Fourth; corn on the cob, hot dogs, ground beef, whole chicken legs. Make your own potato salad and macaroni salad. Buy house brand ingredients whenever you can. I don't include tomatoes as too expensive.

The trick is to dress up your inexpensive food with special touches; melt margarine for the corn, and add lots of parsley flakes, onion powder, and chili powder or black pepper to the margarine. Or add it all!

Embed blue cheese or cheddar INSIDE your burgers before cooking. Toast the buns with a wash of margarine and garlic powder. Put out some inexpensive salsa as a topper for hot dogs and burgers, as well as ketchup/mustard. Buy house-brand pickle relish.

Make a plate of deviled eggs. Make them special by putting yolk mixture in a baggie, cut of the tip on the bottom, and squeeze it into the white halves in a spiral design. Top eggs with variety of pinches of dill, parsley, paprika, bacon bits, etc. Do not leave chilled deviled eggs out for more than 3 hours.

For dessert, consider just a big bowl of in-season, colorful, ripe fresh fruit, with blooms from your garden (or your neighbor's) tucked in among the fruits.

Make your own limeade or lemonade, and be sure to float fresh fruit slices in the pitcher, along with sprigs of fresh mint. Or even cheaper, make Kool-Aid and dress it up the same way!

For inexpensive decorations, you can't beat crepe paper; use red, white and blue lavishly. Make star templates out of cardboard, and cover with cheap aluminum foil. Hang these at random, and scatter on the table. Or make a mobile out of them!

Get some silver stick-on stars from the craft store and American flags, and use with abandon.

Lastly, consider a pot-luck to defray costs. Borrow red/white/blue dishes and decor from your neighbors. Have everybody dress in red, white and blue! And consider face-painting for the kids and deely-boppers.

That's all I can think of; have fun and a great Fourth!

Posted by anonymous on July 02, 2009 11:53 AM

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To celebrate anything, let alone 4th of July, with a large group of people, first of all, if anyone asks "Can I bring anything?"--tell them yes and give them a few suggestions of what could help you out if they brought it. I usually let people bring supporting food items versus the big menu items (meats).

Also, shop Dollar stores such as Dollar Tree for yard and themed decorations, bread, snack and condiment items--hot dog and hamburger rolls, pickles, mayo, mustard, ketchup, potato chips and pretzels, and for inexpensive picnic items like plastic silverware and plastic drink ware. Be careful about buying paper plates, however, because the packages at dollar stores are often fewer in quantity that you might get at Walmart and you could probably make out better buying at Walmart.

If you want to have soft drinks, buy powder mix like Kool Ade and sugar, and mix up in a large upright drink cooler with a spout at bottom--you can call it your special party punch--no one has to know it's just Kool Aid. Or brew your own iced-tea--just cents per gallon!!!

Buy meat items where ever they are on sale and with coupons. They are not always cheaper by the unit if you buy at warehouses. Look for Hot Dogs to be half off and then use coupons on top of that. Buy chicken parts in large packages that are usually cheaper in 3+ pound packages.

Make your own dips with store brand sour cream and store brand onion soup mix, or herbs. Make your own fruit salad, too, instead of buying it already cut up. Buy your own watermelon, pineapple, grapes, melons, etc... and cut them up yourself.

Have a variety of foods and snacks so everyone won't need so many meat items. Also--eggs are cheap and go a LONG way--one dozen will give you 24 deviled eggs (if they stay in tact when you shell them). Also a HUGE jug of those fat deli type pickles is always a hit--people fancy them because they don't see them often and they're large and pretty cheap.

Posted by Cheryl Galliher on July 02, 2009 12:10 PM

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One more tip I would like to add. Put out some inexpensive crunchy veggies for a homemade herbed cottage cheese dip.

Cut up your own carrot sticks, cucumber rounds, and squash sticks for the dip.

All these ingredients are quite inexpensive, and much healthier than the usual chips and dip, which can cost up to $10.

If heating canned baked beans, try an addition of pineapple chunks and brown sugar to the beans to make it special...very good with hot dogs!

Have fun!

Posted by anonymous on July 02, 2009 12:47 PM

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For inexpensive decor, get the kids busy blowing up red, white and blue balloons, and hang them in bunches everywhere. Buy red, white and blue curling ribbon, and make lavish cascades to hang from the balloon bunches.

Sprinkle the serving table with little red, white and blue stars from the craft store, as well as red, white and diamond "gems" from the craft store. Make templates and let the kids sponge stars all over a white cloth with tempera or acrylic paint.

Posted by anonymous on July 02, 2009 12:53 PM

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Ask friends and neighbors if they know any musicians or bands looking for a performance venue and free food and publicity. Instant party!

Posted by anonymous on July 02, 2009 3:01 PM

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The 4th of July is to celebrate our independence. We put the flag up as usual; play the National Anthem and spend time talking about why we're fortunate to live in the USA.

Then we go about the day without throwing some type of party; we burn a candle for those who died protecting our freedoms, and drive to the nearest VA center where we enjoy a meal that they cook - giving a donation, and watching the fireworks they set off.

This is how you save money and honor the day for the true meaning and as to why it's a red letter day on the calendar.

Posted by Diane in Nevada on July 02, 2009 6:51 PM

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Pot luck is the best way to go.....you provide the meat and have everyone else bring the side dishes and desserts. The same goes with drinks, make it BYOB and you provide mixers and ice.

Posted by Karlene on July 02, 2009 7:37 PM

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Just a few things to add , buy Lemonaide Kool Aide and dress it up with a splash of lemon juice(purchaed at the 99 cent store), I bought 10 pkgs. of Kool Aide for $1.00 and with a .50 off coupon that's ten gallon for .50 cents. Make jugs of tea and put a little rasberry Kool Aide in for a different flavor or choose several flavors at pennies for cost. Make a big
cole slaw for a salad( goes great with hot dogs and hamburgers) from cabbage on sale. I paid 30 cents a head.For a garnish I use shredded carrots and chopped apple . The crepe paper is a wonderful idea. I got patriotic fabric for 90% off last fall for tablecloths and big bows.Buy your buns and rolls at the day old bakery( no one will know), Make cup-cakes for the kids with dollar cake mix and color the frosting red, white and blue. The fun is being with friends and family. You don't have to impress anyone,let them bring stuff and all have fun!!!!!!!!

Posted by Gale Osborn on July 04, 2009 9:33 PM

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We all celebrate in different ways. A fourth of July cookout is an appropriate and time honored way to celebrate our independence and gather with family and friends as we do on other holidays.

I have used inexpensive little flags and added them to hanging planters at my home. For center pieces (I had four tables) I bought annuals which were already marked down and added flags.

Posted by anonymous on July 30, 2009 12:55 AM

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