Steak, salads, a few slabs of beer…struth! The cost of even a small gathering can quickly add up.
But having a BBQ and sharing a meal with family or friends doesn’t have to cost you too much. Follow our five steps to throwing a cheap and cheerful BBQ and enjoy some change from a $100 note too.
1. Share the love…and the cooking – $0.
No matter the occasion, there’s nothing quite like a backyard celebration. And in true Aussie spirit, when you send out the invites your mates will ask what they can bring – and this is when you tell them to bring a dish. It’ll cut costs and you won’t have to slave over a hot stove for two days. Make a note of what each guest is bringing to avoid ending up with 15 bowls of potato salad (although that doesn't sound too bad to be honest).
2. DIY nibbles – $20.
Nibbles can take a big bite out of your budget. Bypass the store-bought stuff and take a do-it-yourself approach. It’s dead easy.
Give this a go: tip a tin of chickpeas into a blender, add garlic, tahini and lemon juice and zap it on high for a minute. Presto! Enough hummus to render the back patio. Drizzle a block of cream cheese with sweet chilli sauce. Tear a French loaf into pieces (there’s a whole buck out of your budget), add some veggie sticks and fresh seasonal fruits, and your nibbles platter is good to go.
3. Give your meat punch – not price – $40.
You don’t need $35/kg aged steak for a great barbie. Try budget-friendly cuts like oyster blade, chicken drumsticks, or grab a kilo of mince and make your own rissoles with fresh parsley, finely sliced onion and an egg. Add wow factor by stuffing rissoles or portobello mushrooms with chopped bacon, sundried tomatoes or blue cheese. Or skip the meat completely and grill marinated tofu or falafels on the BBQ – and let your veg-friendly spread hit a six with the guests.
4. Go troppo with veggies – $15.
Vegetables are cheap as chips, packed with flavour and nutrition and easy to cook. Chargrill slices of eggplant, zucchini, capsicums – heck even sweet potatoes – and pile the lot on platters without piling dollars onto the tab. Making veggie skewers can be a fun and impressive way to char-grill a bunch of veggies and top them off with a homemade honey-soy sauce.
5. In the red? Make it Sangria – $10-15.
Most guests will BYO beer or wine, but for a wallet-wise drink grab a cleanskin red, pour into a large jug, add diced oranges, apple and pineapple, tip in a bottle of lemonade or ginger beer and you’ve got a refreshing sangria.
Write your list before hitting the shops (and have a snack too).
There’s nothing more tempting than a quick snack or loading your trolley with unnecessary goods if you go to the supermarket hungry. Preparing a thought-out list (and checking your pantry before you go) is a great way to prevent you from spending money on things you didn’t need, as well as avoiding the tempting 12 pack of cinnamon donuts conveniently placed at the checkout.
Keep your BBQ lean.
With some pre-planning before your grocery shop, a $100 budget can leave your guests feeling full as a centipede's sock drawer. Plus, the most important thing is spending time with family or friends across a bowl of hummus. Then work it all off with a hit of backyard cricket, bocce or quoits, put on your favourite tunes and discover that good times don’t have to cost a motza.
This article is prepared based on general information. It does not take into account individual financial objectives or needs and is not financial product advice.