Tailgating is a time-honored tradition for sports fans, but it isn’t free. With some planning and ingenuity, you can enjoy a tailgate party without emptying your pockets. Here are some tips to help you host a budget-friendly tailgate party:

1. Share Costs with Friends

One of the easiest ways to save money is getting together with friends to tailgate. By pooling your resources, you can split the costs among each other. After all, the more the merrier!

2. Plan Food Purchases Around Sales

If your grocery store has a sales leaflet, website or app, plan the food choices for your tailgate around items on sale. If ground beef is on sale the week of the game, cook some burgers. If chicken is discounted, consider chicken skewers. Check for clearance or bakery markdowns to help fill out your meal. A little flexibility goes a long way.

3. Join a Wholesale Club

Consider joining a wholesale club store specializing in bulk discounts, such as Sam’s Club or Costco. While they tend to charge membership fees, the savings you could get may more than offset the cost of joining. Buying in bulk could help you save money.

4. Raid the Dollar Store

You may not have to pay grocery store prices for disposable items like plasticware, paper plates and napkins. While buying in one place may be more convenient, a second trip to a dollar store for disposables and festive decorative items can help keep costs down.

5. Secondhand Team Swag

Brand-new team apparel isn’t cheap. If you want to show your spirit by rocking team swag, you can avoid retail prices by shopping for team-branded clothing and accessories at thrift stores. You never know what you might find in thrift stores and flea markets, but that’s part of the fun!

6. Park Smart

If you and your friends are going to the game in multiple vehicles, consider taking only one car to the stadium parking lot, park or grove. Have other friends park further out where parking is more affordable or even free, and meet up in the prime parking spot. Use apps or GPS map pin drops to help find each other (and where you parked.)

By following these tips, you can enjoy a fun and festive tailgate party without breaking the bank. Remember, the best ingredients to any party are friends and fun. Good company and camaraderie are what it’s all about, and sometimes, the best things in life are free.

Sources:

https://www.cnbc.com/select/how-to-save-on-groceries/

https://www.al.com/living/2014/09/how_to_plan_a_tailgate_party_o.html

https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/save-money/how-to-tailgate-on-a-budget/

This article is provided as a free service to you and is for general informational purposes only. Cadence Bank makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the content in the article. The article is not intended to provide legal, accounting or tax advice and should not be relied upon for such purposes.