How To Host a Fun Super Bowl Party Without Going Broke

Football fans are spending more money on a Super Bowl party than they ever have before.

But that doesn’t mean you need to step up your spending to keep up with everyone else. Here’s how to do it up without breaking the bank — so you still have money left to bet on the game if that’s how you roll.

Know Who’s Coming

Although most hosts would rather have too much food instead of too little, that kind of thinking can result in overspending at the grocery store.

If you have too many leftovers after the game, you’ll end up having to throw out food — or at least send it home with guests. Instead, follow up with those you’ve invited, so that you can get an accurate head count of who’s showing up on game day. Then you can serve the right amount.

Don’t Order That Pizza

Although ordering food delivery may be more convenient than cooking, you don’t have to make things entirely from scratch in order to save money. Frozen pizzas from Costco still cost half to a third of what you might pay to have one brought over from a restaurant.

Cut Back on the Booze

One of the biggest expenses for Super Bowl parties is booze, but a lot of the time there’s plenty left over after the game.  Consider getting less of it this year or even serving only non-alcoholic beverages.

You might not even have to ask people to bring their own booze and they will anyway because this has become a somewhat common practice.

However, you’re better off communicating your specific preference about whether guests should bring booze — and do it before the big day so that they have time to get to the store.

Spend Less for the Super Bowl

One way to spend less is to attend a Super Bowl party rather than host one yourself. But attending someone else’s party instead of hosting your own won’t get you out of the woods. Both hosts and guests are spending an average of 8.5% more money this year than they did last year (that’s severalfold greater than inflation), according to the National Retail Federation.

You don’t have to spend more to have a good time watching the Super Bowl with your friends. Just remember not to let money worries interfere with your enjoyment of the big game.

Jackie Cohen

Jackie Cohen is an award winning financial journalist turned turned financial advisor obsessed with climate change risk, data and business. Jackie holds a B.A. Degree from Macalester College and an M.A. in English from Claremont Graduate University.