10 Frugal Super Bowl Tips

The Super Bowl is coming up on Sunday and for many people, this is a pretty big deal.  The hubby and I aren't really sports fans but we will probably watch the game at home or at least catch the last quarter which is kind of the most exciting part of the game for people who don't really know football.  Here are some tips to enjoy the game and keep expenses down at the same time...

1. Have your Super Bowl party at home (yours or someone else's).  There are a lot of places to watch the game here in Las Vegas but of course when you go to an establishment to watch the game, all of the beer and food you order can be super expensive.
2. If you are watching with a bunch of people, make it a potluck so you won't be responsible to cook for and feed a lot of people; this saves time, effort, and money plus trying food others make is always a fun experience.  Be sure to make some sort of menu so you don't end up with 10 cases of beer and nothing else!
3. Stock up on food, drinks, and snacks by buying loss leaders a week or so in advance.  Most of our grocery stores target their pre-Super Bowl ad towards the event by having sales on chips and steaks and beer and the like.
4. Cooking for a crowd can be easy and simple and even inexpensive, depending on what you are cooking.  For example, cooking pork chops for a crowd can be expensive and time consuming but cooking a pork roast then making chopped pork sandwiches is simple and much less expensive.
5. Make sure the food is easy to eat and not really messy (you don't want a food mess left behind on your sofa!).  Easy to eat finger foods are a good idea in addition to the main course.
6. To get the best deal on paper plates, plastic utensils, and disposable cups, check out the Dollar Store (Costco also has pretty good prices when buying these items in bulk).
7. Don't fall for the "buy a new TV for Super Bowl" advertisements.  If you are planning to buy a TV, have saved the money, and done the research to find the best deal that's fine but randomly deciding your TV isn't good enough to watch a three hour game is a bad reason for buying a major appliance.
8. Offer variety--sparkling soda or sparkling water instead of beer; healthy food options mixed in with the not-so-healthy options, etc.
9. You don't have to go all out on decor.  Some people do but really, as long as you have enough seating and a good amount of food, the money spent on football-specific party decor is kind of a waste of money.
10. If there will be drinking at your party, don't let people drive home drunk.  Saving someone a $10,000 DUI is probably the best money-saving tip here.  Have them Uber home, give them a ride home, they can even get a Tipsy Tow in some places.