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Ideas for a Cheap (and Good) Night In
Everyone is very budget conscious right now. Money is still tight and enjoying a night out can cost upwards of $200 by the time you pay for a meal, drinks and perhaps a movie. If you're entertaining a family it can cost even more.
The solution is a frugal alternative: a cheap night in!
It doesn't have to be boring, or humdrum. You can enjoy a cheap and good fun night without spending a cent, and have your family and friends asking when they can do it again.
When Disaster Struck we had to rethink our weekend entertainment. As most of our friends had little children around the same age as ours, we chose to invite them to our home and we'd barbecue or in winter have a soup and roll dinner or I'd make a giant lasagne and toss a salad, the kids would play and we adults would be able to eat, drink and generally be merry without going broke.
Here are some ideas for entertaining at home. If you're on a budget but don't want to give up time with family and friends, give one (or two or three….) of these ideas a try.
Get together with three or four friends and have a progressive dinner - cocktails at one home, entree at the next, main course at the next, dessert and coffee at the last home. Each host is responsible for catering their particular course with drinks being BYO. Progressive dinners were popular years ago and were a lot of fun. With money being tight for everyone, start a new fad and be the first to organize one with your friends.
Fondue is back in so have a fondue party. If you weren't blessed with a fondue set as an engagement or wedding present, you will find plenty of them in op shops for just a few dollars. I bought a lovely burnt orange (reminiscent of the 70's) fondue set for just $3. Click here for some lovely fondue recipes.
Invite guests for dessert and coffee rather than a dinner party if money is especially tight. Put on some mood music, turn the lights down and use your best dishes and cutlery and even a simple dessert will be glamorous. If you're not a cook a lovely dessert can be made by buying a slab of golden sponge from the supermarket. It will be a double layer, so put one in a bag and freeze it for later. Cut the other layer into 8 pieces. Put each piece of cake into a sweet dish. Drain a tin of apricot halves and put one, cut side up, on each piece of sponge. Warm some apricot jam in the microwave and put a teaspoonful into the hollow of each apricot. Pop a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and serve.
Choose a movie, make hot chocolate with marshmallows and pop some popcorn and then cuddle up on the couch to enjoy.
Bake a batch of biscuits and then have a decorating competition. Let the kids (big and little) go wild with the sprinkles, jelly crystals, coconut, icing and food colouring.
Invite some friends over for a games night and bring out the Scrabble, Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit. Pop some popcorn and brew a pot of coffee, it could be a long night.
Play card games (Skipbo and Uno are great for kids). Cards are inexpensive, they are easy to transport (we have taken them on picnics, to the beach, camping and to outdoor concerts), and you can talk about other things while playing (how often do you sit down long enough to have a real conversation?). Even the younger kids can learn how to play so everyone can be included.
Invite some friends over for a spontaneous barbecue. Make it BYO meat and you supply the salad and bread. Or keep it simple and have a sausage sizzle with ice cream cones for dessert.
Enjoying a good night in with family and/or friends banishes that feeling of being deprived, and it doesn't need to cost a cent.
The solution is a frugal alternative: a cheap night in!
It doesn't have to be boring, or humdrum. You can enjoy a cheap and good fun night without spending a cent, and have your family and friends asking when they can do it again.
When Disaster Struck we had to rethink our weekend entertainment. As most of our friends had little children around the same age as ours, we chose to invite them to our home and we'd barbecue or in winter have a soup and roll dinner or I'd make a giant lasagne and toss a salad, the kids would play and we adults would be able to eat, drink and generally be merry without going broke.
Here are some ideas for entertaining at home. If you're on a budget but don't want to give up time with family and friends, give one (or two or three….) of these ideas a try.
Get together with three or four friends and have a progressive dinner - cocktails at one home, entree at the next, main course at the next, dessert and coffee at the last home. Each host is responsible for catering their particular course with drinks being BYO. Progressive dinners were popular years ago and were a lot of fun. With money being tight for everyone, start a new fad and be the first to organize one with your friends.
Fondue is back in so have a fondue party. If you weren't blessed with a fondue set as an engagement or wedding present, you will find plenty of them in op shops for just a few dollars. I bought a lovely burnt orange (reminiscent of the 70's) fondue set for just $3. Click here for some lovely fondue recipes.
Invite guests for dessert and coffee rather than a dinner party if money is especially tight. Put on some mood music, turn the lights down and use your best dishes and cutlery and even a simple dessert will be glamorous. If you're not a cook a lovely dessert can be made by buying a slab of golden sponge from the supermarket. It will be a double layer, so put one in a bag and freeze it for later. Cut the other layer into 8 pieces. Put each piece of cake into a sweet dish. Drain a tin of apricot halves and put one, cut side up, on each piece of sponge. Warm some apricot jam in the microwave and put a teaspoonful into the hollow of each apricot. Pop a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and serve.
Choose a movie, make hot chocolate with marshmallows and pop some popcorn and then cuddle up on the couch to enjoy.
Bake a batch of biscuits and then have a decorating competition. Let the kids (big and little) go wild with the sprinkles, jelly crystals, coconut, icing and food colouring.
Invite some friends over for a games night and bring out the Scrabble, Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit. Pop some popcorn and brew a pot of coffee, it could be a long night.
Play card games (Skipbo and Uno are great for kids). Cards are inexpensive, they are easy to transport (we have taken them on picnics, to the beach, camping and to outdoor concerts), and you can talk about other things while playing (how often do you sit down long enough to have a real conversation?). Even the younger kids can learn how to play so everyone can be included.
Invite some friends over for a spontaneous barbecue. Make it BYO meat and you supply the salad and bread. Or keep it simple and have a sausage sizzle with ice cream cones for dessert.
Enjoying a good night in with family and/or friends banishes that feeling of being deprived, and it doesn't need to cost a cent.
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