How To Host An Inexpensive Super Bowl Party

Stacy Randall
by Stacy Randall

One of the most anticipated events for football fans is the Super Bowl. If you love football, the odds are good you’ll be attending a Super Bowl party. But what if you’re the one in charge of the festivities? It can get pricey, so check out how to host an inexpensive Super Bowl party and enjoy the fun instead of worrying about your wallet.

1. Find A Friend To Co-Host

You don’t have to handle everything by yourself. Get together with your friends about a month before the big game and see if anyone wants to co-host the party. Perhaps you agree to hold the Super Bowl at your home, and your friend handles the decorations.

You can discuss options of how to divvy up the to-do list and the budget with your co-host. You may have a couple of friends that want to chip in and host the event so that you can hold a larger party.

2. Make It A BYOB Party

Let everyone know that you’ll have some basic drinks, but when it comes to alcohol, it’s going to be BYOB. This approach not only saves you big-time bucks, but it ensures everyone has exactly what they want to drink.

If you want to offer something beyond water and sodas, you can pick up some limited wine and beer options. But give people a heads up. Tell them you’ll have some beer and wine; otherwise, they can BYOB.

3. Consider Holding A Potluck

Often, when it comes to a party, one of the biggest costs is food. Therefore, another option to save money is to turn your party into a potluck. Tell everyone to bring their favorite dish to share. If you’re worried about not having enough variety, you can get a bit more organized with it.

Assign categories to people. You might tell a few guests to bring a savory dish, others to bring desserts, and others to bring some of their favorite snack options. Once everyone is there, you’ll have a varied food spread that has a little bit of something for everyone.

If you want to supply a little food, you could do something simple, like ordering pizzas. Then, ask your guests to go potluck style for things like snacks and desserts.

4. Skip The Entertainment

Let’s face it, it’s the Super Bowl. Most people at the party will be watching the game, then enjoying the half-time show. There’s no need to spend extra money on entertainment.

If you want to organize a few games like football trivia or a Super Bowl bingo, go for it. But choose fun side activities like these that don’t cost you anything more than a little bit of DIY effort and some printer paper.

5. Get Creative With DIY Decorations

You understandably want to have some decorations; it’s a party, after all. But that doesn’t mean you need to spend hundreds and hundreds on balloons, banners, and other expensive items. In the grand scheme of things, the party will be over after a few hours, and most of the decor will likely end up in the trash.

Consider making some DIY football decorations and visiting the Dollar Store to create some impactful pieces that keep your budget in check. Have a few friends over a couple of nights before the party to help make some things. Consider it your pre-party entertainment.

6. You Don’t Need Themed Tableware

In addition to not spending tons on decorations, you don’t need to spend much on your tableware. Themed plates, napkins, and cups can get super expensive. And you can bet, leading up to the Super Bowl, anything with a football theme will see a price increase.

Instead, consider solid-colored tableware in your favorite team’s colors (or both teams). Or use regular paper plates, plastic utensils, and plain old white napkins. If you get festive enough with your other DIY decor, you can keep this other stuff simple.

Your guests aren’t even going to pay attention. They’re more interested in what’s on the plates and in the cups. They don’t care that their plate doesn’t have a football on it.

What Time Should A Super Bowl Party Start?

You don’t want to start your party too soon before kick-off. Starting too early could lead to running out of food or people getting overly tipsy or drunk before it’s even half-time.

According to Fox Sports, a good start time for your Super Bowl party is 90 minutes before kick-off. This time allows guests to arrive, grab food, mingle, and get comfy before kick-off, but it still won’t feel like you have people there all day long.

Celebrating The Super Bowl On A Budget

You can throw an unforgettable Super Bowl party without spending a ton of money. It just takes some careful planning, creativity, and asking friends and family to share the load. Create DIY decorations, use basic tableware, and consider hosting a potluck, BYOB-style party. The football game will provide the entertainment for you, and great company will take care of the rest.

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Stacy Randall
Stacy Randall

Stacy Randall is a wife, mother, and freelance writer from NOLA that has always had a love for DIY projects, home organization, and making spaces beautiful. Together with her husband, she has been spending the last several years lovingly renovating her grandparent's former home, making it their own and learning a lot about life along the way.

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