Nothing goes better with football than food and friends. But without some careful planning and serious shopping smarts, tailgating expenses can go sky high. The good news is that there are ways to save money on everything you need, including food, gear, games, gas and parking. So before you buy tickets and pack up the truck, keep these tips in mind.
Stock Up
Take advantage of sales and bulk purchases at the beginning of the season. Stock up on brisket, ribs, chicken and anything else for the grill when you find it on sale. Then, store it in the freezer until game day. Warehouse stores like Sam’s and Costco are great places to find bulk sales on hamburgers, hot dogs and beverages. Even if you’re only providing food and drinks for a small group, you can save big by buying in bulk and keeping the excess for another game. Check out the prices at your local dollar store for great deals on paper goods and grilling tools.
Keep Cool
You can save on ice by freezing your water bottles and using them as ice packs until they melt. This idea is pretty efficient, but you can do even better. Sure, freezing the good drinking water will save money and space in the cooler; but what about other containers you could fill with water and freeze in the same way? Just think how beautifully a half-gallon or gallon milk jug would fit in the corners of your cooler or line up to create partitions to protect delicate veggies.
Team Up
Tailgating is all about community. If your friends are sharing in the food and fun, they should also share in the expenses. Plan the yum in advance, and have the whole gang sign up for different parts of the menu. While you’re in team mode, organize the carpool. Sharing a ride saves money on gas and parking fees. Don’t forget to plan for the gear. Before any of your team takes to the store to buy folding tables, chairs, or pop-up canopies, ask friends, family and neighbors if you can borrow what you need for the day. You’ll save money on the things you use only a few times through the season, and you gain an excuse to invite a few more cool people along for the fun.
Go Handmade
Before you even open your wallet, you need to consider how you can get your hands dirty and make some dishes yourself. The more things you can make from scratch, the less you have to spend on prepared food. How many of you would agree that homemade potato salad tastes much better than anything prepared in the store? The same goes for sandwich trays, cookies, brownies and more. The more time you can devote to making good things, the more money you’ll save.
Take this handy habit out of the kitchen, and apply it to other tailgating activities, too. Early birds get the primo spots, but that means several hours in the parking lot before game time. Fun car side games like corn hole and ladder golf are great ways to pass the time and burn off a few of the calories coming from the grills. But, when saving money is one of your top priorities, you need to consider how to make games yourself from what you already have at home. Take a quick look around Pinterest for all kinds of crafty, do-it-yourself ideas that will keep your tailgate team entertained until game time.
Party On
When you’re on a budget, attending every home game is just not an option, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the tailgating fun. Every one of these money-saving tips and tricks work just as well in the backyard. Don’t let all that great food that you’ve stored away in the freezer die a slow death to freezer burn. Call up your crew, put the same team strategies in place and put on a great spread at home on the full-sized grill. Not only is it cheaper to watch the game at home, but there’s far more room for fun. And we all know that a grassy backyard is the perfect place to play a little flag football and really burn off a good meal.
Now it’s time for you to huddle up and have a great football season.
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How to Save Money While Tailgating originally appeared on usnews.com