Super Bowl Party Saving Tips

I have to be honest…I really could care less about the Super Bowl. However, this year my hubby’s favorite team is in it — the Giants. So part of the fun will be watching Jay…watching the game. He is quite a character…pacing, standing up, yelling at the TV and even doing pushups in between plays! Some friends will be joining us and they’re just as into football as he is! They’ll be just as crazy as Jay when watching the game. It’s entertaining to watch them go mad over the football. But for those of you actually watching the game — here are some money-saving tips from Teri Gault the CEO and founder of TheGroceryGame.com

Save on your Super Bowl Party

by Teri Gault

A Super Bowl party doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg, or your sanity! Make it a “grazing party”, nothing fancy. Just food lined up in the kitchen to grab and go any time. Here’s how to make it happen:

1. Take inventory – Check your pantry fridge and freezer to see what you already have to incorporate into your party. Then, build from there…

2. Let the sales plan your menu – Don’t plan a thing until you see your supermarket’s sale offerings! You’ll find deep discounts on all things for a great Super Bowl party. Even drugstores get on the scoreboard with snacks and beverages.

3. Start with the meat – There will be some killer meat deals that are perfect for your Super Bowl party right on the front page of the circular. You’ll probably find ground beef at half off or better. Nothing’s easier or cheaper than a big pot of chili with beans in a slow cooker always hot and ready for self service, with bowls, spoons and napkins nearby. Look for sales on cheese and corn chips to go with it!

3. Have a potato bar! – Potatoes are often on sale for Super Bowl, and cheap filler even without a sale. And the nice thing is you can scour the sales for lots of toppings: canned chili, cheese, bacon, green onions, salsa, and more!

4. Borrow some slow cookers! – Nothing’s easier than having your hot food all in slow cookers ready for self service any time. So you may want to borrow a few in the days before. Frozen meatballs are often on sale for super bowl. Fill a slow cooker with meatballs and BBQ sauce (bought on sale with a coupon) as a self-serve anytime hot appetizer! If you can borrow two more slow cookers, you can also serve chili, and hot cheese sauce for your baked potatoes or tortilla chips!

5. Advance prep – Celery and carrots are usually the cheapest any time of year for veggies and dips. But check for any other cheaper sales on veggies and fruits. Arrange cold platters ahead of time, covered and in your fridge ready to pull out and add to your buffet. You should also find refrigerated dips on rock bottom sales to go with all things dipped!

6. Save on snacks – Only buy chips, crackers and any snacks on sale, because there will be tons of deals out there for Super Bowl snacking. Also pair up coupons with sales on frozen appetizers like hot wings, potato skins, and stuffed jalapenos. Frozen pizza deals abound during Super Bowl. You can pop them in the oven throughout the game, and serve them in small pieces as appetizer bites. Microwave popcorn will be on sales with coupons. Keep popping them in the microwave and filling your popcorn bowl. A stack of plastic cups nearby make it easy to carry popcorn to the TV game room!

7. Score on paper goods! – You’ll see sales events for plates, bowls, and more. Also check your drugstore and supermarket circulars for limited store coupons on these. For chili, you should use real bowls and disposable for everything else. If you see a sale with a coupon on slow cooker liners, grab them to save on washing that baked on mess.

8. Make it “BYO-Beer” – Great sales on beverages, including cases of water, abound at supermarkets and drugstores on Super Bowl week. If you have an ice maker, start bagging extra now, so you won’t have to buy so much or any at all! Beer should also be on great sales, but there’s nothing wrong with telling your guests it’s BYOB, as in “Bring your own Beer”! Have ice chests and ice with some water and sodas and let your guests add beer!

9. Ring a bell! – Nothing’s more important than the game, so I never ring it in the game room! I ring a dinner bell in the kitchen when something hot comes out of the oven. You would think they don’t even hear it, but amazingly, when a commercial hits after the bell, they break and run for hot wings!

Teri Gault is the CEO and founder of TheGroceryGame.com, a website that provides shoppers with a fun and easy way to achieve substantial savings on their grocery and drugstore bills. Members log onto the site to get a weekly shopping list, which helps them to reduce shopping time and money by using coupons at precisely the right time for optimum savings. A wife and mother of two, Teri began The Grocery Game as a home-based business in February 2000. As an avid saver and coupon-clipper, Teri decided to use her skills to create a list to help identify when to use coupons, based on categorical sales trends, to achieve maximum savings at her local supermarket.