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Add easy, affordable projects to your project list this summer.
While you may never be on the Martha Stewart or Ina Garten level of home entertaining (after all, we don’t all have a home in East Hampton with a lush backyard), there’s no reason you can’t aspire to these mega-hostesses’ easy, breezy entertaining philosophies.
And while you’re at it, you can aspire to host for less — making Friday night dinners or Sunday brunch for the friends you call family affordable, digestible and eminently enjoyable affairs. After all, the pleasure is not so much in the pudding (though it can be!) as it is in the company. So instead of going in the red to fund an all-out backyard barbecue or intimate outdoor cocktail party — or perhaps worse, giving up on the idea of hosting altogether — check out these savvy and simple ways to save money on your summer shindig.
1. Don’t get carried away.
First things first: Decide what you’re going to make and stick to the plan. Whether you’re hosting a brunch for six of your closest friends on your back patio or a Sunday supper with your neighbors and their two kids, put together an appropriate menu based on the number of people as well as the occasion.
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Food writer and photographer (and editor of Good. Food. Stories) Casey Barber, who also happens to be semi-famous in certain circles for her legendary, meticulously themed Christmas parties (pre-COVID-19), admits to fighting the urge to make too much food every time. “Over-serving my guests is the number-one way costs get out of hand,” she cautions.
Barber urges hosts not to overdo it. And if you simply must add one more thing, take a nod from Martha and put out some radishes and olive oil: cheap and delicious.
2. Let the sides take center stage.
The announcement from one of the world’s top restaurants, Eleven Madison Park, that it will no longer be serving meat or seafood in its multi-course tasting menu should tell you one thing: Meat isn’t everything. In fact, it may not be necessary at all. Barber says if you’re serving meat — and note the “if” here, for you’re obviously not obligated to include it on your menu at all — you should use it as an accent, not the main course. Less is more, and Barber suggests grilling one large steak (skirt and flank steaks are both more affordable than porterhouses or filet mignons) and slicing it up for fajitas or with a wedge salad instead of bacon for something a bit more substantial.
3. Embrace nature as your decor.
Indeed, one of the beautiful things about hosting a small summer gathering is the great outdoors. Less cleanup is an obvious win for the host (you’ll have even less work if you go for paper plates and paper utensils, of which there are now many environmentally friendly options to choose from), but another bonus? There is absolutely no need to decorate.
“I consider decorating of zero importance when we’re having a backyard get-together,” says Barber, who will typically light a few tiki torches if the party goes on past dusk and maybe some string lights under the pergola. The ambiance of the evening (with a few fireflies) is all that’s needed, points out Barber, adding that a good playlist is a nonnegotiable. It’s free, too!
Admittedly, Barber says she always goes over budget when themes are involved, so unless you are extremely crafty and resourceful, consider skipping the theme and simply embracing the joy of hanging with your friends again.
4. Be open to BYOB.
There’s something about getting invited to someone’s home that makes people want to arrive bearing a gift of some sort. Sometimes that offering is a lovely bouquet of flowers (another reason to support the zero-decorating mentality), but more often than not, it is wine or beer or a bottle of fancy booze. Assume that at least half of your guests are going to bring some form of alcohol, and be done fretting about your bar situation — even if it is a bit lacking.
It’s a good idea to stock up on sodas and mixers, all of which can be procured cheaply. Pick up an orange and a couple of limes and lemons, and make a simple big-batch drink if you can’t be content with the DIY approach. Barber’s a fan of the batch drink, which she says can actually make the party feel “a little special.” It doesn’t have to be elaborate either: Try a homemade simple syrup (an herb infusion adds a hint of sophistication) mixed with lemonade or iced tea. It’s delicious with or without vodka/gin/bourbon/tequila — your guests can pick their poison based on whatever liquor you’ve laid out or they’ve come armed with.
5. Remember: Time is money.
While it’s probably not worth the effort to price out the cost of making hummus versus buying a tub of it, something which Barber has never done, she can offer this sad truth: No one cares if the hummus is homemade.
So although it might give you bragging rights to say you made the crackers and the bread that’s now functioning as crostini with toppings that are the thing that’s getting everyone’s attention, in the end, any savings isn’t great enough to justify the time, effort and moderate appreciation. There is one exception to this rule, though, which Barber is quick to point out: “Guacamole is always better from scratch, even if it does cost more.”
(Real Simple magazine provides smart, realistic solutions to everyday challenges. Online at www.realsimple.com.)
20 tips for hosting a successful yard sale
Pick the right date for your yard sale.

Consider having your sale near a common payday (the first or 15th of the month). Avoid scheduling your sale on a holiday weekend or during a widely attended community event.
Shop your house for items to sell.

Walk through every room with a laundry basket and grab what you no longer need.
Give yourself at least two weeks to gather and clean items.

Plan sufficient time to prep items. Clean, tidy items will sell faster than ones where the buyer will have to do extra work.
Photo by Kari Shea on Unsplash
Arrange like items together.

Pick a spot, such as a basement or spare bedroom, as a staging area. Organize according to function: kitchen, clothing, books and music, toys and tools.
Photo by HiveBoxx on Unsplash
Tag your yard sale items right.

Use preprinted price tags from an office supply or hardware store, or ink the price on painter’s tape, which won’t leave a mark or tear paper. If you have an interesting idea about how to use an item or a fun fact about what you’re selling, include that information on the price tag.
Gear up.

Have these essentials at the ready on sale day: tape measure, yardstick, calculator, extension cord and batteries (so shoppers can make sure items work).
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Be an attention grabber.

Make your signs big, bold and easy to read. Use wording such as “HUGE sale TODAY.” Tie balloons to your mailbox or a highly visible spot near the street.
Post signs in your neighborhood.

Follow local ordinances, and include grocery stores and coffee shops in your plans. Yard sale signs should feature directional arrows, cross streets and time and date information. If you have toys or children’s clothing, post a sign near area playgrounds.
Advertise in multiple ways.

Get an extra set of hands.

A yard sale is a two-person-minimum job. One person should tend to the checkout while the other helps shoppers.
Make carryout easy.

Have plenty of grocery bags and boxes — anything that will make it easy for shoppers to tote things home. Rubber bands and string are helpful to bundle loose items.
Stock your register.

A day or two before the sale, get plenty of small bills and coins from a bank. Keep money to make change in a tackle box, a cupcake pan or a fanny pack.
Fill a $1 basket to position near checkout.

Shoppers can’t resist a final opportunity to dig for a deal. Likewise, make a “free with purchase” box and include small stuffed animals, children’s books, bouncy balls, bags of loose crayons and other similar items. Young shoppers will appreciate a little token.
Place large eye-catching items close to the road.

People will be enticed to stop in rather than cruise by.
Group things as they are in department stores.

Designate sections for housewares, media, clothing and toys.
Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash
Hang clothes.

Adult clothing can be the hardest thing to sell, but it has a better chance of moving if you merchandise it well. Use a garment rack, clothesline or ladder.
Cover tables with colorful plastic.

This technique works on the subconscious: shoppers think your items are worth the price you ask. Place items at eye-level.
Photo by Simone Pellegrini on Unsplash
Display jewelry nicely.

Wrap a section of cardboard with fabric and pin pieces to it to show off small items. Keep anything valuable near the checkout.
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash
Put baby clothes and toys near the back of the sale.

People will need to walk past everything else to get to these popular items.
Use vertical space.

It gives the eye something to see beyond the tables. And on the tables, create varied levels by using supports, such as small covered boxes. The changes in height force the eye to stop rather than simply scan.
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