Hello! I’m Hannah and I blog over at Simply Add Coffee. I’m wife to Harrison and Mom to our 3-month-old daughter.
I hope you’re lucky enough to have a four-day weekend ahead of you! And if you’re looking for some budget-friendly ways to get together with friends over the weekend I have some simple ideas for you.
I’m passionate about inviting people in to our home because it’s really inviting people in to our lives and building community with them. But it doesn’t always have to be a big production or an expensive event! Here are some fun, simple, and inexpensive ways to invite friends over without breaking the bank:
- Soup Dinner – Soup is not only easy and inexpensive to make, it can feed a pack of people with just one pot. This is my favorite Taco Soup recipe and I make it regularly for our Community Group Dinners.
- Movie Night in – Going to the movies has become SO expensive! Because of that, we rarely go out to a movie unless it’s something we desperately want to see on the big screen. But there are several options for renting or viewing movies at home for cheap! With Netflix or AppleTV you can stream a movie right to your TV, or you can rent a new release for $1 from RedBox. Staying in can be so much fun with your friends….plus it’s nice to pause the movie when you need to.
- B.Y.O. Whatever – There’s nothing wrong with inviting folks over and letting them bring something to add to a feast. Try planning the main entree and letting friends bring the sides. Or do something fun like Make-Your-Own-Pizza Night where you take care of the dough and sauce and let friends bring their own toppings. And of course, you can let them bring their own beverage (whatever that may be). We frequently tell friends that we have water and Sweet Tea (like a good southern girl) and then if they want something different they bring it. No big deal.
- Cut out unnecessary expenses – I have often spent extra money on inviting people over by feeling the need to have plastic cups, paper plates and disposable utensils. But I have discovered that using real dishes is as simple as running a load in the dishwasher. So cut out this expense and use what you already have.
- Skip the meal – Don’t always feel like you have to prepare a whole meal to have friends over. Plan the time for a little after dinner and invite friends for popcorn and coke or dessert and coffee. The important thing is the fellowship, not the food.
Hosting friends doesn’t have to be a huge expense. And you don’t have to have a perfect house either…but that’s another post…I hope that you will open your home and your life to your community and invite people over!
