{"id":62032,"date":"2023-12-12T11:08:13","date_gmt":"2023-12-12T00:08:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.star1045.com.au\/?p=62032"},"modified":"2025-11-06T11:19:42","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T00:19:42","slug":"entertaining-101-four-hacks-for-entertaining-on-a-budget-this-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms.star1045.com.au\/home\/entertaining-101-four-hacks-for-entertaining-on-a-budget-this-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"Entertaining 101: Four Hacks For Entertaining On A Budget This Summer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u2019Tis the season to entertain!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Summer is here, which means it is the perfect time to gather your family and friends up, using the longer days and those perfect Central Coast<\/a> summer nights to entertain and catch up on everything that has been happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, when it comes to entertaining, there is a lot<\/em> involved. We\u2019re talking everything from planning, buying, cooking and preparation. All of these things cost money, and you can really run up a huge amount if you\u2019re not careful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this summer, you shouldn\u2019t have to break the bank when it comes to entertaining, which is why we\u2019ve teamed up with the Bank of Queensland\u2019s Erina branch<\/a> to give you four hacks to entertain on a budget this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Consider A Themed Night:\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re thinking of getting your friends around to entertain, then set a theme early on to help with your budget.

A themed night such as a games night will reduce your costs dramatically compared to a full-blown three-course dinner because you\u2019ll only need some drinks and snacks.

Other themed nights could include a movie night, or a pyjama party (because who says a pyjama party is just for kids) or even a potluck feat. everyone\u2019s favourite dishes to share the load.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Other
Birthday just around the corner? Then considering giving your party a theme to help reduce those costs (Image: Adi Goldstein \/ unSplash)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n


Plan Ahead:\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This one kind of goes without saying, but when you\u2019re preparing to entertain this summer, make sure you\u2019re planning ahead so you\u2019re not incurring any unexpected costs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It could be something as simple as pre-planning your menu so you know exactly what you\u2019re getting will not only save you time in the busy supermarket aisles, but it will also help the hip pocket when it comes to costs. When pre-planning your feast with friends, consider choosing recipes with share multiple ingredients, stuff you already have in the pantry or even feature in-season produce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Keep It Simple:\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Okay, hear us out on this one. But just because you\u2019re entertaining friends, doesn\u2019t mean you have to go all out and have an entire spread featuring everyone\u2019s favourite dishes. Instead, focus on a few core dishes that complement each other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only will you be able to better focus on what everyone is gathered for \u2013 catching up \u2013 but you\u2019ll also be able to reduce food wastage at the end of the night.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Not
When you entertain on a budget, it could be as simple as a cheeseboard with friends ’cause who doesn’t love cheese! (Image: Maddi Bazzocco \/ unSplash) <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n


DIY Your Decorations:\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Depending on the time of year you\u2019re celebrating with friends, you might want to decorate. But that doesn\u2019t mean you need to break the bank and take money away from your food budget\u2026. do it yourself it instead! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you have some fabulous flowers in your garden that you can pick? Perfect centrepiece for a spring or summertime soiree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or maybe you have some leftover Christmas decorations that you don\u2019t quite know what to do with? Then repurpose them into table decorations. A hot glue gun and a little bit of creativity always goes a long way!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hacks suggested in this article are general in nature and is not intended to influence the reader\u2019s decision about investing or financial products. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reader should always seek their own professional advice which takes into account their own financial circumstances before making any decisions of a financial nature. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article has been sponsored by the Bank of Queensland\u2019s Erina branch.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listen via the Star 104.5 Player, download it now via the <\/em>App Store<\/em><\/a> or <\/em>Google Play<\/em><\/a> and take Star 104.5 wherever you go.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lead Image: Cottonbro Studios \/ Pexels<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Bek Lougher<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u2019Tis the season to entertain!\u00a0 Summer is here, which means it is the perfect time to gather your family and friends up, using the longer days and those perfect Central Coast summer nights to entertain and catch up on everything that has been happening. However, when it comes to entertaining, there is a lot involved. We\u2019re talking […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":62122,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9176,12,13,9229],"tags":[],"geo_market":[],"class_list":["post-62032","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-drink","category-home","category-lifestyle","category-lifestyle-lifestyle"],"yoast_head":"\nEntertaining 101: Four Hacks For Entertaining On A Budget This Summer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Breaking the bank to entertain is a thing of the past, which is why we\u2019ve compiled a list of the best hacks to entertain on a budget.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cms.star1045.com.au\/home\/entertaining-101-four-hacks-for-entertaining-on-a-budget-this-summer\/\" 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