It’s official: we’re all homebodies -- lately, anyway. According to a Pew Center for People and the Press poll in this Sunday’s New York Times Magazine, 59% of respondents said the recent economy has led them to cut vacation spending and 55% said it has led them to eat out less often. But while we eat at home, there’s no reason to eat at home alone. Breaking bread with friends is a long-standing tradition in most cultures, but in these trying times, the exchange of thoughts and ideas, the commiserating, and the in-person contact that come with in-home hosting – are all more important than ever. The good news? Throwing a dinner party on a dime has never been easier.

FOOD:

Host a potluck. Divide and conquer by having everyone bring one addition to the menu. It’s the modern equivalent of splitting the check, and it makes everyone feel involved and invested in the event.

Mix packaged/canned and fresh. Choose your ingredients to save where you can and splurge where it counts. One specialty item can make the easy-to-find, inexpensive ones shine. Nancy Silverton’s A Twist of the Wrist cookbook is full of examples of this.

Buy local and seasonal. Visit your local farmer’s market for the freshest, most inexpensive products and build your menu on ingredients that are in season now. Find a famer’s market near you.

Choose one-dish meals for a crowd. Having a curry buffet, taco bar, or a big stock pot of chili gets more bang for the buck. Plus, you can invite more people to join in the fun. (And isn’t killing a few birds with one stone as far as your friend list goes being socially prudent, too?)

DRINK:

Keep it simple. Serve wine, beer, and a non-alcoholic punch only. You can buy all the ingredients at a discount warehouse. And go “pot luck” here as well, if you want – most people are fine with contributing a bottle of wine for the cause – and sometimes the mish-mash becomes a party theme in itself.

Bottle service. Set up a do-it-yourself signature cocktail bar, starting with juice and alcohol already mixed in, with all the other fixin’s – from Cassis to herb purees to citrus wedges – on the side. Everyone will be excited to show theirs off, and you’ll conserve your energy and money by focusing on one spirit, rather than a full bar.

Host a blind tasting. Buy several wines under $10 per bottle, cover up the labels, and have a tasting, replete with pencils and paper for people to make their comments.

DÉCOR:

Ditch the florals. Cut flowers can be expensive and don’t last long. Try fruit instead. Pomegranates, persimmons, or even apples or oranges look great as a table centerpiece, on your mantel, in a vase or a bowl, and even as a place card holder (just slice a bit off the bottom, so it won’t roll, and cut a horizontal slit in the top to place your place card.)

Light it up. Use votive candles, which you can buy in inexpensive bulk bags, as the centerpiece of your table and your décor. It looks magical and costs little.

Create an edible centerpiece. Choose a color theme and buy bulk candy and fruit that match it, and then arrange it in the center of your table. Apples and Red Hots, oranges and Reese’s, Snickers and walnuts in their shells – you get the idea.

Personalize it. Focus your energy (and wallet) on décor that makes people feel welcome – by labeling their names wherever possible. Try using place cards or make wine identifiers (write names on a rubber band to go around each wine glass, or put a wine charm and a label and use a paper clip to bend it around the base of each glass).

Double guest gifts as décor. Place a small potted plant at each place with a guest’s name on it – the table will look beautiful, and your friends will have something to remember the evening by.

Finally, save the planet and your pocketbook by calling, emailing, or using online invitations like Evite or Pingg to issue your dinner party invitations. Don’t forget to do the same to thank your hosts the next day!

Find or Write Reviews for all Sally Horchow Products!