Money-saving July 4th Cookout

If you are planning to host a July 4th cookout this upcoming weekend, plan to make it potluck to cut some of your costs.

There is nothing wrong with asking your friends to bring a dish, dessert, drink, or snack to the cookout. I am sure they won't mind helping out. I find that people have a favorite dish that they love to prepare and would be happy to bring it to the cookout. For some, it might mean stopping by the grocery store and picking something up to bring and that's fine too. The cost of meats alone is an expensive buy so a little help with the other menu items will come in handy.

In these tough economic times, trying to cover all the expenses yourself may be difficult, but you still would like to have a nice time on the 4th. It takes a lot of work to host a party at your home and this money-saving potluck cookout won't empty your wallet.

Don't forget the sparklers!