It’s not every day your sweet little girl turns sixteen, but somehow it always seems to sneak up on us. Whether you are going to do a low-key affair or a giant party, we need to try to keep our budget in control.
First, we should start out with a budget and try to stick to just that amount of money. We can skimp in some areas like decorations, and nobody will really notice, but if your guests show up and there is no food, they will notice! Start with what you want to serve, and the rest usually falls into place.
How do you throw a Cheap Sweet 16 Party?
One of the biggest expenses for a Sweet 16 party is enough food to feed all those hungry teenagers. We have compiled a list of cheap options that are tasty and won’t break the bank!
1. Nacho Bar
All you really need is a couple bags of tortilla chips, nacho cheese sauce, and some salsa. You can also add in guacamole and pickled jalapeno slices for heat. This is a great munchie that teenagers will love! For more savings, check out “Is it Cheaper to make or buy Guacamole?“
2. Taco Bar
A taco bar has a few more options than a Nacho bar but basically you will need seasoned ground beef or turkey, tortilla or taco shells, shredded cheese, and toppings like chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes, and maybe some guacamole and salsa. Most of the items can be made up ahead of time and arranged on a platter.
(Pro Tip: for less mess make it a Walking taco bar with bags of Doritos instead of tortillas. Check places like Sam’s and Costco to see if they have any deals on the smaller bags. Keep in mind that these bags are typically more expensive than bags of tortillas or hard-shell tacos.) Also check out cost savings on “Is shredding your own cheese cheaper?
3. Donuts
Instead of a large sheet cake, consider doing lots of different varieties of donuts! Contact your local donut shop and see if they offer any discounts for pre-ordering large amounts of donuts. This may come out much cheaper than buying large custom cake.
4. Deli Sandwiches
You can make large platters of deli sandwiches ahead of time and just leave the condiments to be added later. Stick to turkey or ham lunchmeat for a cheaper option instead of more expensive meats like roast beef. You can put just the meats and cheese on large loaves of bakery bread and then cut them into 2-inch sandwiches. Then have a platter of different condiments and items like lettuce, tomato, and onion slices.
You can easily keep this meal on a budget by serving potato chips or potato salad. Just in case, check here to find out “Is it Cheaper to make or buy Potato Salad?“
5. Lasagna
If you are wanting more of a sit-down dinner for lots of people, try out some lasagna. Not only can this be made ahead of time, but it is also a huge crowd pleaser with salad and garlic bread. For money saving tips, check out “Is it Cheaper to make or buy Lasagna?“, “Is it Cheaper to Make or Buy Garlic Bread?” and “Is it cheaper to make your own salad?“
6. Pulled Pork Barbeque
Pulled pork is such an easy dish to make in the crockpot and to make a lot of it. Serve the pork with slider buns, baked beans, and corn on the cobb! This would work really well if the sweet 16 party is in the summer, and you want an outdoor or backyard party.
7. French Fry Bar
Who doesn’t like loaded French fries? This is a super easy and yummy bar to put together and the main ingredient of frozen French fries is pretty cheap! To make sure the fries are piping hot, you can make a batch at a time in the oven or use a heated chafing dish on the buffet table.
I like to use toppings like chili, nacho cheese, or gravy. Then after other options like salsa, guacamole, ranch dressing, or even barbecue sauce. (Pro Tip: put sauces in squeeze bottles for easier application!)
8. Chicken Enchiladas
You can use a red sauce or a green sauce or make one pan of each kind of enchiladas! For filling you can use shredded pork, chicken, or ground beef. The key to this meal is lots and lots of cheese. You can also add shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and guacamole too!
9. Pizza
Almost every teenager is going to love pizza! You can also make this more interactive by doing a make your own pizza station. All you need to do is pre-make and proof some pizza dough which is really cheap to make. Then let your guests assemble their own pizza. It usually only takes 10-15 minutes to bake in the oven and then everyone can have their own handmade pizza!
10. Fried Chicken
Fried Chicken is always a party pleaser and can feed a large crowd. I am not good at making fried chicken from scratch, so you may want to call around to a couple places and find the best deals on fried chicken in bulk! Easy sides for fried chicken would be potato salad, macaroni salad, mashed potatoes, green beans, or corn on the cobb. I would set this up buffet style and then have places for everyone to sit since it usually takes two hands to eat fried chicken.
11. Meatballs
Meatballs can be made in the crockpot with minimal effort. Some like to use straight barbeque sauce or a combination of BBQ sauce and grape jelly. You can also do it Swedish style or make them in a tomato sauce. If you opt for the tomato sauce, that also leaves the possibility of make your own meatball subs! This one may surprise you, so check out “Is it Cheaper to make or buy Meatballs?“
12. Chicken Tenders
Face it, most teenagers love to eat like toddlers sometimes! If you did a buffet of chicken tenders, various sauces, macaroni and cheese, and maybe a vegetable, you would have some very happy young adults! (Don’t forget to include sauces like ranch, bbq, honey mustard, and good ole ketchup.)
13. Hot and Cold Dips
If you are planning on a light party and not a full meal, think about doing a full spread of hot and cold dips!
Cold Dips Ideas:
- Veggies and Ranch
- Cheeseball and Crackers
- Cream cheese-based dips with mini sweet peppers
- 7 layer mexican dip with refried beans, sour cream, and salsa with tortilla chips
- Fruit with yogurt dip
- Veggies and Hummus
- French Onion Dip with Ruffled Chips or Veggies
- Cheesecake Dip with Graham Crackers
- Cake Batter dip with Vanilla Wafers
- Peanut Butter Dip with Pretzels
Hot Dip Ideas
- Spinach Artichoke Dip with bread bowl
- Hot Buffalo Chicken dip in a crockpot
- Velveeta Rotel Dip
- Chili Cheese Dip (Chili & velveeta)
- Cheese Fondue
- Caramel Dip with Apple Slices
- Hot Crab Dip with Chips
- Philly Cheesesteak Dip
- Hot Southwest Bean Dip with Tortilla Chips
- Fried Ravioli with Marina Dip
Most of these can be made ahead of the party day and can be kept warm with a crockpot or chafing dish!
14. Charcuterie Board
As fancy as we want a charcuterie board to be, they are really just giant Lunchables, and they are so yummy! All you need is slices of ham or turkey (or both), sliced cheese, pickles, olives, any fruit that is season, and a couple different kinds of crackers.
We did this for my niece’s sweet 16 and it looked like 20 hungry sharks attacked the table. I was surprised the table was still standing afterwards! For more ways to save on a charcuterie board, check out “Is it cheaper to make your own Deli Meat?“
You can also really add some fun by making a waffle or pancake style charcuterie board, a popcorn and candy charcuterie board, or even a vegan hummus, fruit, and vegetable charcuterie board.
Sweet 16 Food Ideas on a Budget
It seems like lately every party has to have a theme and as much as themes can be annoying, they can also be a lifesaver to staying on a budget. As long as your theme is not “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” of course.
Some ideas of budget friendly themes that work well with low-cost foods:
Sweet 16 Themed Foods
- 90’s themed party could have a hot and cold dip buffet and cupcakes
- Night in Paris party could have a charcuterie board buffet
- Blacklight Party could have all white foods and drinks made with tonic water
- Black and White Ball would be easy to do with just 2 colors to work with. End the night with chocolate and white chocolate dipped strawberries instead of a cake!
- Beach/ Pool Party would be easy to do with burgers, hotdogs, or barbeque.
- Night at the Movies could have popcorn, candy, chocolate covered pretzels, and so many more easy treats.
- Sugary Sweet 16 could be just tons of cookies, candies, brownies, and donuts!
- Mocktail Party– all the virgin style drinks and easy 1 bite appetizers. (Combine this with an excuse to really dress up fancy and all the ladies will be over the moon!)
The point is that a Sweet 16 party is a once in a lifetime event for any young lady. I always recommend that you ask your teen what they want and what they like and try to incorporate that as much as possible.
My sweet 16 party was on an extreme budget, so I was more than happy to jump in and help my parents make all the food and help decorate. Just keep in mind that like other big celebrations, the most important thing is to spend time with friends and family, not to go into debt.
Throwing a sweet 16 party doesn’t have to be a budget buster! Just plan and get creative. Start early and call around to a lot of different places to get quotes and estimates. The more options you have the better the deals can be.
