We know, we know – we’re all trying to save money. The economy isn’t great. Unemployment is up. These are facts that we’re well used to by now. But just because the world of money isn’t as stable and booming as we would all like it to be doesn’t mean that life stops – or that we should stop indulging in the little things that make it all worthwhile.

What we should do, however, is take this is an opportunity to take the things we love to do and figure out creative ways to do them for less. One of my favorite pastimes that I have no intention of letting go of is throwing dinner parties for friends. I’ve been doing it for years and I plan to keep doing it. Who doesn’t love getting all of their favorite people together? Of course, feeding a room full of hungry friends, plus drinks, plus all the cute little extras you’ll undoubtedly want to spend money on…well, the whole process can get pricey. But it doesn’t have to. Here are tips for keeping a dinner party for 10 people under $80:

Know what you will need

Avoiding last minute trips to the store can end up saving you a lot. Even little things like freezing a bunch of ice a few days before the party can cut corners. There is a great party expense calculator at RealSimple that will help you figure out how much of everything you need – which is the first step to spending less on all of it.

Creative and cheap decorations

As a hostess, my favorite part of the dinner party experience is creating a beautiful table for my guests. Luckily, a lush and inviting dinner table can be easily achieved without spending a lot of money. Handmade place cards, with flowers or leaves attached them, cost nothing and look fantastic. Cheap glass bowls (if you don’t already have some lying around) can be picked up at the dollar store and filled with fresh fruit (which you can eat later) or flowers from your yard. Throw in a few candles and you’ve got a warm, personalized, glowing dinner table that your guests will never know cost you less than $10 to put together.

Wine

Keep this is mind: when hosting a party, you aren’t required to have a full bar and a range of drink selections for your guests. Keep some sparkling water for the non-drinkers, and then a good supply of red and white wine. Whatever else you want to add (beer or liquor) is up to you and your friends, but if you want to go cheap, provide the basics. Your guests should know well enough to not show up without a tasty beverage to add to the mix anyway! Oh, and the best go-to for cheap wine: Two Buck Chuck, naturally.

Main Course

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and peas. Boil until pasta is al dente. Using a ladle, reserve two cups of the pasta water when straining. Dice pancetta. Using two large sauté pans, add pancetta and cook over medium heat until fat renders. Divide pasta between each sauté pan and add one cup of cooked pasta to each. Toss to evenly distribute the pancetta. Turn off heat and add four whole eggs to each pan. Quickly stir to break egg yolks throughout the pasta. Stirring keeps the eggs from scrambling. Add grated parmesan, a knob of butter, salt and pepper to taste. Cost: about $30. Not bad! And trust me: it’s delicious.

What are some of your tips?

If you enjoy hosting parties, I’m sure you’ve acquired a few ways of your own to cut cost corners. Share them with us!