Just because the economy is tanking, doesn’t mean the party is over. Entertaining at home is less expensive than you might think. These simple money saving tips will help you throw a great party for less than you’d spend on a big night on the town.

1. Go casual. If you think you need Champagne and caviar to have a good time, think again. A less formal affair encourages your guests to relax and have fun. It’s the difference between a Superbowl party and New Year’s Eve. Forget sit down affairs, go for finger food and wine. Decide on the budget you feel comfortable with and plan accordingly. Evite’s party budget estimator is a great way to figure out where and how to spend your money wisely.

2. Pick the right wines. Skip expensive cocktails and serve a choice of approachable and affordable red and white wines that will go with almost anything you serve. A Chardonnay that is mildly oaky will pair well with anything caramelized. “Toasted loves toasted,” says David Katz, Chef and Managing Partner of Pane Vino. Toasted bread, nuts or caramelized onions all make fine matches with a balanced Chardonnay. For a red wine, Katz recommends choosing something medium weight like Pinot Noir. Mirassou Chardonnay and Pinot Noir fit the bill nicely and are around $10 each. Other food friendly and budget friendly choices include a crisp Rosé or a sparkling Spanish Cava.

3. Know when to splurge and when to save. Some ingredients are worth the extra cash. Katz recommends saving when it comes to blue cheese with a domestic supermarket brand, but splurging on sliced to order imported prosciutto. Buying from a deli means you’ll end up with thinner slices and save in the long run. Wrap slices of prosciutto around Italian bread sticks for a quick and savory bite.

4. Prep in advance. Many great appetizers can be made in advance. Blue cheese mousse can be made days ahead then piped or spooned onto vegetables before the party starts. Meatballs made from any inexpensive ground meat or turkey found on sale can be made then frozen and reheated. Spiced toasted nuts can also be made hours before your guests arrive. End your party with a selection of homemade cookies and brownies, ice cream optional.

5. Get friends involved. Have a friend who knows something about wine? Ask them to bring a few of their favorite house reds. Is one of your pals a great cook? Get them to make an appetizer or dessert. Encouraging your friends to help out gives them a chance to take a more active role in the party, takes the pressure off of you as host and helps spread the financial burden more equitably as well.

Most importantly, make your party easy and relaxed. Stuffy parties that break the bank are no fun. Chances are, if you’re having a good time, your guests will too!

Amy Sherman is a San Francisco–based writer, recipe developer, and restaurant reviewer. Visit her blog at Cooking with Amy

Most Americans have debt.  Mortgages aside,  43% of US households spend more than they earn in a year.  It is no wonder that the median household has a balance of over $2,000 on their credit cards.  The average balance is over $8,000, but that is skewed by a small number of less-than-thrifty individuals.

The US government also spends more than it earns.  Whether this is an extension of its electorate or the setting of a bad example, the country as a whole is in worse shape than the sum of its parts.

We could go on about the trillions of dollars in debt, but numbers that large can feel really abstract. So,  let’s take the nation’s spending down to the household scale.  The median household pulls in $50,233 per year, the federal government around $3 trillion.  Some basic arithmetic will put them in scale.

Now let’s look at our lenders.  The majority of the Uncle Sam household debt is owed to the people of the United States.  We can let this slide for now and focus on the foreign lenders, who represent one quarter of the total debt.

Below are the top seven foreign lenders, visualized as credit cards, while the image at the top shows the total of  foreign lending.  All numbers have been brought down to the U.S. median household scale.  Just imagine your household with these balances and you will have a better perspective on just how large these debts really are.

Catherine from Frugal Homemaker Plus is a homemaker and freelance writer with a mortgage and a few student loans she’d like to retire by 2012. This post describes how she practices frugality, and exemplifies one of our core philosophies here at Mint.com: spend less than you earn.

Taking a lunch to work does take a little time, but the savings are astronomical over time. For people trying to cut costs, save money for a larger goal, or reduce debt, packing a lunch is an easy way to cut costs and improve your bottom line. But I’ve heard a good number of people claim that this was something they just couldn’t do, for a variety of reasons.

Here are some of the common things I hear when people say that they can’t possibly pack a lunch:

Excuse: I don’t have time in the mornings!

Neither do I. I would never pack a lunch if I had to do it in the morning. I pack my lunch in the evenings, when we’re cleaning up after dinner. Since my husband and I almost always pack dinner leftovers for our lunch the following day, we simply prepare individual servings as we’re cleaning up the kitchen. I keep around quick-to-grab stuff (bought on super sale, of course!). We often take fruit snacks, dried fruit, crackers, yogurt, cheese sticks, real fruit, and cut up veggies as sides. For drinks, we settle for water from the office cooler. But if instead you prefer soda or juice, then pick it up from the store where it’s cheaper to get than from the office vending machine.

Excuse: My workplace does not have a microwave or fridge.

You can always take wonderful meals to work! Sandwiches are quick and easy. If you hate soggy sandwiches, then pack each individual ingredient separately and assemble your meal at lunch time. Not only are salads healthy but they are also convenient and do not require microwaving. Cold soups also make for refreshing lunchtime treats. My favorite quiche tastes wonderful at room temperature.

What about those cold packs you stick in the freezer to cool your lunch? Well, you don’t even need those. A reusable water bottle filled most of the way up and kept frozen makes a good ice pack, and as a bonus, turns into cold water to drink with your lunch. I’ve heard of people doing this with juice boxes as well.

Excuse: My job requires me to drive and I’d rather not eat in the car.

I’ve been there. I once had a job as a maid for a cleaning service. We cleaned several homes during the day, and our company policy did not include a “lunch break” in the traditional sense. My employers considered the time we spent driving between houses as our break, so I had to pack something that would survive in a hot car that I could eat while driving. We weren’t even permitted to get a drink of water while at a client’s house, so I would leave my house every day with the following: several large bottles of water, most of which were still frozen from the freezer; an igloo cooler type lunch box, and assorted food items cut into bite sized pieces. The frozen water would preserve my lunch and would quench my thirst throughout the day. I would make and cut PBJ sandwiches into four triangles, cut apples into bite sized pieces, cut up cubes of cheese – these were all easy to eat while driving and were easy to snack off throughout the day. Most of my coworkers did not bring lunch so we’d pop in at a drive through, or stop briefly at a gas station. My lunch was much cheaper and healthier than theirs, for sure!

In grad school, I had a microwave but often had a schedule that did not allow for a leisurely lunch. One semester I had to eat while walking between classes — not fun! Again, the solution was to opt for food in bite-sized pieces and ready-to-sip cups of soup.

Excuse: I have to eat lunch out everyday because I need to network and get ahead with my career!

I had a roommate who did this and was slowly going broke, so as a solution, he’s decided only to lunch out on Wednesdays. He and several of his work friends call it the Wednesday Lunch Club and take turns trying to find an interesting hole in the wall restaurant to dine at. This was an interesting compromise! I’d also suggest bringing in some healthy snacks to eat throughout the day, so that when it’s time to go out and network, you can settle for a more affordable and lighter lunch, such as a soup or salad.

Excuse: I just don’t like packing lunches.

There are days when I don’t like to pack a lunch either. When this happens, I pull out a trusty frozen meal, like Lean Cuisine or Healthy Choice frozen meals. This was something I didn’t do in the past because the meals were expensive and I try to avoid processed food. However, I came to realize that this was a much easier, cheaper, and healthier option than ordering a Value Meal at a fast food joint. If you watch out for coupons and sales, you can get these frozen meals for about a dollar each.

Packing a lunch does not have to be inconvenient or costly. It may take a bit of preparation at first, but you’ll soon get the hang of it! And the savings will almost certainly be worth it!

We decided to run some numbers to quantify these potential savings…and we came up with a big number: $1,000 to $1,500 per year. Surprised? What do you save by brown bagging it? What other tips would you like to share on how to save in the workplace?