Ditch caviar dreams and entertain on a budget

At the bar:
Beverage costs can get out of hand quickly, but with planning and careful shopping it's easy to stick to a tight budget.

Don't feel obligated to offer a full bar. It's difficult and expensive to stock a wide enough selection of liquors to please everyone, and there are plenty of creative ways to serve drinks that will appeal to most of your guests.

• Keep it simple. Cooking Light's editors suggest choosing one signature cocktail to serve at your gathering so you don't have to purchase several different wines and liquors.
• Stretch the liquor by pairing it with seasonal fruits. Think peach margaritas and watermelon daiquiris for summertime, or apple cider martinis in the fall. Since you'll be mixing the liquor, you don't have to use top-shelf varieties.
• Keep up with current wine trends and try to buy wines before popularity and exposure drive up the price. And be adventurous and opt for lesser-known wines such as Chile's merlot-like carmenere.
• Buy enough for now and later. Many stores offer discounts on cases of 12 (and you can mix and match).
• Skip the alcohol. This is the best way to keep costs to a minimum. Put out pitchers of fruit juice and sparkling water and let people mix and match. There also are plenty of boutique sodas on the market. They might cost a bit more than ordinary soda, but they will be a change of pace for your guests and still be cheaper than beer, wine and mixed drinks.

On the table:
Table settings and other visual touches, such as how the food is presented, can add easy panache to a party.

You can create almost any mood by decorating your table or buffet with items you already have in your home. And spend the extra time to creatively and artfully arrange your food — this costs nothing but can make all the difference.

• People eat with their eyes. Gourmet's Minifie recommends using slightly smaller dishes so that the plate of food will look more bountiful. And plate the food in the kitchen so you can arrange it attractively and control portion size.
• Get vertical. Borrow the restaurant style of stacking food rather than spreading out various servings on a plate. This makes the meal look more ample. For example, portions of meat could be stacked on roasted potatoes.
• Downsize old favorites. Cocktail party nibbles or even a limited tasting menu can be a fun and economical alternative to a full meal. People love little foods, such a mini gourmet burgers (sliders), one-bite tacos and tostadas. Epicurious.com's Steel suggests ladling your favorite soup into shot glasses or baking a luxurious macaroni and cheese in mini ramekins. For dessert, the editors of Everyday Food suggest serving a small dish of store-bought sorbet garnished with a few fresh berries or a sprig of fresh basil or mint.
• Decorate with food. Cooking Light's editors suggest picking up extra produce to be used as decorations. A wooden bowl of funky heirloom tomatoes (get a variety of shapes and colors) makes a stunning — and edible — centerpiece.
• Create an arrangement with herbs instead of flowers. Often when you buy a bunch of herbs, you use only a small amount in a recipe. Arrange the rest in a vase or pretty glass to create a fragrant table dressing.

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