How To Have The Perfect Summer Barbecue On A Budget ~ My Life Your Way

Summer is the ideal time to enjoy being outside. Whether that is with the family, inviting extended family over or enjoying socialising with your friends. It is a great way to spend time together and enjoy the good weather. Often the summer means one thing and that is BBQs. There is something about that smell of a BBQ, with all of the meat and vegetable goodness grilling while you laugh and enjoy the company. A BBQ is a great way to socialise, but it can also be a lovely way to cook the evening meal after a long day in the office. However, if you enjoy your BBQs this summer, the one thing they don’t have to do is cost you a fortune. In fact, cooking on a BBQ and taking advantage of that way of cooking can help you to save money on your energy bills as you tend to use the oven and stove less. So if you are hoping to embrace BBQs this summer then here is how to have a barbecue on a budget.

Grilling skewers with vegetables and meat on a round charcoal barbecue in a garden setting, showcasing how to enjoy a barbecue on a budget. A hand expertly uses tongs to adjust a skewer.

Photo by Z Grills Australia on Unsplash

Check over your BBQ and make any investments where needed

Now is the time to pull out your BBQ and check it over. The chances are it will have been under a cover for the past six to eight months, or even stuffed in a shed. You need to give it a good clean and work out whether your BBQ needs anything. Perhaps you need a new gas bottle or new coals and fire lighters to hand ready for when you want to fire it up. Make sure you have all of the BBQ tools sorted and cleaned up as well. It could be that you might want to buy a BBQ, so now would be an ideal time to make that purchase. Once you have done it you will have one to use for the foreseeable summers ahead. This tabletop BBQ is only £17.99 with 4 star reviews on Amazon.

Think ahead and freeze potential things to BBQ

One of the things that can make BBQ season expensive is the last-minute decision to have a BBQ when the weather is good. We have all been there. The weather is good, we have spent some time outside, and you think “let’s have a BBQ” instead of making something inside. However, this often means a last-minute dash to the shops and buying in bulk which increases your food shop spend for the week. Instead, why not buy things as and when you see great deals and freeze them? It could be a yellow sticker price drop on some sausages or chops, or a great buy one get one free deal on meat. If there is a deal to be had, buy it and freeze it. Then all you have to do is pull out during the day what you fancy throwing on the BBQ.

Use the BBQ more often

The BBQ is a great cooking tool to have but often we treat using it as an option for a special occasion. Instead, choose to cook more often on your BBQ. Even if it is just the family, why not cook your meat and vegetables there? It saves you firing up your oven or stove top and could save you money on your energy bills.

Each bring a meal or something to cook on the BBQ

If you are having friends over for a BBQ why not ask each family or couple to bring something with them? They could bring the salad, the vegetables, or even some meat to put on there. This means you are all coming together to help keep the costs down and is a great way of ensuring that you are able to have a great summer barbecue on a budget.

Buy meat in bulk

Heading to meat auctions or farm shops often means that you can buy some great quality meat at discounted prices, simply because you are buying it in bulk. If you are planning on having a BBQ you could take a trip to one of these places in the morning or the day before so you can stock up on some great deals.

Use cheap cuts of meat and research how to cook them

You don’t just need to use top-quality chops or steaks for your BBQ, some cheaper cuts of meat actually benefit from the BBQ cooking princess and taste incredible. Learning how to cook these cheaper cuts will not only help you to save money but provide you with a great-tasting meal.

Marinades

Marinades are a great way to jazz up vegetables and cheaper cuts of meat. It means that you can focus more on quantity while saving money.

Hopefully, these tips will help you to have the perfect summer BBQ on a budget. If you found this post useful, share it with your friends and Pin it for later.