Last week, we had a July 4 celebration at our home and had 34 people attend. Having 34 people at a celebration can be quite expensive if you are responsible for feeding everyone. However, it doesn’t have to break the bank.

The key to any successful frugal adventure is planning. This case was not different. By planning this event for a long time, I was able to check for sale prices and save money.

Recently, I was able to buy barbeque sauce for chicken at 59 cents a bottle. This was extremely helpful when I have to use four bottles for pulled BBQ chicken. I also bought chicken breasts at a discount price and pulled it apart. Small packages of chicken breasts make a lot of pulled barbecue chicken sandwiches. BBQ chicken feeds a lot for a fraction of the cost.

I only really used two coupons for this celebration. I had a coupon for mustard and with the coupon, I only spent eight cents on the bottle. I also had a coupon for juice drinks for children. That brought the prices of juices down by a third.

By getting soda for the party at a half off sale several weeks back, I was able to keep our guests cool and hydrated. I also refused to pay full price for bread. I bought the hotdog and hamburger buns at a discount chain and spent 79 cents a loaf for the items.

By getting generic hotdogs for 69 cents a pack and a store brand potato chip that cost us $1 for each large bag, we were ready for a party.

We also saved money by asking our guests to bring desserts to share.

One of the highlights for entertainment for the children at the party was water. We placed our son’s baby pool outside and ran the sprinklers. We found water balloons for under $1 a package and little, inexpensive water guns for entertainment. Our children had the best time running around with cups of water, water guns and water balloons getting each other wet. Our neighbor’s playground also provided a great source of entertainment.

We spent less than $100 for the entire party and still have plenty of hotdogs and hamburgers left over, which I froze and will use for our family at a later date. The key to any successful large party is to plan. If you wait until the last minute, savings become more difficult.

Do you have money saving tips? E-mail them to localnews2005@yahoo.com.