Breaking Down The Cost Of Your Super Bowl Party

Amanda Peterson

January 22, 2024  •  3 Minute Read

Credit Cards, Holidays

It's coming in hot... a highly celebrated "holiday" in America. The Super Bowl! With ticket prices starting at over $6,000 each, it's no wonder most people choose to celebrate at home or local pub with their friends and family. To offset that huge cost, many times you throw some things together to entertain from your own home.

But, have you really thought about how much it all costs? CreditSoup breaks down the cost of hosting a Super Bowl Party and how to fund your holiday.

Top Picks for Appetizers

We all know the main focus of the Super Bowl, other than the commercials and the game itself, is the FOOD. But what to bring? And how much does it cost? The top appetizers consumed during the Super Bowl consist of mainly take-out, but of that are any of the following 15 items:

• #1 Chicken Wings
• #2 Buffalo Chicken Dip
• #3 Spinach Artichoke Dip
• #4 Pizza
• #5 Seven-layer Dip
• #6 Guacamole
• #7 Potato Skins
• #8 Pigs in a Blanket
• #9 Nachos
• #10 Deviled Eggs
• #11 Sliders
• #12 Pulled Pork Sandwiches
• #13 Chili
• #14 Desert
• #15 Sub Sandwiches

By not ordering out, you save on average between $10 - $15 per person. If you were to order out, there would surely be a delivery fee tacked on. And since it happens to be during the big game, they may even increase the price of the product, due to the supply and demand. Opting to cook such things at home, you're entertainment costs will be cut significantly since you're not relying on anyone else to prepare the food & deliver it.

To offset the cost even more, you can make the event a joint effort and ask people to bring a dish.

Personal Choice of Menu

Just because your neighbor is serving wings and having pizza delivered, doesn't necessarily mean you have to. Here is what I serve for my family for the big game. This entire list came to $170.

• BBQ Smokies
• Meatballs
• Sausage, Cheese & Cracker Tray
• Chips & Chip Dip
• Veggie Tray & Dip
• Nachos (Velveta & Rotel, with Tortila chips)
• BBQ Sandwiches (a.k.a. Taverns, Sloppy Joes, or Loose Meat Sandwiches - depending on where you're from)
• Occasionally Chicken Wings

Keep in mind that I usually shop at Walmart, because it's cheaper and I like the convenience. I also may have had some of these items in the freezer, or on hand in the pantry. If I were to have this catered by a local business, the markup could be in excess of 75%. After all, they too run a business and have to cover their labor costs. Thus, the reason I choose to prepare these things myself. And, if we have friends and family coming over, we further offset the cost by having them bring something!

The Beer - Who Could Forget?

And last, we certainly cannot forget about the beer! What is a Super Bowl party without the suds? I mean... if that's your thing. In an article by Fintech, "According to recent data, Americans spend around $1.3 billion on beer in the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. But that’s not it. Americans also spend, on average, another $1b on beer during the Sunday game, solidifying the long-established assumption that “sports equals beer” in the U.S." Wow. That's a whole lot of beer. They even estimated that there was a record breaking 325 million gallons of beer consumed the day of the big game.

I Just Don't Have The Time - Nor Energy

If food prep is absolutely not in your wheelhouse, and you must order takeout or delivery, make sure you are taking advantage of your credit card rewards. Look over the quarterly rewards schedules. Some cards will offer cash back rewards when used at restaurants or grocery stores.

If you are planning on traveling, don't forget to use your travel card to rack up those miles! However you arrange your Super Bowl plans, using a card to accumulate rewards is a win-win! Best wishes to your chosen team, and may the odds forever be in your favor!