How to save money on your Super Bowl party spread

Super Bowl Sunday 2023 is less than two weeks away and on the season final game-day between Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles on Feb. 12, you may be preparing to serve a Super Bowl gathering filled with burgers, nachos, dip, and more.

As you watch Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts, the first Black quarterbacks to face off in the Super Bowl, you may be planning a feast fit for the historic event. Luckily, there are ways to make sure you don’t drop the financial ball creating this year’s Super Bowl spread.

On Feb. 1, Wells Fargo revealed its top pick for supplying an affordable Super Bowl party: poultry. An annual Super Bowl food outlook by Wells Fargo’s chief agricultural economist, Dr. Michael Swanson says that poultry producers won’t be pinching our wallets as bad as they were last year. According to data from USDA Agriculture Marketing Service, wing prices are down 22% from January 2022.

“The chicken wing prices are down thanks to producers anticipating the strong demand and adding to supplies,” Swanson tells TODAY.com “Overall, chicken prices are up, helping take the pressure off the wings paying for the entire bird.”

Swanson notes that the USDA weekly retail price report showed whole chicken wings at a higher price of $3.38 per pound for the week of the Super Bowl in 2022, but that on Jan. 6 of this year, the price of whole chicken wings had dropped to $2.65 per pound.

“The sigh of relief for many is that chicken wings are actually lower in price than last year — by almost 15%,” Phil Lempert, the founder of SupermarketGuru.com tells TODAY.com based on data from both the USDA and Pattern.com, an ecommerce platform that aggregates prices on foods and beverages from Amazon and Whole Foods online. “Chicken drumsticks are priced even lower at $1.40 versus $1.62 in 2022, so chicken will be the big winner at Super Bowl 2023!”

Elsewhere in protein-land, pork is also primed for your shopping cart. “Back ribs are down almost 50% while country style boneless ribs and spare ribs are about the same or even a little lower in price,” he says.

If beefy goodness is your go-to — and you want to impress — beef filet mignon is also down over 50% over last year’s prices, Lempert says. He also suggests picking up ground beef that is 90% lean or more since it’s about $1 less per pound. Two cheers for cheeseburgers, but not for the bun: Lempert notes that bread and rolls are up over 15%.

“Also, the USDA shows sirloin steak prices down $1 per pound from a year ago,” Swanson adds, citing Federal Reserve Economic Data from last December in comparison to the most recent retail numbers. Bring on the steak sandwiches and chipotle lime steak tacos.

Another Super Bowl-related food item that might keep your bank balance from ending up in the red is conveniently green: avocados.

“The supply of avocados from Mexico continues to grow, and the supply of trucks has improved, dropping the freight costs,” says Swanson. “Sometimes last year, the cost of freight was more than the cost of the avocados to certain markets in the Northeast.”

And for those vegetarians and healthy eaters coming to your event, the fruits and vegetables for the party tray are up 9% from a year ago. “They are still good values and good for you so don’t skimp on the veggies and fruits,” Swanson says.

“To save more, buy the whole veggies and slice them up yourself,” Lempert adds. “But be careful on the dips: anything with eggs, mayo or salad dressing have huge price increases. So think about using alternatives like salsa and guacamole, but make your own, as prices are down about 20% for the produce items from last year.”

As for items that customers should avoid, unfortunately a main category for party food planning has seen huge price increases over last year — other than eggs, of course.

Swanson notes that a couple beverage types are noticeably higher with soft drinks up 25% from December 2022 to December 2023 and beer up 11% over the same time period. He notes that wine and spirits are up only 4% and 2% respectively, but there are a couple of categories that have gone down in price.

“Brandy is down 14% and whiskeys are down 4% — so look up those drink recipes where you can add water, club soda or juice to save even more,” Lempert adds. Sub out brandy or whiskey in your Fly Like An Eagletini and you’ll be golden.

Other ways to save this Super Bowl Sunday

Additionally, there are a few tips party planners can follow for saving at the grocery store in the face of rising food costs.

Check out the supermarket ads

“The Super Bowl is a MAJOR food holiday and the stores don’t want to lose your business,” Lempert says, adding that stores will try to do all they can to get your business.

Target just announced a list of over 40 items for under $5 including appetizers, snacks and drinks for game day, for one.

Try store brands to save

“Other supermarkets will probably follow Target with adding Super Bowl specials on their own store brands,” Lempert says, noting that many store brands come with a 100% money back guarantee. “So, no fear in trying them!”

In fact, stores that participate in this little-known offer include Costco, Sam’s Club and Safeway, a supermarket chain that operates stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia.

Check out the stores websites and apps

“Since the pandemic there have been shortages on shelves so they have not been able to plan out those newspaper ads and circulars the way they used to — but they can do digital offers quickly based on what’s in stock,” Lempert suggests. “So check those often and use your frequent shopper card.”

Lempert also says not to forget to shop around at dollar stores and grocery outlets, which both offer everyday deals “You can save big bucks on everything from chicken wings to fresh veggies,” he says.

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This article was originally published on TODAY.com