We wanted to know if it was possible to throw a great party for eight people for around $100. We took that challenge to the president of a local catering company and found you can still have fun without breaking the bank.
"Actually it is not going to cost that much if you think about it," said Margaret Teskey, president of Taste Catering in San Francisco.
Teskey put a big chunk of her budget into creating the right atmosphere.
"Keep it festive. Get into the spirit of San Francisco. You want to bring in the colors, the gold, the red as much as possible into your home and into your party space," said Teskey.
Total cost of all the decorations including flowers from The Flower Mart is $41.50. Sticking with the San Francisco theme, Margaret served up a tray of local meats and cheese at a cost of $25.
"It's got local San Francisco charcuterie, a salami, and these are a tray of cheeses that you can get at the Farmer's Market," said Teskey.
For just a few dollars more, you can serve up the meats in a bamboo cone or a Dixie cup. You can also purchase your own pre-made guacamole and salsa for under $10 or try out Margaret's recipe of guacamole and beer salsa for $16.
"It's got tomato and chives and cilantro and just great avocadoes," said Teskey.
During half time, prepare your heartier dishes in time for the second half. Twenty bite-sized hamburgers at just $7 are a sure hit. For $5 more, you can pair the burgers with a potato dish. Hollow out the potatoes and fill with mashed potatoes or chili.
"I think my favorite item here actually is the BLT, but it's a 'BLT champion sandwich' is what I call it," said Teskey.
That costs just $8, but if you want to splurge, add Dungeness crab for $12 more.
"Smoked bacon, arugula, tomatoes and then you top it off with that crab. It's just delicious this time of year," said Teskey.
Finally for desert, she suggests an assortment of cookies, cupcakes and brownies which you can either purchase or bake.
"A little gold dust, a little red dust on your cupcakes. You can't go too wrong," said Teskey.
The total cost is $132 with all the thrills, $104 without.
