Every Labor Day, somebody asks a version of this question with a grin: what do cheap people bring to a BBQ? After years of hosting in Chicago apartment courtyards, suburban back patios, and one memorable lakeside cookout where three separate people arrived with “just ice,” I can tell you the answer is both funnier and more revealing than it first sounds. Usually, “cheap” doesn’t mean broke. It means someone wants to show up without spending much money, effort, or thought—and the giveaway is almost always in what lands on the picnic table.

That said, I’m an experienced cook, and I try not to be too snobbish about budget food. Some low-cost contributions are actually smart, practical, and welcome. Others are the classic party offenses: the half-empty chip bag, the random bottle of diet soda nobody drinks, or the deli tub that needed refrigeration two hours ago. So let me walk through the usual suspects, what they signal, what they cost, and—because I believe in solutions—how to bring something inexpensive that still feels generous.

1. The single bag of bargain chips

This is the most recognizable entry on the list. One 8- to 10-ounce bag of plain potato chips from the discount aisle, often purchased for $2.49 to $3.99, set down on a table feeding 12 to 20 people. If the bag is family-size but already opened from the car ride over, even worse. Chips disappear fast at outdoor gatherings; a group of 15 adults can finish that bag in under 10 minutes, especially if burgers are still on the grill.

Now, I’m not anti-chip. A thoughtful guest brings two or three bags with variety—say kettle chips, tortilla chips, and pretzels—or pairs one large bag with dip. The “cheap” version is really about proportion. If you know the host is serving the expensive items like meat, buns, condiments, and drinks, one lonely bag of chips reads less like contribution and more like table decoration.

2. A 2-liter bottle of off-brand soda

I’ve seen this one dozens of times: a warm 2-liter cola substitute that cost about $1.25, carried in by someone who says, “I brought drinks!” One bottle yields roughly eight 8-ounce servings, assuming everyone wants soda and there’s enough ice to chill it. At a Labor Day BBQ, where people are outside in 80-degree heat, that amount barely covers the first round.

Budget beverages can absolutely work, but quantity matters. If you’re trying to keep your total under $10, bring three 2-liter bottles, or a 24-pack of sparkling water, or a gallon of lemonade plus a bag of ice. In my kitchen, I’d much rather see a guest bring enough of something simple than a token bottle nobody will claim after it goes flat.

3. The tub of generic potato salad from the supermarket

This is a BBQ cliché for a reason. A 16-ounce to 32-ounce plastic deli tub of potato salad, macaroni salad, or coleslaw is cheap, easy, and requires no cooking. Depending on the store, it may cost anywhere from $3.99 to $7.99. The problem is that the smallest tubs serve maybe four people as a side, and the quality can be wildly uneven—gluey potatoes, too much sweet dressing, or that oddly fluorescent mustard color that makes everyone suspicious.

Store-bought sides are not inherently bad. In fact, some grocers do a very respectable vinegar slaw or German potato salad. The “cheap” label tends to stick when the amount is tiny, the container goes straight from the car to the sun, or the guest expects praise for bringing the least personal option available. If you buy it, at least buy enough: for 10 to 12 people, I’d look for 2 to 3 pounds of side dish.

4. Buns without the burgers

This one always amuses me because it is technically useful. Hamburger buns and hot dog buns are needed, and they’re often inexpensive—about $1.79 to $3.49 per pack of eight. But when someone brings one pack of buns and nothing else, especially to a party with 20 guests, it feels like they found the lowest-cost item on the shopping list and called it a day.

To be fair, hosts do appreciate practical items. If you’re assigned buns, then bring enough. For 16 burgers and 12 hot dogs, that’s at least four packs total, ideally with extras. Bonus points if you think ahead and choose sturdy buns that won’t disintegrate under juicy burgers and mustard.

5. The “homemade” dish made from mostly pantry shortcuts

Now we are in very Midwestern territory, and I say that affectionately. There’s a particular style of potluck contribution that starts with a box mix, canned topping, frozen whipped product, or crushed snack food and somehow becomes a “salad.” It may have cost $6 total and taken 7 minutes to assemble. Sometimes it’s nostalgic and delicious. Sometimes it tastes exactly like the ingredient list sounds.

I don’t think thrift is the issue here—creativity matters more than price. One of the best inexpensive BBQ dishes I ever ate was a black bean and corn salad made with two cans of beans, one bag of frozen corn, half a red onion, lime juice, cilantro, cumin, and olive oil. Total cost: about $9 for a bowl that fed 10. Cheap can be clever. Cheap can also be lazy. Guests know the difference.

6. The half-melted ice bag that arrives too late

Ice is one of those invisible party essentials. A 10-pound bag costs around $2.50 to $4.50, and a 20-pound bag can run $5 to $8 depending on the neighborhood and holiday markup. A guest who brings ice at the beginning of the event is helpful. A guest who remembers ice after the coolers are warm and the drinks are already lukewarm is not quite the hero they imagine.

For a Labor Day BBQ with 15 to 20 people, I generally like 1 to 2 pounds of ice per person if drinks need chilling all afternoon. That means 20 to 30 pounds disappears quickly. If you want to be the frugal guest everyone actually loves, bring two bags, not one, and arrive on time.

7. A dessert from the gas station checkout area

I have absolutely attended cookouts where dessert arrived in the form of a sleeve of cookies, six snack pies, or a pair of cellophane-wrapped mini loaves purchased en route. These items usually cost $3 to $8 total and scream “I forgot.” If there are 14 people at the party and you bring a package of 8 cookies, you are not bringing dessert—you are bringing confusion.

There are plenty of low-cost sweets that feel intentional. Brownies from a boxed mix cost roughly $4 to $6 including eggs and oil, and they make 16 to 24 squares. Rice cereal treats scale beautifully. Even a watermelon, cut into wedges, can feel festive and generous for under $10 in season.

8. The condiment nobody asked for

This is where cheapness meets deflection. Someone doesn’t want to spend on meat, sides, or drinks, so they bring one bottle of mustard, relish, barbecue sauce, or jarred pickles and present it as a major contribution. Yes, condiments are useful. No, one 12-ounce bottle of store-brand yellow mustard does not carry a holiday menu.

However, there is a version of this that works wonderfully: a condiment set with a bit of personality. For example, one guest of mine once brought pickled red onions, sliced jalapeños, dill pickles, and two barbecue sauces in squeeze bottles. Total estimated spend was maybe $12 to $15, but it elevated burgers and brats for everyone. The cheap version is basic and insufficient; the smart version is curated.

9. Fruit that requires the host to do all the work

A whole watermelon, unwashed grapes, or a pineapple can be a lovely contribution—if the host has time, fridge space, a cutting board, and a sharp knife free. But when guests arrive 20 minutes before serving time with produce that still needs washing, peeling, slicing, and bowls, they are quietly outsourcing labor.

I’m a big fan of fruit at cookouts because it balances all the salty, smoky food. If you want to bring fruit on a budget, prep it at home. Cube the watermelon. Slice the oranges. Wash and dry the grapes. A 5-pound watermelon at $4.99 can become a genuinely appreciated platter if you spend 10 minutes making it ready to eat.

10. The leftovers from their own refrigerator

You can usually spot this item because it enters the party in mismatched containers. Maybe it’s six hot dog buns from Tuesday, a few slices of cheese, a nearly finished jar of salsa, or a random deli tray salvaged from another event. I understand not wanting to waste food—I hate waste too—but a BBQ contribution should feel chosen for the gathering, not cleared from your shelves.

There’s a social piece to hospitality that matters. When I host, I’m not expecting luxury, but I do notice whether someone brought something with the group in mind. “Use what you have” can be smart and sustainable; “I found this in my fridge” is a different message entirely.

11. Alcohol in the smallest possible quantity

This tends to show up as a 4-pack of hard seltzer for a party of 18, or one bottle of inexpensive wine that only the guest themselves drinks. On paper, alcohol is costly, so I sympathize. But if you’re bringing booze as your contribution, think communally. A 12-pack of beer, a 1.5-liter bottle of sangria, or ingredients for a simple batch cocktail go much further.

In my experience, the “cheap” perception comes less from buying inexpensive alcohol than from bringing too little to share. If your budget is $10, skip alcohol entirely and bring a strong nonalcoholic option instead—iced tea, cucumber water, lemonade, or a case of canned seltzer.

12. Nothing but an appetite and an excuse

Of course, this is the classic answer. The cheapest thing some people bring to a Labor Day BBQ is absolutely nothing, accompanied by a line like, “I didn’t know what to get,” or “I figured you had it covered.” Hosts often do have it covered, because experienced hosts plan for gaps. But that doesn’t mean they should have to.

If money is genuinely tight, there are still good options under $5 or $8: a bag of ice, a loaf of garlic bread, a dozen homemade deviled eggs, a pitcher of tea, or a simple pasta salad. What guests remember is not the price tag but the spirit. Showing up empty-handed to a casual family cookout once may be forgivable. Making it a habit is what earns the reputation.

13. What actually makes a contribution feel cheap

After all these years cooking for crowds, I’ve noticed that “cheap” is rarely about the exact dollar amount. It’s usually one of four things: too little food for the group, no thought for timing or temperature, no prep, or something so generic that it feels obligatory rather than generous. A $6 item can feel abundant if it’s useful and ready to serve. A $12 item can feel stingy if it’s clearly just for the person who brought it.

At outdoor events, logistics matter more than people realize. Cold food needs to stay under 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Hot food should stay above 140 degrees if it’s sitting out. Mayo-based salads, cut fruit, and dairy dips have limited safe time in summer weather—generally no more than 2 hours at room temperature, or 1 hour if it’s above 90 degrees. A careless contribution can be cheap and risky at the same time.

14. The best inexpensive things to bring instead

If you want to spend modestly and still be the guest everyone appreciates, I have a short list I return to over and over. A big bowl of vinegar slaw costs about $7 to $10 and improves any plate with burgers or pulled pork. A tray of roasted corn salad with lime and chili powder runs about $9 to $12 for 10 servings. Homemade lemonade for a crowd can be done for roughly $6 to $8 if you use a 2-quart pitcher, fresh lemon juice, sugar, and plenty of ice.

Other winners: baked beans enhanced with sautéed onion and smoked paprika; watermelon with mint and a pinch of salt; deviled eggs made from a dozen eggs; or a pasta salad with cucumber, tomato, red onion, and Italian dressing. None of these need fancy ingredients. They just need enough volume and a little care.

15. My rule of thumb for Labor Day guests

When I’m invited to a BBQ, I ask two questions: how many people are likely there, and what category does the host need? Then I try to bring enough for at least one-third to one-half of the group if it’s a side, or enough for everyone if it’s ice, drinks, or dessert. For a 12-person gathering, that might mean a 9-by-13-inch pan of brownies, a 3-quart bowl of salad, or 24 cans of drinks. It doesn’t have to be expensive; it has to be useful.

So, what do cheap people bring to a Labor Day BBQ? Usually, they bring the smallest, easiest, least thought-out thing they can find. But budget-conscious people—the ones I actually admire—bring something simple, sufficient, and ready to enjoy. And honestly, that second group gets invited back a lot more often.