Maine Has Been Named New England’s Most Expensive State for a BBQ

There are probably three things at the top of every Mainer's mind right now:

1) Making it through this week for hopefully an extended long weekend (unless your boss has you working.)

2) Wearing every piece of red, white, and blue we can find all weekend long.

3) How many BBQ's we can fit into what is hopefully a 4-day weekend for a majority of us.

But speaking of that last entry, if you're planning on hosting one or multiple BBQ's this weekend, you may want to pump the brakes on that idea based on a recent study that just came out.

Most Expensive States for a BBQ

Recently, to prep for the incoming long 4th of July holiday weekend (which hopefully everyone reading this gets to celebrate all of or at least most of), the staff at Total Shape decided to take a look at the most expensive states in the country to host a BBQ.

According to their study, Total Shape compared the current cost of grocery items against the average salary in each state, and rolled that out into results for how expensive a 10-person BBQ would be to put on in each state.

And, go figure, Maine leads the way not only as the most expensive state in New England to put on a BBQ, but we're one of the most expensive overall in the country, landing in the 10th spot.

According to Total Shape, even though the cost of a 10-person BBQ in Maine isn't near the most expensive (at only $142.15), and the average monthly salary isn't the lowest ($4,039), the combo of the two is what gives us our rank.

In contrast, Massachusetts snagged the 13th spot overall on the list and 2nd in New England, with the average cost of a 10-person being the most expensive in the country at $188.22, but also an average monthly salary of $5,473.

Some tips from Total Shape on cutting costs if you're hosting any 4th of July BBQ's this year:

• See whether your guests can split the bill to cover the food, or bring their own preprepared dishes to the cookout. This will help take the pressure off the host.

• Try to include vegetarian mains where possible, as large portions of grill-friendly vegetables like mushrooms and tomatoes are currently cheaper than meat.

• Implement a ‘bring your own beer’ rule, so you don’t have to worry about buying liquor or alcohol in bulk. Then you can focus your resources just on food.

Wherever your plans take you this year, celebrate cheaply and safely, friends!