One thing that most every LAN party provides and most attendees expect are adequate refreshments. We found that pizza and soda is a staple of many LAN party refreshments. Waiting around and buying in bulk when the drinks are on sale can save you plenty of money. While it is more convenient to buy cases of cans, it is usually cheaper to buy it in 2-3liter bottles. Do not be afraid to buy generic soda at the local super-whatever shopping center. When they're thirsty, they'll drink it. Wholesale Clubs like BJs, Sams Club, and Costco can save you some money, but remember to include the membership costs when you try to figure out if you're saving money or not.
Up next is the pizza. While its easy enough to just call up your favorite place and order whatever, it might not be the cheapest. Pizza places will usually have deals, buy one get one free or whatever, but that still might not be the cheapest route. Take the time to talk to each of them, tell them how many people you're feeding, and this next part is important - what their competitors are offering. Doing this you will be able to eventually work them down and be able to find the cheapest (hopefully edible) food for your LAN. Make sure to ask the places if they sell full sheet pizzas, these are usually around 26"x16" in size and can feed a good number of people. Your local large mega-pizza chain will usually cut the price per pie down with a large order and they can put out a large number of pizzas quickly on their conveyor ovens. They may or may not be cheapest depending on your area or if you know someone who happens to own a pizza place.
Snacks are optional, but usually provided at LANs. Typically this usually consists of potato chips, and little of some other things. Again, while the major brands may taste better or something, the generic store chips and snacks are all made by a major brand. Your local big food chain or mega-department store usually carries their own brand of snacks and they are usually a lot cheaper than brand name foods. Another rarely used way to get snacks cheap is to have them sponsored. Keep in mind, companies like PepsiCo require you to have all kinds of paperwork in order for them to donate you a couple bags of Lays. Brands like Wise/Cape Cod/etc are distributed through people who own delivery routes. Contacting the owner of your local route might take a little work, but if it generates sales, they will usually give you the products at their cost. The party bag of chips in the store says $3 or so on it, but their cost is in the $1.50-2 range. If you can score a couple cases for free or cheap, you're doing well on that front. And remember, if you're in the eastern CT region; pick up some Wise/Cape Cod chips and Snyder pretzels from my sponsor.
Another way to cut down on food costs is to make a lot of food and serve it up buffet style. Pastas, hot dogs/burgers, and other foods can be had cheap in bulk, and I'm sure you can find someone to help cook it up en masse. A big bag of meatballs bought at your local warehouse store, along with a big bag of rolls makes a lot of meatball grinders on the cheap. There are countless other things you can make on the cheap if you need to save a fewdollars.
Prizes
There is no one way to get door or contest prizes for your guests at your LAN party. Do know that the prizes are optional. It isn't written anywhere that you need to give things out, and many times the guests argue over who wants what prize, or something was rigged or unfair. While everyone wants the major video card manufacturers to give their LAN a case of cards as prizes, it's doubtful it'll happen. The marketing budgets at companies like those limit them to how much they can give out. Rather than spending energy trying to get the same sponsors as everyone else, look for the company that no one else has. It is a lot easier to convince someone who rarely gets a request, or never thought of sponsoring LANs before to sponsor you. Whenever possible get free items from companies that you can give out to your guests. Newegg has a customer appreciation program you can read up about that they use to distribute promotional products they receive.
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One thing that most every LAN party provides and most attendees expect are adequate refreshments. We found that pizza and soda is a staple of many LAN party refreshments. Waiting around and buying in bulk when the drinks are on sale can save you plenty of money. While it is more convenient to buy cases of cans, it is usually cheaper to buy it in 2-3liter bottles. Do not be afraid to buy generic soda at the local super-whatever shopping center. When they're thirsty, they'll drink it. Wholesale Clubs like BJs, Sams Club, and Costco can save you some money, but remember to include the membership costs when you try to figure out if you're saving money or not. 
Up next is the pizza. While its easy enough to just call up your favorite place and order whatever, it might not be the cheapest. Pizza places will usually have deals, buy one get one free or whatever, but that still might not be the cheapest route. Take the time to talk to each of them, tell them how many people you're feeding, and this next part is important - what their competitors are offering. Doing this you will be able to eventually work them down and be able to find the cheapest (hopefully edible) food for your LAN. Make sure to ask the places if they sell full sheet pizzas, these are usually around 26"x16" in size and can feed a good number of people. Your local large mega-pizza chain will usually cut the price per pie down with a large order and they can put out a large number of pizzas quickly on their conveyor ovens. They may or may not be cheapest depending on your area or if you know someone who happens to own a pizza place.
Snacks are optional, but usually provided at LANs. Typically this usually consists of potato chips, and little of some other things. Again, while the major brands may taste better or something, the generic store chips and snacks are all made by a major brand. Your local big food chain or mega-department store usually carries their own brand of snacks and they are usually a lot cheaper than brand name foods. Another rarely used way to get snacks cheap is to have them sponsored. Keep in mind, companies like PepsiCo require you to have all kinds of paperwork in order for them to donate you a couple bags of Lays. Brands like Wise/Cape Cod/etc are distributed through people who own delivery routes. Contacting the owner of your local route might take a little work, but if it generates sales, they will usually give you the products at their cost. The party bag of chips in the store says $3 or so on it, but their cost is in the $1.50-2 range. If you can score a couple cases for free or cheap, you're doing well on that front. And remember, if you're in the eastern CT region; pick up some Wise/Cape Cod chips and Snyder pretzels from my sponsor. 
