We rented a can vending machine for the party.

My husband and I had a party a few years back. We charged a fee for entrance, which included a person's food and drinks. The party went great. We covered our expenses, so all we had in it was the time it took to prepare the food. We discussed having a party each summer, but we were under the impression that our friends would take turns hosting the party. Everyone wanted us to have the party each year due to the size of our yard. We agreed, but future parties didn't go as smoothly. People tried to eat and drink without paying, and we began to lose more and more money each year. We weren't going to have a party this year, but our friends seemed very disappointed. Rather than not have the party, we came up with an idea. We rented a can vending machine for the party this year. Instead of buying a beer keg and two liter bottles of soad, we bought beer and soda in cans. We have the cans in the vending machine. We set the prices a bit higher, so the purchase of soda and beer will cover the cost of the food too. We won't have to collect money from anyone.