The economy is likely to pinch most people's entertaining budgets this holiday season, but don't stop decking the halls quite yet. There are plenty of ways to throw a bash without breaking the bank.

Start by skipping the idea of a big dinner that calls for pricey foods. Hands down, finger food will be a better bargain.

Serving a selection of festive hors d'oeuvres is an inexpensive way to put out an impressive spread that will offer something to please everyone without the effort and expense of putting on a whole meal.

Warehouse clubs can be a good place to shop, but there also are plenty of options at your grocer, especially if you are willing to explore the store a bit more thoroughly.

Venturing into the international sections of the supermarket will yield inexpensive, yet exotic options for nibbling.

In the Asian section, you'll find plenty of tasty snack mixes, such as those made with sweet and salty glazed rice crackers and sesame sticks.

Look for crunchy dried peas coated with wasabi, in addition to the traditional selection of crispy noodles like what you might find at a Chinese restaurant. Jars of dips and sauces will be plentiful in this aisle.

Italian and Spanish food sections are filled with relatively inexpensive jars of items, such as marinated mushrooms and peppers, roasted vegetable dips and canned delicacies such as oysters, anchovies and octopus.

These Mexican tortilla cups have the crowd-pleasing flavors of tangy cheese and salsa and can be prepared for less than 20 cents each.

They take only 30 minutes to make, but if you like, you can prepare the crispy tortilla cups up to a week ahead and store them in an airtight container.

The fully assembled cups can be baked up to two days ahead, then reheated in a 350-degree oven.

CHEESEY TORTILLA CUPS

Start to finish: 30 minutes (15 minutes active)

Servings: 40

10 fajita-size flour tortillas, quartered

1 large egg

1 cup grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

3/4 cup cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

3/4 cup chunky tomato salsa, divided

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Lightly oil three mini-muffin pans or coat them with nonstick cooking spray. Press the tortilla quarters into the muffin cups, letting the points stick up. Bake for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool slightly. Leave the oven on.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg with a fork. Stir in the grated cheese, cream cheese, corn, 1/4 cup of the salsa, 1/4 cup of the cilantro and the pepper. Spoon some of the mixture into each tortilla cup,

Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the filling is set. Let the cups cool for 5 minutes, then top each with about 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining salsa and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro.