Whether it’s the triumphant backstory, or the unbeatable mix of fat, carbs and salt, pizza has a special place in our hearts. Literally. But we won’t go there - not today.
 
Today is Pizza Day.
 
As the legend goes, pizza was created in honour of Italy’s Queen Margherita, her namesake pie boasted national colours in green (basil), white (mozzarella) and red (tomato).
 
Yet despite blue-blood origins, early pizza was mostly a no-frills, bread-and-sauce deal which proved a bigger hit with peasants. It was an inexpensive source of energy to power a hard day’s work with a blast of healthy nutrients.
 
We’ve come a long way. Pizza today is diverse, heavy, elaborate, pricey. Unless it’s Tuesday or you’ve found a voucher, pro pizza tastes a little like expensive. So if you love your pie but want to hold a few pounds, wallet and waist, it might be time to improvise.
 
It might be time to try our six tricks for cheap pizza
 

1)    Makin’ dough

You really don’t need to be Jamie Oliver to make pizza dough. Most recipes ask for only a handful of ingredients: flour, water, salt, yeast, oil. That kind of thing. Google it, there’s a million versions of pizza dough, like this one.
 
Batch-make your pizza dough and you’re all set to make four, five, six or more. Think of the cash you’ll save. Dough freezes just fine, too. All you need now is tomato sauce and some imagination.
 

2)    Double the tortilla, triple the taste

 Ready-made pizza bases are up there on the taste-o-meter next to nappies and flatpack furniture. But you don’t need to go down this road, not in a world where tortillas exist.
 
But aren’t tortillas thin and floppy? Ah but did you consider two? One on top of the other with a layer of rich pizza sauce in between. It’s utter dynamite. What you gain in taste, you lose in carb. No more eyes-bigger-than-your-stomach either. Win win win.

 
3)    Cauli-power

 As you’ve just read, it’s the 21st century and carbs are out. But no matter, there’s an easy way to drive down carbs, cost and corporate greed. Thy name be cauliflower.
 
Cauliflower. You blitz it, drain it, bind it, roll it - and you’re laughing all the way to the oven. The same process works using other vegetables, too.
 
Again - dead simple. Full recipe here.
 

4)    Go off-brand

 We all know who leads in pizza, but why shop big brand when online reviews are there to point you to the best in the neighbourhood.
 
Find a superior indie pizza place and you’ll probably find more quality for less cash. It might be a little trial and error - the gulf in quality between one local establishment and another may be inexplicably huge.

But either way, supporting local business is a time-tested way to burn extra calories*.
 
*it’s not.
 

5)    Bring on discount day

 We said in the intro that we wouldn’t get into the fat-tastic facts re pizza. But as a life insurance broker, we feel responsible …
 
Wonderful pizza is terribly high in saturated fat. And the bigger, cheesier, meatier you go, the more fat and salt you onboard.
 
Say you’re on Weight Watchers with a daily limit of 25 points. You’d knacker that limit with just two and a half slices of one particular brand’s Hawaiian pizza.
 
For these reasons, nutritionists recommend pizza is, at most, a weekly affair. But that works out perfectly in a world of vouchers and weekly discount deals.
 

6)    The pizza party 

Pizza is inherently shareable, its slice for a slice and can I try a bit of yours? For some reason, pizza goes with viewing parties – sports, X-Factor, movie night – much more than, say, omelette or coq au vin.
 
Hosting a party d’pizza is pretty simple: batch prepare loads of dough and buy in cheeses, meats, veggies and herbs. Key to making it a cost-effective night is to ask that friends kick in a few quid for ingredients. Fair’s fair - you did vacuum.
 
The toughest part of the pizza process is stretching and rolling out the dough. But as host, you get to stand back and watch as friends create modern art monstrosities that resemble jellyfish and the head of a Ferengi. Cameras at the ready.
 
Effort theirs, enjoyment yours, fun for all. That’s pizza night on a budget.