Our group - which has shrunk to six now - meets once a month on the third Friday - from 11 to approximately 2 - and everyone brings her own bag lunch. The only thing the hostess needs to contribute is a beverage and the meeting place.
(In my case, it's a good reason to tidy up more than usual!)
We have no dues, no pressure to "produce" - they are a super-intelligent group of ladies (the only down side - sometimes I feel like a real dummy around them) and I feel very fortunate to have been able to connect up with them.