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How to Throw Your Child's Birthday Party on a Budget
The time has come to start planning your child's birthday party, but unfortunately your dead uncle's estate hasn't mailed that million dollar check to you yet. How do you plan a party that celebrates your child's life without feeling guilty for spending too much, or too little? It's actually easier than you think. It takes a lot of creativity, some time-planning, and only a little money to create a celebration that your child will fondly remember in the years to come.
Consider this first: most likely, your child will only remember the friends and family who came with gifts of love and presence (not presents). Depending on their age, a lot of kids are happy with water guns and the Disney channel playing in the background. A lot of the big bash birthday parties are for show. Don't get sucked into a party war with other parents (although it's easy to do). Start your birthday party planning by first defining your intention. This may sound silly, but a lot of people don't think about the underlying reason for the urge to splurge. Do you want a birthday party because you never had one as a child? Do you want a birthday party to show off how much you love your kid? Do you want a birthday party to celebrate the gift of life?
If you answered yes to the third question, you'll definitely be able to create a party on a budget. A lot of times, parents get consumed with revisiting their youth through their children, unintentionally. The thing we all must do is live intentionally, and make all of our actions conscious. Define your child's birthday party by its singular purpose: celebrating life.
Engrave Your Budget In Stone
Setting the budget is the next most important thing you must do. Along the same vein of living intentionally, you should budget intentionally. Start out by figuring how much you can afford to spend. In these days of economic upheaval, you really have to count each penny. If you have a monthly budget, just take out the money that you normally allot to entertainment. Use your available money as your guide, not the number of invites. Many people are able to throw a magical birthday party on $50 or $100, total. It doesn't take much money, especially if your child is younger.
It will be extremely tempting to spend more once you get to the party decorations store, and see all the cute items that would spice up your theme. This is where being rigid is a virtue. In fact, adopt the envelop system espoused by financial writer Dave Ramsey. Grab the amount of cash money you have alloted to your child's birthday, and spend directly from that envelop. When the cash is gone, you're done. It really forces you to edit your purchases. It also activates the creative side of your brain.
Dollar Store Decorations
Your neighborhood dollar store is an amazing resource for planning a successful birthday party, on a budget. The dollar store, where everything is $1.00, is available in every city. Not all of the items in the dollar store are cheap and tawdry, most are actually incredibly priced and useful. The things you can buy from the dollar store include specialized balloons (the ones in the shape of cupcakes and butterflies), paper plates and plastic utensils, candy, party favors, and other party decorations.
You can also buy do-it-yourself crafts and ask your kids to help. Here's a fun way to make old school streamers: buy construction paper and glue from the dollar store, and cut the paper into strips, length-wise. Loop the paper and glue the ends together. Repeat, creating interlinking loops. The end result is a colorful set of streamers that your child helped create.
Let Them Eat Cake
To buy or not to buy, that's the question. You may think that you can't make your own cake, but chances are, you can! With the advent of the internet, everything is possible. Sites like AllRecipes and YouTube help even the novice baker create a masterpiece. All it takes is cake mix, and an internet connection. Someone in cyberspace has created a tutorial that compliments any idea you can think up. Making your own cake gives you the most flexibility, and is very cost effective, shaving as much as 90% off of the price.
Foodies or Kiddies
Most people blow a large portion of their budget on expensive food. Party food is usually cost-prohibitive, but with the right planning, you create a menu without leftovers, or at least with leftovers you won't mind eating the next day. The key is in serving finger foods that your guests will actually want to eat. Stay away from fine French cheese, when you're hosting 5 year olds. Think more along the lines of Goldfish. Instead of crackers, think potato chips-- the baked, good for you kind. Speaking of which, find ways to incorporate healthy snacks into your menu. Serve homemade granola bars and fresh fruit. However, remember, it's a kid's party, and candy is basically mandatory!
Kids love to play with their food, so take that to the next level. Have all the kids come into the kitchen and design mini pizzas on biscuit dough. Give them pepperoni and shredded cheese and pasta sauce for topping. You do the baking, and supervise, of course. The end result is ownership and accomplishment on the kids' side, and less work on your side.
Other good and quick food ideas: Pigs-in-a-blanket, Hamburgers, Chicken Nuggets, Party Mix, Home-baked Cookies, Punch, Popsicles.
Entertain the Masses
This is the part that requires the most creativity. How do you entertain a bunch of kids, whose attention spans are equal to their age? Have lots of games, several going at one time, if you have a large amount of guests in attendance. You want to create simultaneous activities so that a child can go from one to the other. Have board games going, and a face painting station, and a movie playing in the background.
If you want to create a more cohesive atmosphere, consider throwing a talent or variety show. Beforehand, buy some fun and funky outfits from the thrift store, and have them washed and ready the day of the party. Invite the kids to dress up and create characters and act them out on stage. It's inexpensive, and encourages imagination.
Other tips: consider the idea of a sleepover, if you have a girl, or a camping trip (in the backyard) for the boys.
Your child's birthday party doesn't have to suffer because of a limited budget. If you allow yourself to consider the possibilities, you'll realize the only thing limited in the first place was your thinking. You are more resourceful than you think.
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Excellent and very informative article. I have actually had to plan a party on a tight budget before and it was an article like yours that got me through it. You pointed out how you can save a lot of money making your own cake and that the internet has recipes for great cakes. That is true and should encourage anyone to be able to make their own great cake. The Dollar Store advice I enjoyed as well because you can actually buy cheap decorations and use any extras for the next time. It is almost like buy one and get one free (for later). The article is great for money saving and also for party planning in general for those doing their first party. Great article.
Wonderful! We have a 3 1/2 year old son & have been tempted to spend a fortune on birthday parties. The idea of a "set in stone" budget is the only way you can go. I also agree with the point regarding dollar-price stores. Our local store includes brand-name party items for that wonderful price of $1. It is the only way to go.
It is great that in these harsh financial times, people are offering help to others s that every parent can make their child's birthday special. It is a completly true statement that you can have an amazing and memorable party for under $50.00. In keeping with the spirit of the "presence" of the child is more important thatn a "present", take it to another level and make it a costume party, which really creates a presenc. Also remember you can do your gift bags at the dollar store too. Also you can make cupcake cakes now too, that are extrely cost eficient. This article is great because it is going to generate a lot of different ideas from people..thanks for the make your own pizza idea.
Thank you for the comments! I lurve the dollar store! (I'm super frugal!)
Throwing birthday party's have become almost essential and for our children it's a must, and we often exceed our budget. The article really has good points on how to remain within budget and also have a grand party.
Nice post, will use some of the tips shown (especially the one about the cake!).
This article has great tips, is humorous at times, and very practical. I have little kids and I know many parents are always trying to outdo each other with the birthday parties, so it's good to find tips that will give you an economic edge and keep it all fun!
Great blog article! You are right it is easy to make that cake yourself! I have never bought decorations at the dollar store but I will definitely check that out before my kids have their next birthday party.
This is a superb article. Being a single mom means that everything is on a budget, but I've never thought to "spend out of the envelope"! That's another great tip. I've also never made a birthday cake- but the advantage is having a cousin who's a pastry chef. After all family works for free! Thanks for the awesome tips!
This is great advice. I am with you 100% on the dollar store decorations!
Mommies will love this advice! So often the obvious escapes us!
I never thought of having several games going at once. That's a great idea to keep all the kids from running off!
This was such a helpful post! I have a 3 year old nephew with a birthday soon, and I want to throw him a party on a college-kid budget...not easy! But this post gave me great ideas--I totally forget that dollar stores exist for a reason. And it's true; most young kids are happy with cheap thrills like water guns and a good DVD in the background. Also, I think the mini pizza/baking activity sounds like lots of (cheap!) fun.
These are wonderful tips. I have a 1 year old and a 1 month old and birthday and other parties will have to be planned very soon. This will help me get what she wants and what I can afford. I never thought about getting decorations from the dollar or discount store. Thanks for sharing!
Great tips! I used to go all-out when my eldest daughter was little (and Grandma was still alive to spoil the heck out of her!), but after my second was born eight years later we realized that a party doesn't have to be a production! You're right--big parties are for show, and it's usually the parents competing with each other! They don't realize that the other parents are acutally thinking how wasteful they're being! LOL! The Dollar Store tip was great! If you shop there for decorations then there's that much more that you can actually spend on your kid!
Great ideas for doing a party on a budget and I love the dollar store! I always get all of my party favors, cups, bowls, plates and silverware there. The dollar store is a life saver. And honestly I like home made cakes better, I think they taste better and my kids don't seem to mind either!
I think that this was a great blog. It mentioned practical tips on throwing a frugal but fun birthday party. I especially liked the part where you encouraged people to question their motives in going overboard. I think a lot of people are trying to live through their children without knowing it.
This is excellent. As a parent, I'm always surprised by the cost other parents spend on birthday parties. I do budget-type parties for my kids, and they and their friends absolutely love them and find them perfect. Sometimes less is more, in my opinion.
i have a little girl about to turn 2, and while her first birthday was a pretty bang up affair, we have had some financial situations arise that require a more low key event. i love to bake, and had thought about making my own cake, but hadn't even considered checking out youtube for tutorials.
Thanks so much.. my god-daughter is turning a year old and the budget has already reached the size of a small wedding
Great ideas! You are an excellent writer, and I really enjoy reading your articles.Thanks,keep em' coming!
I don't know much about kids, but when I was a kid all I really cared about at my birthday were the presents. The party, the cake, the ice cream, the decorations, all meant nothing without the presents. I'm willing to bet that if my parents had taken everything away but the presents, I would have been just as happy.
Good post. Ebery year I say Im gonna bake my own cake but don't
I do not have kids, but am often appointed to help my sister plan parties for my niece! This is a great blog. LOTS of good pointers! Thanks!
Great post covering how to handle the essentials of the party. People think, "It can't cost that much to throw a party", but after factoring in the decorations, food and activities - it's easy to go overboard.
As a mother of ten, I'm always looking for ways to reduce costs! This is a great article!
The Dollar store is a great way to save on Birthday parties!
this was very gay!!!!!!!!! how are kids going to likethis crap!!1 you is probably an uglyfat muder!!!:):):)) jk this aint cool
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