Birthdays on a Budget

While it can be hard to put together birthday parties, from juggling invites, activities, and food, through to making sure that you aren’t spending too much money, it is possible to at least make the expense of a party a bit lower.

There are many ways in which you can bring down party costs and still enjoy a successful party and birthday.

Some of these ways include having a party at home, and saving money on invitations.

Moreover, you can make savings in terms of party themes, food, entertainment, and party bags.

Budget Birthday Party

The first decision to make for a budget birthday party is whether or not to have one at home.

While renting out a nearby hall can make it easier to have more people around, and creates less of a danger of breaking things, it’s a lot cheaper to have the party at home.

Paper cups and plates can be used with cheap tablecloths to prevent damage, while valuable things can be safely stored away.

Being at home also gives you more time to prepare, and makes cleaning up a bit faster.

Other savings can be made when planning a party by swapping paper invitations for online invitations – these can be just as creative, and will dodge the cost of posting and stamps.

If you are having a party at home, it’s best to limit the guest list to prevent things from getting out of hand.

A simple approach should also be taken for a party theme, which can be built around anything from a favorite TV character to a matching color.

Decorations can be picked up at competitive prices online, with discounts usually available for large orders.

You can also make up your own decorations using old sheets, cardboard, and home made costumes.

Party Menu

In terms of food, making snacks and dishes at home can be made more cost effective by buying freezable items in advance that can be brought out for the party – sausage rolls, pizzas, and other small items work well when taking this approach.

Simple cupcake recipes can also be made up on the morning of the party.

Having a few friends or family members around to help you will speed things up.

Make sure, though, that you check with other parents for any vegetarian or vegan diets. Most supermarkets will have sections for these diets.

For a cake, you can make one at home, or buy a cake base and decorate it yourself.

For entertainment, if you want to avoid the expense of hiring a professional clown or magician, use simple party games like Simon Says, Pass the Parcel, and Musical Chairs.

If the weather’s nice, you can organize sack races and contests in the garden. A friend that knows a few magic tricks might also be able to help out on the day.

For very young children, you can set up a toy area with lots of cushions for part of the day.

Party bags and presents can be expensive if you feel under pressure to be impressive.

Saving can be made, though, by searching around charity shops and supermarkets for low cost toys like mini jigsaws and books – filling up on sweets and wrapping cake from the party can also be a good idea.

If the party is near to a holiday like Easter, you could also add in chocolate eggs, or Halloween treats if the party is later in the year.

Author Bio: Cathy John is a writer for kids blog. She visits DNA Kids when she needs advice on how to throw a great party for her nieces. Cathy can be found online blogging about the different aspects of kids activities.

Tags: Birthday Planning, party, Party Planing

Category: Budget, Family Finances