Cake, balloons, food, decorations, party bags and entertainment – add them all and you’ll be surprised with the final costs. Yup, kids’ parties these days can be really expensive.
But if you are a parent who’s on a tight budget, don’t worry because you can still throw a fun, special and memorable birthday bash for your child without spending a fortune.
Here are a few tips and tricks to save money on your kid’s birthday party:
Budget
Before anything else, you need to create a budget and stick to it. Work out how much you CAN spend for this party in total and from there, create a budget for each category. Decide on where you could save and where you should spend a little more.
Theme
Well, themes aren’t really necessary if you are looking for ways to save money. But if you really want one, work around with what you already have. You can re-use items from your other kids’ parties or just use some props that you already have at home.
Venue
Host the party at home, your backyard or public venues such as the park, school or community centers, where it’s cheaper and sometimes, even free.
Decorations
If you have a pair of crafty hands, then DIY as much party decorations as you can and shop at the dollar store. Also, you don’t need to spend tons on party invitations. It’s 2017 so you can just invite your guests digitally by creating an event on Facebook or just use those free invitation templates online and send it through direct message or email.
Entertainment:
Although hiring a magician, mascot, balloon artist and all those fun services sound exciting, this will actually cost A LOT. But that doesn’t mean you can’t throw a fun party without them. Create your own games, have scavenger hunts, let the kids personalize their own pizza, decorate their own cupcakes, make costumes, play dress-up, etc. With a little creativity (and the help of Pinterest) the options are endless and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
Food
This is actually the category that eats a big chunk out of your budget. But just keep the birthday menu simple and choose food and snacks that you know kids will like and actually eat. Another cheap option is pizza – you can never go wrong and spend much on pizza. As for the birthday cake, just make and decorate your own rather than buying one.
You see, your kids’ birthday isn’t about how fancy or expensive your party is. It’s about celebrating another year and being grateful for it.
