With children’s birthday parties, the urge to “keep up with Joneses” and have a huge party may cross your mind. I know that as a mom I want the best for my kids, but I also have a budget and other obligations to consider. At this time, my budget cannot hold a $200 birthday party. Does that mean that the party has to be dull and boring? Absolutely NOT! Here are some of my “out of the box” ideas to hosting a great birthday party on a $50-$100 budget:
Schedule the party between meal times. Cake and ice cream is more cost-efficient than pizza or submarine sandwiches with the fixings.
Create and print your own invitations and thank you notes. Using Microsoft Word or Publisher, I enjoy designing a unique and creative invitation geared for our planned party. I usually design my invitations and thank you notes to fit 4 on an 8.5” x 11” page. For good quality, I send them to a copy center and have them printed in color on white glossy card stock. The result is 24 invitations and 24 thank you notes for under $4. I could easily pay $3 for 12 invitations and still need to write out the information. By creating my own, I can customize them to my theme and save money from purchasing pre-made cards.
Use paper products you have on hand. If you purchase solid color party supplies, then one set can be used for more than one party. The bright blues, reds, pinks, and purples are the top picks in my house. I sometimes mix and match the colors to make the colors stretch further.
Research party games on-line. Use items you already have to play the games. If you are missing a piece, then you can be creative by substituting another item in its place. To search for ideas, I like to start with a search engine (Google, Swag Bucks, Yahoo, etc.). At the search box, I will type in “baseball birthday party ideas.” When the results are listed, I work through them to gain inspiration for party games.
Make your own birthday cake, cupcakes, or cookie(s). You do not need to make a large 3-tiered cake with all the baseball players lined up. A simple ball can be just as special. By searching the web for cake ideas (i.e. baseball cake ideas), you will find intensively time consuming options scattered throughout the ideas with manageable time constraints and simple designs. A basic sheet cake at Publix would cost a minimum of $19.99. When I wait for a sale and pair it with coupons, I can snag inexpensive cake mixes from the grocery store.
These “out of the box” ideas will use your time. You might save on cost but pay in time. Knowing your options will help you plan your party. This year I have more energy than last year, so a home-based creative birthday party will be the ticket. Last year, I was still adjusting to a new baby, so my time was more precious than saving every penny. Paul and I were able to save up to have our son’s party at a Bounce House with the inflatables. The $10 per child price was worth the showing up and participating without setup and cleanup. They handled the pizza, drinks, cake, ice cream, balloons, and goody bags. The price was worth the services rendered, and I would consider hosting another birthday party there.
For me saving money is a higher priority this year, so I will spend my time planning and creating an enjoyable space for the party. What about you, what is more valuable: your time or your money? Do you find that these priority change with your situation or remain the same?