Birthday's on a Budget
Aug 15 '01
The Bottom Line Expensive birthdays are no better than frugal ones. Plan ahead so you aren't left in a panicked state at the last minute.
We had Winnie the Pooh for our first birthday party experience. That tab ran about $200 just in the decorations from a paper store. So now you are thinking 'why should I listen to you?' I didn't know what else to do. I panicked. The only 'given' was the birthday cake that I was going to attempt to make. More on that later.
I'm sure somewhere down the line our child will forever hold it against us that we didn't hire the pony lady or rent the inflatable ball jumpy thing. But are expensive birthdays any better than frugal ones? I will get back to you on that in about 15 years.
Take several things into consideration involving children's parties: 1) there are going to be kids; 2) will you be upset if the decorations get destroyed; 3) if they don't get destroyed, are you planning to use them another year?; 4) will your child remember the party decorations? How these questions are answered will greatly influence any decision to buy or get creative.
In the mean time, here are some tips for a successful, but frugal birthday party.
Decorations
There are still ways to do a theme party without dropping a whole lot of money on decorations.
One idea is to have the party participants make the decorations. Save scraps of paper, paper plates, cloth, beads, buttons, string, ribbon, toilet paper holders, feathers, crayons, markers, etc. throughout the year and store in a 'birthday box.' Buy a roll of wrapping paper or save toy boxes with large character pictures and cut them out. When the time comes, the children can create decorations to be hung up or make their own noisemakers! This serves as a double whammy: decorations and it keeps the kids busy for a few minutes!
Instead of a fancy table cloth, get a piece of white butcher paper or some other type of large paper and let the kids color their own pictures.
Another thing you can do is buy your own balloons and ribbon from a discount type store like Big Lots! or the dollar store and have a florist or grocery store inflate them with helium.
Don't forget about Christmas lights! Wrap around the front door or the birthday table for a fun effect. Just make sure the cord is out of the way, the lights are firmly secured and the kids are old enough.
Trinkets & Gift Bags
Dollar stores and Big Lots! are also great places for party trinkets, plates, tablecloths, and toys. I know Big Lots! carries a fair amount of party supplies, not necessarily themed, but they are greatly discounted. You are familiar with those handy little bags we all love to use instead of wrapping paper? Big Lots! sells them from between $.39 and $.99 - even for the bigger bags! I have found plastic table wear, 48 pieces for $.39.
A package of 4 Winnie the Pooh party favors was $6.00. Though nice, after the party will they ever been seen or used again? Dollar stores offer a nice selection of party favors for, yep, $1.00. There may be 4-8 trinkets per package, which is a great deal compared to the Pooh stuff. (nothing against Pooh or Disney!)
The Cake
I am baking challenged. I did know that I would be using my Great Grandmothers (GG) lamb cake mold for my son's b-day. It's a family tradition. The problem is none of my family lives within 1,000 miles of us and my GG never let anyone see her make the cake and there is no recipe. (which leads me to suspect she didn't really make this thing). I was on my own to figure it out. After 7 hours and at 1:30 AM, I had a lamb cake that was put together with more toothpicks than frosting.
My point? Oh, right - if you are blessed with the fingers and finesse of a baking god/goddess, make your own cake. It can be a simple 'Betty Crocker' cake or a fancy theme cake. Either way, do-it-yourselfers will save money. Dannyzmom has a great review on how to do a theme cake yourself. Another idea is to make cake-cones. Make the cake, stuff it into sugar cones and top with frosting and sprinkles. It's a neat idea, requires no plates (easy cleanup) and the kids love them!
If you are like me and just can't make a cake, ask a partygoer's parent or relative to help. I ended up buying a 'back-up' Pooh cake ($25.00) just in case my lamb cake turned out to be better used as a doorstop.
Fun
Our party had to be indoors due to snow. We had a tent set up in the living room that was a huge hit! Coloring books or the other indoor creative activities I mentioned will work well,too.
A treasure hunt is always a fun idea (indoors or out) and keeps children busy. Unfortunately where I live, an outdoor hunt might turn out to be a search and rescue mission, but most people have a great outdoor set up for a treasure hunt. For prizes, you can break up a package of fancy pencils, crazy straws or other trinket, hide pennies (if kids are old enough), and treats.
If the weather is nice around your child's birthday, water balloons are always a hit. A plastic pool is about $13 for the larger size, $9 for the small. I'm sure you have some kind of rope lying around and a game of tug-of-war would be fun. Sidewalk chalk can be found in packages of 5 for about $1.50 (Big Lots!). Rubber balls are always a hit and cost as little as $.99 if you don't already have one.
Consider having the party at a nearby community park that has a swing set and other playground activities. You won't be worried about messing up your house and the activities are FREE!
Drinks
If you have enough sippy cups or sports bottles, great - go homemade. If you drink bottled water throughout the year, save the bottles with the pull-up tops for this specific use. I have to vote for juice boxes or pouches in this department. I just cringe at the thought of red Kool Aid on my carpet or sofa.
Invitations and Thank-you Notes
With this great invention of the Computer and Internet, you can send 'evites' to individual mailboxes or download and print invitations and thank-you notes. Try Blue Mountain http://www.bluemountain.com/.
Another alternative is to make your own. My cousin is a teacher and she has the kids cut out a small card, fold in half and paint with watercolors. After the paint is dry, write the invitation or thank-you and mail.
Party On
I hope I have given you some ideas to consider for your next party. Plan ahead, watch for sales, and shop the discount stores first. You might just be surprised at your own creative ability!
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