Welcome to my 52 Ways to Save $100 a Month series. We’re serious about saving money in 2016. Sometimes it’s the little things and sometimes it’s the big things. I’m here to walk you through some little things that can add up to BIG savings. 52 little things to be exact. Every week, join me back here for another small money saving tip or idea that might not seem like significant savings until you see the overall yearly savings. It might just blow your mind. So pop in each Tuesday and read a new tip that will help you on your way to save $100 a month!
Birthdays are a big deal, especially when children are involved. It’s the one day a year that is all about them. That is important and should be celebrated, but you don’t have to break the bank to do it. They will remember being celebrated, not how much you spent on them. And unless you’re a Kardashian willing to drop millions, these great ideas on how to save big on birthday parties might come in handy.
Pick a Free Location: If you can take out the cost of the party place, you can pump a lot more money into the part itself. Obviously, a party at your house is going to be ideal. You can always transform a normal room into a jungle or a backyard into a Hawaiian luau paradise with some simple decorations. But if your house is not ideal, take the party to a park. A park is the perfect party place because the entertainment is free {jungle gyms are the best}, the decor needed is minimal {built in trees and rolling lawns of grass make for some pretty scenic parties} and they often have BBQ grills next to covered patios and picnic tables. Makes that BBQ birthday party easy peasy. And the location price tag is ZERO!
Stick to a Budget: Set the budget first, and then have a money chat with your kids. Find out what is most important to them. Is it the decor? The party favors? The cake? Let them prioritize and then let them help you map out the budget. By allowing them to be involved in the process, they will not only be learning a valuable money lesson, but also play an important role in shaping a successful party. I suspect that would make that party even more surprising. If your kids are too young to understand money, then make sure you stick to a realistic budget. Having those firm guidelines will help prevent you from blowing your budget.
Choose the Time Wisely: If you have a party at noon or 5pm, guests will expect a meal in addition to birthday cake. But do a party at 2pm, right in between meals, and all you’ll have to serve is cake. Eliminating the cost of feeding each guest a full meal will significantly cut down on costs.
Make Your Own Cake and Invitations: Bakery cakes can be crazy spendy. They average around $30 for a decorated cake. That’s nuts when you can bake your own using just a few dollars worth of ingredients. And if you aren’t much of a baker, check out this tip on How to Make a Boxed Cake Mix Taste Homemade. Also, when in doubt, make cupcakes. Cupcakes are simple, easy to decorate and always look festive. I have some Great Cupcake Baking Tips as well! Homemade invites are easy as well, and will save a pretty penny.
Limit Guest Lists: Inviting every kid in the class might seem fair, but it’s also expensive. Give your child a hard limit on the invite list, or you can keep it even simpler and invite only family. A big party doesn’t necessarily mean a better party. Sometimes a small affair translates into a more intimate and fun celebration of the birthday kid.
Make Party Favors: You could do away with party favors completely, but if your child is set on them, think about alternative party favors. I’ve done homemade jam or let the kids decorate their own cupcakes and take that home as a favor instead of spendy goodie bags. You can also turn a party craft into their party favor. Make beaded bracelets, pinwheels, hair clips or other similar items and kill 2 birds with one stone. If your child is still insisting, hit up the dollar store for cheap favor ideas.
What are some money saving tips for parties you use? How much would you say you spend on a party on average?
How Much Can You Save: $350+ A recent article I read said that the average American family spends almost $400 on a birthday party for a child. That’s nuts. Following the simple rules above, I’ve held a successful party for around $50! That’s a savings on $350. Sweet!
More Ways to Save:
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Clean Out Your Closet {Week 1 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Break Up with Cable {Week 2 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Barter Better {Week 3 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Change Your Own Oil {Week 4 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Adjust Your Thermostat {Week 5 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Take Advantage of Your Perks {Week 6 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Pack Your Lunch {Week 7 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Make It Yourself {Week 8 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Preserve Your Bounty {Week 9 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Keep the Change {Week 10 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | The Art of Borrowing {Week 11 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Ditch the Gym {Week 12 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Clip a Coupon {Week 13 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Start Your Garden From Seed {Week 14 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Learn to Cut Hair {Week 15 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Become a 1 Car Family {Week 16 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Make a Phone Call {Week 17 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Shop Christmas in July {Week 18 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Grow a Garden {Week 19 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Just Say No {Week 20 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Go Generic {Week 21 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Make a Budget {Week 22 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Use the Library {Week 23 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Kick the Soda Habit {Week 24 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Improve Your Credit Score {Week 25 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Shop Online {Week 26 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Save on Lodging {Week 27 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Play for Free {Week 28 of 52}
photo credit, photo credit, photo credit
Lisa says
I used to burn playlists themed to the party on to CD’s and hand those out as party favors. I would design cute liner notes and put them in jewel cases. The CD’s and the cases were pretty inexpensive to start with, and I made several sets for several parties over the years with that initial purchase. It was fun to come up with unusual playlists that pulled songs from various genre’s, not just kids music. (Especially memorable are the dinosaur party and robot party). My son’s friends (and parents) really looked forward to the new playlist, and they could be heard in minivans throughout the school parking lot.
Brooke says
Note: Unless you have a licence for the music, this is illegal and unethical. Not saying you didnt, but don’t want folks to get the wrong impression 🙂
Rhonda says
Years ago, I read of the $100 birthday and have borrowed the idea for my family. My children have $50 (my family was on a very tight budget when we started this) for their party and their gift. Whoever they don’t spend on the party goes to buy their gift. Anything in the house is free, including decorations, supplies for games, food from our pantry and events, and cake/cupcake supplies. We have had mad scientist birthday party that had science experiments (baking sofa and vinegar, ivory soap in the microwave, gloop), a carnival (Hershey “kissing” booth, bean bag toss, cake walk), a messy games (pb and j made with feet and each person must eat their sandwich, make the birthday boy into a sundae), and a trip to the beach (bonfire and waves). The kids get involved in how to maximize their party (thank goodness for the intent and tons of great ideas) with also being able to maximize their gift. Most kids leaving the party exclaim how much fun they had.
jennifer says
For favors, I just put a big bowl on a table next to the door on the way out kids can grab something like suckers, ring pops, a homemade treat, homemade playdough, etc. I have found it’s best to start off when the kids are young not having extravagant parties as not to set the bar way to high. If you have older kids, I think a sleepover with just a few friends works well and doesn’t cost much. I like to do homemade individual pizzas that the kids decorate themselves. Homemade popcorn and a movie with kids and pillows all over the living room floor is a fun. For drinks make a big pitcher of koolaid or equivalent for them to drink all night. Homemade cakes are delicious and can be decorated to look more fancy. It’s also fun to let the kids decorate the birthday child’s cake as part of the party. Letting the kids decorate the cake takes the pressure off you to have a perfect cake. Just fill several plastic freezer bags with different colored frosting, cut holes in the tip, and let them make the masterpiece. You can add some candles and sing Happy Birthday when they are done. Sometimes my kids want a Chuckie Cheese or skating party. The way I handle that is to have a party at home then take them and their friends there after the party is over. I usually spend less than $50 on birthday parties. I had sponge bob party for my middle child with a homemade sponge bob cake and homemade crabby patties(sliders with a toothpick flag stuck on each one that said crabby patty on it). I decorated with pictures of sponge bob and his friends that I printed off the computer and taped to the table. I also got a real pineapple that I decorated to look like sponge bobs house an I served cubed pineapple for a snack. I used blue koolaid for the ocean water. I guess the point is with a little creativity you can have a memorable party and not spend much.
Brooke says
Parks and PNW winters don’t make for good parties. Any ideas for cheap indoor locations besides community centers? Paying for the 2x/year parties is still cheaper then having a house and mortgage big enough to host them, but I’m always looking to get the cost down more.
Hazel says
My youngest ‘s birthday is the day after Christmas (Boxing Day in the uk) and so we’ve often picked a date for an ‘official’ birthday- usually around June 26 for her- so she can have a summer party.
The best was the ‘strawberry party’ she wanted- and afternoon at a fruit farm that has a free play area. The kids picked strawberries into named cartons and that was their party bag (favour) and then we had a picnic with a sponge cake with cream and strawberries and the girls played whilst we had a coffee! It was lovely and totally stress free!
jamie says
We had home parties when my kids were little with lots of crafts and homemade cake. Now they enjoy him parties too. We had a few awkward years (tweenie and young teens) where they wanted yo be more entertained.
I bought a more expensive membership to the science center that allowed for many extra guests. It cost $210 (usually $250 we had a discount from my hubby’s work) but was good for the year and I would use it for all three of my kids parties. We’d load up the 8 passenger van and take everyone to the museum or a movie at thr museum. Little Caesar’s pizza party was in the van on the way there (cover everything inside the van with sheets so it wasn’t covered in sauce) or a quick stop on the way home to enjoy with homemade cake. Everyone loved it and the kids were barely at my house.
Two of my three kids have birthdays a month apart, so I would buy the membership around their birthdays’ and have their parties a few weeks before or after the actual birthday date so I could use it for basically two years worth of parties. The movies and exhibits change all the time. I basically got 5 parties plus our family’s use of a upgraded membership for $210. A couple Little Caesar’s pizzas is $12. Homemade cake and ice cream $4. Great memories, cheap and little mess! Only decorated once too!
One year the membership was about to expire so we literally loaded up the van at 9am to head into the city. Enjoyed the exhibit, stopped for pizza on the way back, cake at home. Said goodbye to the guests at 2pm. 2:30pm guests for my oldest child arrived and we loaded back up and headed back for a movie at the museum.
Brianna says
I haven’t had any parties for my kids yet. I don’t really know why, but I think it would be too stressful to handle on my own. I have two that are born on the same day and I make it a point to make two different cakes/desserts. I celebrate one during lunch and the other one at dinner, so they each feel like they have their own celebration. My other two are both summer birthdays exactly a month apart and a lot of their friends are from school and I either don’t know how to contact them or their friends go to dad’s/Gramdma’s/vacation house for the summer. My kids have been to other birthdays and we live in a posh neighborhood in Georgia and we cannot afford the same type of party for our kids. These parents spend a lot on the parties and I am surprised at the party planners and details. At one party, the mom changed the daughters outfit at least 4 times for different parts or the party. Whatever happened to simple?
Marcia says
Parties are about $400. It’s hard to do one for less.
– House too small for a party.
– Parks have rental fees for about $100. Then add food.
– YMCA, bowling, all are also about $250, not including the food
My 10 year old: (March birthday, outside is risky)
Age 1, no party
Age 2, at the park ($85 rental fee, plus food). Probably $300-$350
Age 3, at our house (food) but a crap ton of work. Probably $150
Age 4, YMCA? $400
Age 5, I don’t remember, YMCA again? $400
Age 6, Bowling. Lots of people there…$350?
Age 7, I don’t remember
Age 8, Sleepover
Age 9, YMCA (i thought I was DONE after the sleepover!! My husband booked the darn YMCA and then left on a business trip)
Age 10: 4 friends to the trampoline place ($150)
My four year old:
… no parties – I learned my lesson!
Age 1: was “coincidentally” visiting in laws on the other side of the country
Age 2-4…yeah, nothing. Poor kid. He’ll live.
Actually, we have a pot luck every Sunday night in the ‘hood. The Sunday nearest his birthday, we take cake and sing.
The problem with the earlier parties is that they were “family” parties. Whole family invited. Then it’s a “thing”, and you invite one kid and get three (the sibs). This year, with the only 4 boys limit…still the day after my spouse said “I think X and Y were sad they were’t invited” (two neighbor girls). I said “too bad, it’s too expensive”. “But it’s only 2 more!” “No, it’s FIVE more when you add their sisters. At $15 each.”
Jennifer says
When my kiddos were littler we live where it snowed six months out of the year and with their birthdays in the winter we got creative using snow. From sledding parties, snowball wars, painting the snow using cheap water bottles and food coloring to snowmen contests. They would be outside for about an hour depending on the temperture then it was inside for hot cocoa and a movie with popcorn. Another fun idea is a scavenger hunt in and around your house with a sundae for dessert ( you could find the toppings on your hunt.
As a last note we never handed out parrt favors, I guess I always figured us having their children over for the afternoon was favor enough
NCJill says
Once our 4 children got to “double digits” (10), we required “no gifts” be put on any invitations and/or a donation to a cause the bd child chose. Sometimes when the child heard our policy they begged off a party (winning!)or were so sweet to graciously donate any gifts/$ to the less fortunate. This turned our children into selfless givers (ages 18+ now) willing to serve and not be served.