Let’s be honest birthday parties cost a pretty penny to have everything you want. Back in the day ice cream and cake, finger foods and party games are all you needed to have a successful birthday party. Now simple doesn’t cut it for most kids. All our kids are obsessed with one thing or the other. They want to be their favorite character for Halloween and want a themed birthday party. Everyone want’s their kid to have the best party and it’s their birthday they deserve to have a great party you can be proud of. You should be able to save a little to throw your little one the perfect party. From princess parties to spider-man themed parties there are hacks and tips to save some money on things like decorations, entertainment and food.

1.  Homemade Invitations

Having your little one make his/her own invitations to the party is great way to keep them creatively active. It’s cost effective and a fun activity to do as family. You can get stock/arts and crafts paper from any craft store or office supply store. You can get them in different colors and designs to fit the theme or color scheme of the party. You’ll need scissors, glue (sticks or liquid), glitter for the girls. It’s great way to make unique invitations for your party and get the party boy/girl involved in the party planning. If you’re having a princess party or any themed party there are many stencils you can find at your local craft store or even in your kitchen to create some amazing designs both you and the little one will be proud off.

2. Entertainment

   As I’ve mentioned in a past article, we all know entertainment is important when throwing a birthday party, especially for kids. They have short attention spans and need to be entertained constantly and kept occupied to avoid chaos. For a child, a birthday party is one of the most important days of the year, it’s on the list after Christmas and before Easter. They want to have the best party out of their friends, and it gives you a little bragging right among the PTA. There are various options for entertainment from, classic games to professional entertainment. When dealing with professional entertainment, it can be a bit pricey at time but the key is in how many hours you book the entertainment for. You can book for an hour or two, have the entertainment come in near the end as a surprise guest and wow all your guests. With the release of Frozen and remake of Disney classics, Princess party entertainers are a big hit among little girls. You’re little princess, likes to dress up as her favorite princess and will absolutely enjoy meeting her idol.

If princesses isn’t your child’s thing there are other options. Face painters and balloon twisters are great fun as well. Kids find them entertaining and it keeps the kids occupied for the hour or two they watch the entertainment and wait their turn to get painted on or get a balloon art made for them.

At the end of the day whatever option you choose to go with, always remember to shop around! Do your research and get your money’s worth but also be safe. Don’t hire sketchy artists in the hopes of saving a few dollars.

3. Location

The location for a princess party or any party is just as important as the food and entertainment. You might be thinking about the mess you have to clean up at the end of the party and are considering renting a hall. As fantastic as that sounds, it’s not ideal if you’re trying to save money and spend wisely on the party. If you have a backyard or home big enough you can have the party right at home to avoid any hassles with guests getting lost. Speaking of

guests getting lost, always remember to put a balloon at the door, on the mailbox or somewhere in front of the house so party guests know which house they’re going to for the birthday party. Makes it easier for your princess entertainers, balloon twisters or face painters to not get lost coming to the party.

If you really don’t want to have it at your home, you can go over to your local park with some tables and have your party there, depending on the laws in your state or city you might need a permit to have a party at the park. It’s another good cost saving location for a birthday party. It’s outdoors and they kids get a chance to run around and have some fun and work all that sugar off before they go home.

4. Food

Alright so you’ve got the entertainment, location and invitation covered. Now what are you going to serve your party guests? You want something that’s reflective of you as a mother and your family but you also want something your guests will enjoy that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

Professional catering can be expensive unless it’s a local caterer you know who’s willing to cut you a deal. One of the best ways to save money is to make the food yourself. This is doable by yourself but it also depends on the size of the party. If you’re having more than 20 people attending, it’ll be best for both your mental and physical health to have some help preparing the food, family and friends are always good to turn to for something like this. There are different things you can do with food to fit the theme of the party.

It is also easier to prepare healthy inexpensive food options for your guests when done at home. There’s a varying range of foods depending on how much time you have on your hands. Sandwiches are great because they’re easy and you can make them with whatever you want.

 

We’ve covered the 4 most important things you can save on for your kid’s birthday party. If there is anything I  forgot to mention, let me know in the comments. Also feel free to share any other cost saving ideas you have!

Thanks for reading!