Host a Children’s Party Without Overspending

If your child’s birthday is coming up, you don’t have to spend a fortune on food, decor, custom cakes, and party favors for the guests. You don’t need to bankrupt yourself in an effort to give your child the best time possible! As long as children have presents and a cake, they should be happy. If you are currently planning a birthday party for your child, here are some great ideas on how to plan a kid’s birthday party on a budget. 

Planning a Budget-Friendly Children’s Birthday Party

#1: Keep The Guest List Small

There is a tendency for some parents to invite every person from their child’s class or sports team. They do this because other parents have started the trend, but it doesn’t make sense. First, you will have to spend a fortune on food, decorations, and goody bags. And second, there will be those in the class or team that your child isn’t particularly close with. So, whittle down the guest list with your child and encourage them to invite a select just a few close friends. Sure, they will get fewer presents, but they will have more time to be with the people they are close to. 

Additionally, experts say that for toddlers and preschoolers, you should only invite the number of your child’s age plus one. So if your child is four, she can invite 5 guests. As a child gets older, you can continue to use this formula, or you can limit the number of guests to a handful of close friends. You get to decide this as a parent. Don’t let “peer pressure” affect how many people you invite.

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#2: Make Your Own Party Decorations

Party decorations aren’t hard to make so don’t assume you need to fill your shopping trolley with banners, bunting, and anything that might be related to the theme of your child’s party. Instead, work with your child and create your own. You will save money this way AND you will have the opportunity to bond with your child when you’re engaged in crafts. There are lots of birthday decor ideas here if you need some inspiration. 

Furthermore, your child will remember the time you spent making the decorations together. This is an excellent bonding strategy and makes party planning even more special.

Of course, one way to make any occasion feel a lot more festive is to add some balloons into the mix. Different balloons can be better suited for outdoor or indoor environments, as well as for achieving different aesthetics. If you’re trying to make the party look its very best, then The Ultimate Guide On Balloons can be just the resource that you need. However, expect to be cleaning up lots of deflated or popped balloons after the festivities are over. You can find balloons of all sizes, shapes, and colors, so matching the overall nature of the party shouldn’t be any trouble.

#3: Make A Homemade Cake

Birthday cakes can be expensive when trying to plan a kid’s birthday party and stick to a budget. In fact, depending on the store you choose, they could eat up half your budget. At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself: Is it worth spending a lot of money on something that will be gobbled up within minutes? Probably not, so take a look at the recipes you can find online. We liked the look of this Funfetti cake recipe but think about what your child will enjoy and find a recipe to match. 

Another special way to celebrate with your own cake is to make Funfetti cupcakes, but don’t put frosting on them. Make individual frosting bags for the kids and have them ice and decorate the cupcakes on their own. This doubles for the cake and activity! Win-Win

#4: Ask Parents To Contribute

This is definitely something you should do if other parents expect to be invited to the party. Of course, you could save money by not inviting them as you wouldn’t need to cater for them. But they can be an invaluable help, especially if their children need special attention. It’s better to have some parents there to help out. So, if they are going to be there, encourage them to bring along some party food. This will be especially helpful if their own children have food intolerances or food allergies but it will also help you save money on your food bill. 

#5: Plan Your Own Entertainment

You don’t need to hire Bozo the Clown or Magical Mike the Magician! Entertainers can be expensive so don’t assume you need a special guest for your party. Instead, plan your own entertainment, perhaps with some of these party games. Or have a talent show, where your child and their guests can entertain one another. Or you could simply set up a movie screen and have popcorn at the ready. It’s not too hard to keep children entertained if you have things for them to do.

Other inexpensive party ideas include playing favorite video games. If your child has a video game console, encourage friends to bring games your child doesn’t already own to play during the party.

Children love to swim. If you have a community pool or an above ground swimming pool and can have excellent supervision of the event consider a pool party. However, even if you don’t have a pool, you can improvise other “water activities” to ensure your child has a happy birthday. Consider water guns or water balloons – this is another awesome activity that kids love.

Another great way to have lots of fun is a treasure hunt. This pirate-themed idea can actually be customized for any type of birthday party such as a space-themed treasure hunt.

One more great party idea is a scavenger hunt. Meet at a local park and divide into groups for a scavenger hunt. Afterward, snag a picnic table and have cake, juice boxes, and pass out simple goodie bags. No need to spend extra money on elaborate decorations.

#6 Make Your Own Invitations

Simple invitations that are cute can be made easily on your computer. This can save a lot of money by creating and printing your own party invites. Custom invites can be several dollars each if you purchase already created ones, but if you make your own, they may only cost a fraction of that.

To save additional money, save the postage and send out digital invites via email or texting!

#7 Select a Theme that You Already “Own”

Another way to stay within your birthday party budget for your kid’s birthday party is to use decorations from items you already own. For example, if your child collects Lego sets, you can play simple games such as “create your own Lego creation” or everyone gets the same parts and has to create something that will float or will the tallest structure.

If your child collects Toy Story figures, host a Toy Story party and use the figures as decorations. Reusing what you already own is not just smart, but it is also budget-friendly!

#8 The Dollar Store is Your Friend

The dollar tree or whatever dollar store is close by should be your first stop when planning to stay within a budget for your child’s birthday party. Plastic tablecloths for $1 for the win. Cute favors or plates can all be found there and will help you save a significant amount of money.

#9 Host the Party at a “Free” Venue

Let’s face it, when you are trying to plan a kid’s birthday party on a budget, you cannot host the event at a bowling alley, trampoline park, or rent expensive bounce houses. Furthermore, if you don’t want to host the party at your house, it may be a little harder to find a free venue, but almost every town has a local park. This destination will help save wear and tear on your house and also helps save the money in your wallet.

#10 Plan in Advance

If you begin to plan your child’s birthday party months in advance, you can stick to your budget by looking for items on sale and purchasing a few things at a time. If you spread the cost of the party out over 2-3 months versus 2 weeks, it will hardly make a dent in your weekly budget. Look for items in the sales aisles at Target, WalMart or TJMaxx.

#11 Reconsider What a Birthday Party Actually Looks Like

So often we get hung up on what a birthday party looks like that we think there is just one best way to host a birthday party. Sticking to your birthday budget can mean just having simple snacks and birthday cake and ice cream. You can achieve this by planning your event outside of the regular meal time.

The time of day you plan your party will determine whether people expect a meal or not. Additionally, just inserting a simple line into the invites, such as “join us for cake and ice cream” can eliminate any confusion parents may have about the menu.

#12 Stick to Your List

The number one reason we overspend is that we just go off our list for one or two items. It is a good idea to make a detailed list for each place you will be shopping or for all the items you will need. When going to the grocery store, this list will ensure you don’t just pick up one or two items that have you break your food budget.

#13 Have Only One Party

Many times parents plan two separate parties, one for friends and one for family members. This means additional party supplies, time spent shopping and preparing, and party bags, If you are having a family party, invite a few friends and just have one big party.

Final Thoughts to Plan A Kid’s Birthday Party on a Budget

The more money you can save on your child’s party the better, as you will then have more money for their present – or even the party itself can be the present! Remind them of this fact if they are upset that they can’t invite the entirety of their school or Sunday school class to the party!