How to Plan Your Child’s Birthday Party on a Budget

Planning your child’s birthday party on a budget can be either a breeze or a burden, depending on how you approach it. The last thing you want to do is have it turn into an expensive nightmare with wasted food and unnecessary gifts. In order for you to minimize the stress and maximize your budget for your child’s birthday bash, you need to approach the party purposefully so that you can achieve a less complicated, less wasteful and more enjoyable celebration.

1. Plan early. If you want to stick to a budget, plan for it. You need to set expectations for the event; if your child is old enough, you need to talk to him or her about what he or she wants for a party. Planning early will afford you with time to work with your child, and modify, manage or change some expectations as well.

2. Determine your overall budget. When you begin planning, start by listing the two highest priorities for yourself and your child. Let these priorities be at the top of your list, such as food and venue. By doing this, you prioritize what’s important to you and what you are willing to spend for. From this, you can determine the number of guests you can afford to host and which aspects of the party you can undertake on your own or outsource to suppliers.

3. Make a working calendar. After you have taken your child’s input into consideration and set a realistic budget based on the party priorities, you need to work backwards from the date of the party. Having a working calendar will let you factor in pay days when you can set aside a portion for the party budget, schedule payments to suppliers and purchase party needs. Stagger your payments over a period of time so that you can better manage your expenses. Calendaring everything will also let you see the entire party planning process from start to finish so that you can see which days are more freed-up than others.

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4. Simplify the actual party. Do you really need that balloon arch at the entrance of the venue, or that three-tiered theme cake (which usually comes with a tier that’s made of Styrofoam!)? Do you need to hire that professional emcee, or rent that exorbitantly-priced chocolate fountain? These things tend to make a party expensive, and are mostly unnecessary. Remember, most kids just want to have fun and eat during a party, so invest in these aspects. Choose one fun activity that the children can engage in based on what you can handle. Schedule the party during the time of day when kids are active, alert and happy. Go for simple items that can be cooked with the simplest ingredients (Every kid loves spaghetti and fried chicken!).

5. Personalize it. Make the party decorations yourself or with your child’s grandmother or your group of friends. If you’re handy with graphic design, design and print the invitations yourself. Instead of hiring an emcee or host, enlist a family member or close friend to facilitate the program (if you have one).
 
If you want to plan your child’s birthday party on a budget, you will have to go against the norms and expectations of society. Remember: The point isn’t to impress people with a grand party; the point is to celebrate your child’s life.


Photo from sxc.hu