The Frugal Way to Plan a Home Party for Your Child

These days, a meaningful yet frugal birthday party is hard to come by. When you consider that the event planning industry rakes in over $500 billion dollars per annum (Source: International Events Specialists Society, ises.com), you can imagine how much families spend each year on extravagant, professionally-planned parties.

Instead of opting for the usual venue-based, catered, event planner-conceptualized party, bring back the classic tradition of having a birthday party at home. Here are some aids to help you make this home-made day a truly special (and seamless) one!

Step 1. Start planning early. If you want to have a frugal yet awesome birthday party at home for your kid, plan early. Learn about what he or she wants for a party. When you start early, you’ll have time to change, modify or work with your child to execute or even change some expectations, which will save you unnecessary expenses.
It also helps to visit some Internet sites for some birthday party inspiration and ideas. Good sources are:

•    The Sweetest Occasion
•    The Party Dress
•    Marthastewart.com
•    Cakeevents

 

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Step 2: Make a timeline.
Set aside a date six weeks before the party, if possible, to get together with your birthday celebrant. A sample timeline might look like this:

______________’s Birthday Party Timeline

Four to six weeks before:
□    Choose the type of party you want to throw.
□    Set the date.
□    Make an initial guest list.

4 weeks before
□    Make invitations. (Try hand-making them!)
□    Decide on the menu. Stock up on pantry supplies like flour, sugar, canned tomato or spaghetti sauce, and other non-perishable items.
□    Research and finalize games and activities.

3 weeks before
□    Mail invitations or have them hand-delivered. Call invited guests to ensure they received the invites
□    Buy materials for your homemade decorations.
□    Enlist extra help from close family members (e.g. help making décor cut-outs; help brainstorm how to play games, etc).

2 weeks before
□    Buy supplies needed to make lootbags.
□    Make a sample sequence flow or schedule of activities for the day itself.
□    Complete handmade decorations, signs, and other details like lootbag labels, food labels, etc.

1 week before
□    Call guests who have not yet responded.

3 days before
□    Buy food supplies for your birthday party menu.
□    But the party favors/stuffers for lootbags.
□    Set the tables for a trial run so you have time to make last-minute layout changes.

 

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1 day before
□    Bake the birthday cake. Keep in fridge until ready to serve tomorrow.
□    Hang up indoor decorations. (Do the outdoors early tomorrow, in case it rains.)
□    Make sure that any borrowed supplies have been dropped off at your house (e.g. extra tables, chairs, linens borrowed from a friend or relative, etc)
□    Prepare spaghetti sauce and freeze until ready to be heated up tomorrow.
□    Make sure comfort rooms are stocked with paper towels, soap, toiletries, etc.

The big day
□    Set up food tables, dessert and giveaway tables.
□    Heat up stored spaghetti sauce.
□    Prepare cooked foods (pasta, chicken, sandwiches).

Frugal Tip: DIY or hand-make things. There are plenty of things you can do handmade, such as invitations, decorations, party hats, even the birthday cake. Hit the flea market in Dapitan and shop for inexpensive cake stands and color-coordinated serving ware so you can set up an attractive food table. Buy crepe paper for streamers; buy your own balloons and inflate them at home; make party hats out of cardboard and printable decals from free downloads on the Internet; make a birthday cake from a simple cake mix and ready-to-spread icing; the options are endless. Remember: Making things at home will always turn out cheaper.

 

Step 2. Make a checklist.

Here’s a sample checklist of all the items you will need on that party timeline of yours. Bring this along with you when you shop for supplies. Remember to categorize the checklist so you make an organized trip to the suppliers:

Sample Birthday Party Checklist

Stationery
□    Invitations
□    Thank-you Cards
□    Decoration supplies
o    Crepe paper
o    Yarn
o    Cardboard

Party supplies
□    Party hats
□    Balloons
□    Prizes for games
□    Favors/Lootbags
o    Crayons
o    Coloring book
o    Cookies

Food Tables
□    Table cloths
□    Paper plates
□    Utensils
□    Paper napkins
□    Paper Cups
□    Drinks
□    Ice

Food (See the article on how to plan a home party menu)

 

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Step 3. Settle your budget.
Make two budgets: One for the food, the other for the party paraphernalia. Here’s a simple way to do this:

Food budget: Factor in all the ingredients you will be using for your home made food. Be simple. If your kids are the typical set, they’ll be happy with homecooked spaghetti and chicken fingers, and of course, birthday cake. On your next trip to the grocery store, canvass for economy packs of pasta, frozen boneless chicken, spaghetti sauce, cake mix and ready-made frosting.

Party paraphernalia budget: This is everything else that ties your party together: decorations, invites, game materials, lootbag fillers, birthday cake candles, table cloths, and all other non-food items related to the party. The simplest way to make a budget for the paraphernalia is to set aside a whole morning or part of your day at the supply stores, like the office supply shop, the craft store, the department store toy section, etc. Canvass for the items you need, pare down to the essentials only. Then, draw up a cost estimate for the items you need.

In the end: Simplify the actual party
Less is more is the adage to go by when throwing a simple and frugal party at home. If something doesn’t work, like a piece of decoration that won’t hang or some game that just isn’t going to be a hit with the kids, let it go. Remember, most kids just want to have fun and eat cake. Make your home birthday party what it ought to be: meaningful, intimate, and—most of all—the kind of party your child will never forget.



Photo from www.sxc.hu