That fine line between wanting to give our children the best things in life and still understanding our restrictions tends to get a bit blurry. Sometimes we splurge on toys that we shouldn’t have, let them stay up way too late and eat ice cream, and other times we throw them lavish birthday parties when they are way outside of our budgets.
The desire to rent out the coolest bouncy castle and get the most elaborate cake can be hard to resist, but it is important to remember that you don’t have to spend ridiculous amounts of money to give your kids an amazing time on their birthday. Get creative! Make up your own backyard adventures, enlist your family and friends to help you make something awesome, and follow these super easy budget-friendly party planning tips.
1. Get A Cheap Venue
When it comes to children’s birthday parties, the venue doesn’t always matter as much as you think. Sure, it would be amazing to rent out an inside trampoline gym or pay for a trip to the zoo but kids can have a good time just about anywhere. Try transforming your backyard into the perfect play place or taking advantage of free local parks and attractions. You might have to deal with a little more clean-up this way, but the amount of money you’ll save is more than worth it.
2. Keep The Invites Simple
Cool invites are a great way to let your potential guests in on just how awesome your party is going to be, but party invitations definitely don’t have to be expensive to be cool. Find free online templates and send out e-vites to your guests via their email accounts or try your hand at a little bit of graphic design and create and print your own, this way your child can give their invites out the old-fashioned way without having to spend any old-fashioned dollars.
3. Get Your DIY On
Your kid’s birthday party is the perfect time to flex those burgeoning Pinterest-esque DIY skills. With some effort and a little creativity, you can easily and cheaply make all of the decorations, party favors, and even the games. Doing this will allow you to customize your child’s party to the fullest extent and without spending a fortune.
4. No Fancy Food
The great think about throwing a birthday party for kid’s is that they don’t require tons of fancy hors d’oeuvres or multiple course meals. If doing the traditional thing and ordering a ton of pizzas is out of the question, try your hand at making a few simple, but delicious food options for everyone. Save those extra bucks for an awesome cake.
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5. Don’t Count Out Discount Stores
This is a rule that you should always live by, in general, but especially when it comes to party planning. If you don’t have the DIY chops or the time to make all of the decorations and party favors yourself, you can always rely on discount stores to have some pretty amazing finds at even better prices.