Want to celebrate your kids birthday in a big way, but without breaking the bank or your and your housekeeper’s back? Sound impossible? Never fear, budget birthday advice is here!
Plan in advance
As true with everything in life, things left to the last minute cost more. For two reasons: (1) no time to shop for deals and (2) stress to deliver leads to poor decisions and over spending. So plan far in advance! You can even get a lot done in the “off hours” by doing jobs online.
Invitations
Go digital. Not only are they fast, fun and free (!!!) – they can help the other parents by easily going straight into the calendar.
Venue
Search Google for lots of ideas on unusual and affordable venues near you. Your housekeeper will thank you for having the party outside the house because the prep and clean-up of a kid’s party can be a lot of work! If you cannot find something that matches your need, look closer to home. More specifically, look out the back window to your back yard. The price is right and cleaning up outdoors is much easier than indoors.
Activities
Ask a friend or relative who is good with kids or even a coach to organise and lead on games – which are best kept simple such as tag. Kids just want to have fun; they don’t need pomp and circumstance.
Cake
This one is easy; bake your own! You can even enlist the help of your kids to get this one done. Cupcakes are also a great option! Better yet, have cupcakes and let the kids decorate their own with gummies, candies and so on!
Decorations and goodie bags
Goodie bags are pretty standard fare but are not a must. If you do decide to do bags, set a budget and stick to it. Decorations make the party festive. Look online for deals and for easy deliver to your front door.
Hopefully this will give you a good start. If you are stuck for ideas, there are lots of ideas online! And don’t forget that if your child’s birthday falls on a school day, they might want to celebrate a little with their friends, in a fun and healthy way!
And don’t forget the most important ingredient for a great birthday party: Fun, fun, fun! Smile and the whole world will smile with you.