Planning Your Child's Birthday Party Without Breaking the Bank

As a parent planning your child's birthday party, your first impulse might be to go out and buy all the matching Elmo decorations and plates, plan a four-course meal and buy a huge cake for your child's birthday party. However, the number one ingredient for a great birthday party is fun! You can plan a fun birthday party for your child without spending tons of money.

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Party Location

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Instead of going to the expense of renting a place for your birthday party, why not have it at your house or at the park. It's free! And if your house is not big enough for the occasion asking grandparents or another relative to use their home is not out of the question. Be sure and clean up afterwards though.

Go Cheap on the Invitations

Instead of buying those expensive invitations, why not make your own? Handwritten and homemade invitations can add a personal touch. Or you can make computer generated ones and even add a picture of your child on the invitation. Another great idea is the almighty Internet. Email your invitation or use a website such as http://www.evite.com to send your invitations. This will save you on stamps as well.

Plan Easy Games

Plan easy games that will cost nothing or little. You can make your own pin the tail on the donkey game or play duck, duck goose, musical chairs or Simon says. There are also many game ideas on the web to choose from. If you are planning an outdoor party some inexpensive sand toys, Frisbees and balls can add to the fun.

Keep the Food Simple

Keep the food simple. Most kids love hot dogs and chips. Serve drinks of soda, juice and punch from large bottles and avoid those expensive cans and juice boxes. Store bought cakes are expensive so prepare your own birthday cake or let grandma or another relative prepare it as part of their gift to the child. Or it is not unheard of to just serve cake and ice cream at a birthday party. Usually that is what the kids want to eat anyway.

Don't Go All Out on Decorations

There is no need to buy all those matching plates and napkins. If your child really loves Elmo maybe have a few Elmo plates for the kids and use regular plates and napkins for everyone else. You can also use leftover plates and napkins from other events and purchase decorations from discount stores. Blow up some inexpensive balloons to add to the occasion.

Avoid Spending a Bunch on Treat Bags

Purchase some white paper lunch bags and let the kids decorate their own treat bags with stickers, crayons and glitter. Find inexpensive items and candy at discount stores to fill the bags.

Don't Sweat it

Children are pretty easy to please. At parties they mostly entertain themselves. Throw in some games, toys and cake and they will have the time of their life!

Planning Your Child's Birthday Party Without Breaking the Bank

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Save Money by Hosting Your Child's Birthday Party at Home

In today's economy, hosting your child's birthday party at a local pizza parlor, skating rink, or other party venue is an expense that is hard to justify. That doesn't mean you can't still throw your child a memorable party. By hosting the party in your own home, the party will be more unique and special - and much easier on your wallet!

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The first step is to send out invitations at least 2-3 weeks in advance of the party. There are many affordable invitation choices available online or at stores like Target. If you wish to save, though, it's perfectly acceptable to send email invitations via sites like Evite or MyPunchbowl.

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It is important to decide on a theme for the party. Pick a theme that your child will love. Dinosaur, Princess, and Space are all popular themes for younger kids. For older kids, consider a Movie Night or Scavenger Hunt. Your theme will help every other aspect of the party fall into place easily, as it will determine what your invitations, cups, plates, and overall decor should be.

Food is generally the biggest cost for any party. However, with the right approach to the food, you can still have a nice spread without spending a lot of money. It's best to serve a buffet so guests can help themselves, and parents can choose what their child eats. You can always pre-buy foods to just reheat and serve, but it's generally more cost-effective to prepare your own. If you stick with preparing finger foods - baked chicken nuggets, mini pizza bagels, and the like - your cooking duties will be minimal, and there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

It's not necessary to go out and buy an expensive birthday cake, either. Consider making cupcakes instead. Allow guests to decorate their own cupcakes by putting out different bowls of candy and fruit out. The kids will far more enjoy eating something they helped decorate.

As for decorations and favors, keep things simple. All you really need to decorate with is streamers and balloons that coordinate with your theme. Adding a few accents to your serving tables, such as Matchbox cars if you have a Car theme or plastic tiaras for a Princess theme, is also an affordable way to make things feel festive. For favors, gift bags filled with finds from your local 99 cent store will work just fine - kids are just happy to have something they didn't have before.

There's no need to spend a lot of cash on your kid's birthday party. With these money-saving tips, throwing the party in your own home is the way to go.

Save Money by Hosting Your Child's Birthday Party at Home

Amanda DeSeta & Michelle Sy

Founders, [http://www.TheSimpleFeast.com]

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