The average birthday party costs $344. In my opinion that’s ridiculous. With 4 kids we would be paying about $1200 a year in just birthday party costs. Here are some ways that we have affordable kids birthday parties.
Related: How to get you time with little kids
Skip Party Bags
Party bags often aren’t worthwhile. Often times they are full of things that aren’t useful and cause more grief for kids and parents alike. They are quickly discarded and forgotten. My kids went to a party and got party bags. They are still sitting around unopened and not asked for at all.
Skip Decor
Kids don’t need streamers, balloon arches, themed plates, table cloths or full out decorated party rooms, keep it simple to save money. Any plate or cup will do. We like to get one balloon that is shaped like the number for their age and use whatever paper plates we have on hand.
Only Offer Dessert
Cupcakes or cookies can easily be homemade and given as the only food at your party to save money on food. If you want to have a bakery made cake consider other ways to save money. My mom makes the cakes for my kids birthdays, and I probably will be the decorator when she can’t anymore. We actually don’t follow this tip for our kids birthday’s, we buy food such as pizza, Thai food, or Chinese food to share with our guests.
Related: Family of 3 meal plan
Limit Guests
Consider only inviting family, or only 3-5 friends to keep costs low. Ask your child which friends they want and if their list is long consider talking with them on what matters to them about their party. Often you will be surprised about what your kid thinks they want for their birthday.
Skip Cute Outfits
Your kid doesn’t need to have a special birthday outfit, let them choose something they already have to wear as their birthday outfit. I don’t really make a big deal about their clothes on their birthday. They wear what they choose that morning.
DIY Invitations
I use Canva to make cute invitations for my kids birthdays. Skip buying or ordering a specially made one and make your own. I also save money by only sending digital invites through a text instead of printing them. You can hand make invitations if you want them to be physical, or print the Canva invite at a local print shop.
Choose A Free Venue
Try to go to a park or even host the event at your own home. Back yards are great for a summer party. Unfortunately most of my kids birthdays are in the winter so their parties are indoors, but luckily our home is big enough to accommodate an indoor party. If you have a friend or relatives with a big house, see if they can host your party. You can even check with your church to see if you can have the party there.
Birthday’s don’t need to be expensive or big to be memorable. Sometimes the intimate low cost birthday’s are the best kind!
