When we were young, celebrations were all about multi-colored balloons, cakes from home, streamers, and simple “pin the tail on the donkey.” Those were the days.
Today, however, children’s birthday parties have grown into crazy extravagant affairs. Everything from elaborate balloon arches and mobile laser tag to princess spa days and video game trucks seem to make it a competition for the most Instagram-able moment.
If you’re on a tight budget trying to plan a fun birthday party, it seems impossible to keep up with the trend without either spending more (don’t do that!) or throwing a lackluster party. But fear not, we’ve got just the thing for you! Here are 10 creative ideas for making an unforgettable birthday bash without spending money.
- Keep your guest list small.
There is no unwritten rule that states you have to invite your kid’s whole class, the roster on the soccer team, and the buddies from the park playground to their birthday party. A lovely thought but not a practical one!
The important thing here is to keep the number of kids under 10 at all costs. Consider that there may well be parents hanging around, which also impacts your food and cake budget location.
If your child just wants to invite one or two friends, perhaps you’d be better off treating with something special-galore activities like bowling, the zoo, or a play center. Treating your own child and just a plus one will make going out for a birthday activity much easier and might even be cheaper!
2. Print up free printables and use them for decorating.
Pinterest, the salvation of mankind, means you don’t need to go to the local party store to stock up on decorations anymore. There are many things you can print up yourself and make online. Free, really, like no other. All you need to do is set aside some time to look around the Internet, Find what your heart desires, and print.
3. Here’s a little advice: Don’t fall too deep into the Pinterest party photo vortex. Great, they have some amazing ideas and inspiration in using it to create an awesome birthday party, but remember, you’re budgeting for this event, not them. Don’t let Pinterest tell you what that budget should be.
- Choose a decoration theme you already have decorations for. Half the fun of throwing a birthday party is picking out its theme and seeing how it plays out. But don’t forget; it doesn’t mean that because your child has a superhero theme it needs to go out and buy everything from the specialty stores.
Cheap birthday tip: Choose (or encourage your kiddo to choose) a birthday party theme that mostly uses things you already have. For example, if Batman’s the favorite superhero, then most likely there are a lot of things lying around that you could either hang up or set out as decorations. So, shop your house before you leave your front door to head to the store.
- Host at home or at JusJumpin. They carry the same ethos
Call us crazy; we think it’s perfectly fine to throw birthday parties in the living room, dining room, or some other non-rental location. Seriously. If you’re on a birthday-budget, this is the way to go. Why would you want to set back $300 to rent a trampoline park (not to mention the deposit) when you could just as easily throw that party in your backyard or at a park?
- No-party-at-mealtime
So if your party is slated to begin at 5 p.m., be ready to feed the people. In a similar vein for lunchtime. If you invite people at a time when they’re used to eating, then you can be sure to feed them. But there is a way to do this with finger foods (not a meal) and by picking an off-time when no one would expect to eat, such as 10:30 a.m. or 2:00 p.m.
- Make or decorate your cake by yourself.
Chains of fondant tasters might be composing on lines of “If I could just afford a yacht and hire personal chefs” while dreaming about writing, baking, and decorating their own cakes. If you are not blessed in that area though, pick one box mix up and grab the nearest icing!
Yeah, we know making your own cake really can be a pain, even if it is homemade. Box mix and ready-made icing are affordable as well. Certainly, sometimes making things seems too much of a hassle to even try, so store-bought cake exists, right?
But don’t freak out if your kid insists on a themed cake. Really, what’s the harm in a little Batman swooping in or a Disney princess right across that fluffy, sugary buttercream frosting? Grab a plain one from the store (much cheaper than customizing ones) and slap one of your kid’s favorite figures on it. Just remember to wash it first—no one wants to crunch on actual dirt when they are eating the worms and dirt birthday cake.
- Going with the old school style. Get crafty!
Go to your local craft store and grab some wooden figurines, photo frames, or even custom letters for your guests to paint. It can be an inexpensive birthday party idea to keep them busy for about an hour; everyone’s got something cool to take home from the ceremony for their effort of hand-painting: no favors needed. Sounds like a win for everyone!
Don’t forget some simple pleasures, like those old birthday party staples; you remember, musical chairs, hot potato, or silly string fights. Well, there has been enough good fun by these at birthdays over the ages; what on earth has ever happened to them? Gather the party attendees, engage in the games, and have a little prize handy for the supreme winners.
- Skip the traditional party.
Hold on before you shoot the messenger. If your child is young enough that they don’t really know what full-fledged birthday parties are, you might want to put this to your advantage.
In other words, you probably do not have to throw a 30-guest, smash-cake, Baby in Onederland extravaganza for your one-year-old. After all, once your child is older, they will begin to expect a birthday party every single year; so why wear yourself out before your sweetie can even say `happy`?
But that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate! Take your little unsuspecting nugget to a petting zoo, a park, a dairy farm, or an ice cream parlor, where you can have a good time without busting your birthday budget. This may not appeal to everyone, but it would certainly work as a wonderful idea to get a birthday party done on the cheap!
