How to Save Money on Your Child’s Birthday Party

Celebrating your child’s birthday can be a fun and exciting experience but it could also cost quite a bit of money depending on how you choose to celebrate.

Children’s’ birthday parties can cost hundreds of dollars especially if you have to rent space out or have a large guest list. We all want our kids to have a great time on their birthday with family and friends but at what cost?

If you are stretching your finances to be able to afford an extravagant birthday party that is out of your budget, you might have to reconsider and choose a more affordable option. I’m all for throwing fun and memorable birthday parties but I feel it can be done in an affordable way.

Here are a few practical ways to save on your child’s birthday party.

Host Your Party at Home

If you have space at your house, host your party at home or at a relatives house to cut back on expenses. Play facilities and arcades are nice, but they can cost a ton even if you just invite 10 kids. You can still have plenty of fun at your home if you get creative.

If you already have a game system, you can let the kids use it during the party or organize a fun activity or craft.

If your child’s birthday is during the warmer months, you can definitely take advantage of the weather by having an outdoor party. I have a friend who rents a bounce house every year for her daughter’s party in July and buys a pinata to hang up while her husband cooks food for all the guests on the grill.

It’s such a simple idea but the kids always have a blast each year.

Invite Family Only

If you have a large family and can’t afford to invite other children to the party, consider just doing a family party for the year instead. I did this for my son’s 3rd birthday and went to an activity center that had laser tag and arcade games with just him and my siblings. It was much cheaper since we didn’t have to pay for other people to attend.

Last year, I hosted a pirate-themed party at my house for my son’s last birthday and created a fun treasure hunt. I live in an apartment so since space is limited, we only invited my family and a close friend. My brother and my friend’s kids were the only children guests, but it was still fun and we didn’t have to buy much cake and ice cream to feed everyone.

Search for Discounts

In addition to home parties, I’ve done quite a few parties where we invited other kids as well and rented space at a fun place. In those cases, I searched for deals and discounts I could take advantage of the cut the costs.

If you know where you’d like to have your party at, check their website or ask the person at the front desk if they have any current promotions you can use. Some places offer discounts for people who book parties on a weekday or between certain time frames.

Don’t forget to check sites like Groupon and Living Social to search for local deals as well. For my son’s 4th birthday party, I actually used a Groupon to pay for the whole thing.

Get Decorations From the Store

When it comes to decorations, keep it simple. You don’t need to hire a party planner by any means but if you are having your party at a place that includes a party coordinator, be sure to ask if decorations are included. If they aren’t head to the dollar store to grab all your balloons, streamers, party hats, etc.

If you want to hand out goodie bags, stick to dollar store items as well and provide a few pieces of candy and trinkets like temporary tattoos, whistles, and bouncy balls. Try to limit the goodie bag budget to no more than $3 per child.

Watch Food and Drink Expenses

When you have your party at a public place, you may need to abide by their food and beverage requirements and purchase what they have, but some places might allow you to bring food in especially the cake.

You can always bake a cake at home for cheap or buy one from the grocery store. Cupcakes are also a cost-efficient option. Even for larger parties, I’ve never spent more than $30 on a cake. Those beautiful tiered cakes are nice, but just not necessary in my opinion because they can cost close to $100 or more. It’s a birthday party, not a wedding.

When it come to food, pizza is always a cost efficient option and you must consider whether you’d like to feed your guests a meal or not. I’ve been to some birthday parties where they only served cake and ice cream and I was fine with that.

If you want to serve food at your party, make sure you check and compare the pricing and amount of food you’d get to make sure it fits your needs and budget. Other cost-efficient foods include sandwiches and burgers. Some affordable snacks include popcorn, chips, and fruit.

As you can see, you don’t need to give up your dream of throwing your child an amazing birthday party if you’re on a budget. There are many different ways to cut costs after you realize what you want and what you feel comfortable spending.

For more help getting the best deals on party supplies and other important events check out these articles.

How to Successfully Throw a Party on a Budget
Paying for special occasions
How to Negotiate Like a Pro

How do you keep costs reasonable when throwing your child a birthday party?