Birthday Party on a Budget

Let’s do a riddle.

This comes around every year. As a mom it definitely comes around faster that you would like (although some days leading up to it can seem soooo long). And once it’s near, sheer excitement fills your home. What is it?

Your child’s birthday. More specifically, their birthday party. 

I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a lot of extra money just lying around with no intended purpose. Nor can I justify the cost of an expensive party. And you know what? My kid doesn’t need it! (Gasp!)

I have realized that she is just as excited over a small party as she is with a big one. Sure, she loves all the fanfare and opening the presents (what kid wouldn’t like that?!). But, when all is said and done, all she really wants is cake, singing “Happy Birthday,” and seeing a few friends and family. When it gets much more than that, it can become a little overwhelming, especially for mama. 

We just celebrated our daughter’s eighth birthday and I’ve learned a couple things through the years that I wanted to pass along to you:

Budget Friendly Birthday Party Tips

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Birthday Party Tip #1: Keep things Simple

Resolve right now that you will keep things in perspective. This is your child’s birthday party, not their wedding. It doesn’t have to be extravagant.

The less you have to worry about, the more fun YOU will be able to have at the party and the better job you can do being hostess. 

Simple does not equate to tacky. You can create a cute party using easy decorations or even things that you already have! 

Birthday Party Tip #2: Stick to a Budget (and think of the party like a present) 

If you have a budget, you can make better, smarter choices when shopping for party supplies.

When your child gets older they can also help with the decisions. (“If you want a pinata and candy, that means we can only have juice and crackers as snacks. Are you OK with that decision?”) Having a budget also holds YOU accountable. 

It is OK to have the birthday party be part of their birthday present. (Or consider doing something in lieu of a party. Maybe a overnight getaway or a day trip to somewhere fun!)

If they really want a birthday party, then they won’t mind having it as part of their birthday present. If they don’t, well, maybe a party isn’t needed after-all and cupcakes with family would work better. 

Birthday Party Tip #3: Avoid Licensed Products

This is probably intuitive, but those characters your child likes? They cost about three times as much as other party things. Stay away from them! It’s a little hard when so many parties revolve around these fancy characters (easpecially when your child is old enough to realize they can voice their opinion about what kind of party is thrown). 

Non-Licensed Character Party Ideas

We’ve done: Elephants/ Pink & Green Jungle, Elmo, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Rapunzel, Disney Princess, Frozen, Barbie, and Shopkins. Can you guess which of those Mommy picked? Definitely 2 (Elephants and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom), sort of 3. She was so excited about Elmo at the time of her second birthday that I chose that, but she didn’t know any better, so I couldn’t have picked something else. 

But that’s the point! As moms we like to think about the things that will make our kids excited and happy. If we are going to take the time to plan, organize, and throw a party, then we want our kiddo to love it by-golly! But here’s a secret: they will love it no matter what! (I’m telling myself this too. It’s a good reminder for us all!) 

I’m not saying don’t get any licensed products, but just remember that those eat away at your set budget more quickly! (Because remember Tip #2? We are sticking to a budget!) 

I usually let my daughter get 1 pack of napkins in the theme of her party. She gets excited to have pretty napkins and it saves a lot of money! (Another Money Saving Tip: There are free party invitations to print out in the Free Printable Resource Library!) 

Dollar Tree for Party Supplies

The first stop you should always make is Dollar Tree for supplies. Go on a scouting trip first. Even better if you DON’T have a theme in mind yet! I have seen Mickey Mouse, Spider Man, Disney Princess, Frozen, Lego, Emoji…but it’s always changing. A quick stop can give you some ideas. (Even better if there is something your child would LOVE!)

Birthday Party Tip #4: Stick With Solids 

Still sticking with Dollar Tree on this one. They have lots of solid colored napkins, plates, plastic silverware, and table cloths that are perfect for a child’s party. (Note: If you are serving a meal, I would opt for sturdier plates like Chinet, etc. these ones are great for snacks or cake though.) 

Don’t just think about solid colors for plates and napkins! When looking for decor items, solids are a great way to build your party supply stash to have for years to come! 

We have an arsenal of pink, purple, & teal decorations that have all gotten used multiple times! I’ve gotten tissue pom pom kits at dollar tree and have hung them up for two parties now. I just store them in a bag in the attic and then they are ready for the next party! 

(Note: The absolute cheapest price I have found on nice napkins is at IKEA, but I don’t make a trip there too often.) 

Birthday Party Tip #5: Skip a Meal

If at all possible, try to chose a time when you won’t be locked into serving your guests a full meal. That alone cuts the party costs considerably!

I completely realize that this might not be doable for a couple years because nap times kind of keep you locked into different time frames (skipping your child’s nap is probably a disaster waiting to happen).

A nurse once told me “never ever ever wake a sleeping baby!” (Now, the fate of the planet doesn’t rest in following this, nor is this one of the Ten Commandents…although I think “Thou shalt not wake a sleeping baby” does have a peaceful ring to it. )

So if your child will be happiest having a morning nap, then I would definitely try to make them happy on party day! We are out of the morning nap phase, so our parties tend to be in the 10:30-12:00 range. I find an hour and half to two hours is plenty of time to play, have snacks and cake, and open a few presents, with minimal meltdowns, and minimal meltdowns equal happy hosts and happy guests. (Gotta love it when everyone wins!)

As kids get older, team/sport events tend to be Saturday mornings, so if your kids no longer need an afternoon nap, a post-lunch time party (maybe 2:00-4:00) would be a great option!

Speaking of times for parties and inviting guests, if you need a FREE printable invitation, see below! (Gotta love FREE, right!?)

Birthday Party Tip #6: DIY & Reuse

While not always the case, typically anything you do yourself is cheaper than buying it ready-made. 

What do I tend to use to make nothing look like something? 

You can use gift bags stuffed with tissue paper to have out as table decor. (Tie some balloons to the bag and you have a cute centerpiece!) You can also get some inexpensive flowers to have for the party and then be able to enjoy later. 

(I also use tissue pom poms like I mentioned above. I have made my own and bought kits from the Dollar Tree.) 

For this year’s party at the playground I didn’t want fussy decor. (I had to transport it and we were at a park.) I used mason jars filled with crinkled paper (basket filler). I cut up a free poster we had gotten that matched her theme and glued the pictures to card stock and placed them on skewer sticks. (You could always just do numbers that match your child’s age.) It looked cute, bright, and colorful: perfect for a little girl’s birthday party! (And cost mama $0.00. Wahoo!) 

Birthday Party Tip #7: Shop for Things After Holidays 

Remember Tip #4? (Hint: It’s “Stick With Solids.”) Well, after holidays can sometimes be the best way to get party supplies at a discount!

So that means after Christmas this year, you should be keeping your eyes peeled for some red napkins and plates. After Easter? Look for pinks and purples. Valentine’s Day? Red and pink.  (These were the colors I used for my daughter’s Elmo party when she turned two!) My son’s birthday is in January. One year I bought snowflakes items on clearance and we used those for his party!

Inexpensive Party Favor Ideas

This is also the way I have gotten some items for party favors (you know, those gifts that strike fear into “Type A” mother hearts everywhere! Ha!). 

I usually try and snag a box of Crayola crayons during back to school (aka “BTS”) sales. Usually you can find these for 0.50 or less. I love sending the kiddos home with something useful (I think it’s the former teacher in me). I like to pair the box of crayons with coloring pages. 

Now that my daughter is older, I also make word searches. (Just Google “free word search generator” and you will be set!) I usually have the names of all of the friends that were invited, along with words like “birthday,” “cake,” “candles,” “friends,” (you get the picture) as the words to search for. 

You can also have simple activities that the kids can make and then take home as part of their favor.  (All the supplies used for this bracelet making station were found at Dollar Tree. I am noticing a theme here….)

Top Birthday Party Tips: Keep It Simple

So there you have it! My Top 7 Tips for creating a cute party on a budget!

If you think outside of the box, you can save a good bit of money! Don’t get trapped into only buying licensed products and only buying them a week before the guests will arrive! That means you are more apt to having to pay full price. (And who wants to do that?) Definitely not this cheap (ahem, budget-minded) gal. [wink]

But if I had to stress just one tip?

It would definitely be Tip#1: Keep It Simple. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, mama. And don’t feel the need to make something so elaborate that it’s more of a stress than a joy.

Birthdays are a blessing, not a burden. I try to keep that in mind these days when planning parties. If celebrating a birthday starts to feel overwhelming (and like a burden), then something needs to change.  

What are your party tips? I would love to hear about them in the comments!

Free Birthday Invitation Printable