It’s easy for birthday costs to spiral out of control – but making a child feel special and celebrated doesn’t need to be expensive. I put together this super simple party for less than $50! Here are the details.
The Guest List:
Keeping the party small is key to hosting a frugal but celebratory gathering. It was easy this year since we’re in a pandemic, but even in “normal” years we keep the guest list short. One of the benefits of only a few attendees is that you can splurge on some of the other aspects of the party to bump up the fun factor. We only had a total of three guests and my daughter kept talking about how much fun she had; I’m pretty sure even if we’d had a bigger party, she wouldn’t have felt any more celebrated.
The Theme:
There wasn’t an official “theme.” But my daughter loves bright colors and all things girly, so I just wanted things to look colorful and festive.
The Décor:
In sticking with our unofficial theme, I came across a balloon arch kit at Hobby Lobby (that I bought with a 40% off coupon) and cute iridescent “Happy Birthday” sign. To avoid putting candles on the cake (hello, germs!) I put together an alternative using super cute bows from Dollar Tree. I combined it with flower foam and some home décor pieces I already had, and it doubled as a centerpiece.
The Cake:
I made it using a boxed cake mix. My default is to make it in the shape of the number of the child’s age. I’ll be honest. I thought it was a little wonky, but my daughter looked at it, gasped, and exclaimed it was “perfect!” Proof that it doesn’t have to be professionally done – or even perfectly homemade – for your child to love it.
The Activities:
My daughter wanted to participate in the planning and declared she was going to plan a scavenger hunt. So she did; at the end were these little Diamond Dotz kits for each of the kids. They’re normally $5 apiece, but they were 40% off at Hobby Lobby so I got all four for a total of $12. Later we watched a movie. Boom.
Oh, and she also declared everyone should wear princess dresses because…parties are always more fun in princess dresses.
The Menu:
Birthday girl’s choice! Mini corndogs and tater tots. Easy peasy. And super cheap.
The Budget & Shopping List:
Dollar Tree:
- Paper plates, cups, napkins, forks: $5
- Bows: $3
- Tablecloth: $1
Hobby Lobby:
- Balloon arch (with 40% off coupon): $8
- “Happy Birthday” sign: $5
- Diamond Dotz (on 40% off sale): $12
- Silver glitter cake topper: $2
Grocery store:
- Cake mix: $1.60
- Mini corn dogs: $7
- Tater tots: $1.70
Grand total (before tax): $46.30
Mom, don’t fall into the guilt or comparison trap when planning your child’s birthday. Bigger does NOT always mean better. It’s possible to throw a small, special celebration that will fill your child’s heart just as much as the big, expensive blowouts. Maybe even more.
Get creative, and don’t let guilt be your guide.
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