We all love celebrating children’s birthdays. You can’t beat looking back at photographs with fond memories of the venue, the balloons and the cake. These parties can often escalate and cost a fair bit of money though. Here are some top tips for saving money on kids parties.
Team Up
There are often so many parties throughout the school year, each one with it’s own price tag. Why not consider teaming up with other parents who have children born at a similar time and throw a joint party? That means the cost can immediately be split. So if the kids are insistent on the trampoline centre which costs £150 for party hire, the price halved. If it’s likely that the same guests will be attending (or at least invited!), it’s worth finding a partner to go 50/50 with.
Avoid Meal Times
Planning your party for the morning or perhaps between the hours of 2-4pm means you can avoid putting on food. That’s a huge saving straight away. No pricey costs to the venue for hot dogs and chips or money spent on sandwich making ingredients. You’ll probably want the kids to stay hydrated though, so find your local bargain retailer where you can often pick up bottles of water for 10p each.
Cake For Pudding
If you are putting on a selection of sandwiches and crisps, use the birthday cake for pudding. You don’t need to serve up jelly and ice cream and then send each guest home with a piece of cake. Simply carve up the cake and let everyone enjoy a slice of sweetness for their dessert. Less things to pay for, less things to organise.
Party Before The Birthday
This is a trick that might work with younger children. If you organise the party for before the child’s birthday, they’ll still be 2, when celebrating their 3rd birthday, for example. That means you might not have to pay as much to get them into a play centre. Some play centres are even free for 2 year old children and under! Celebrate the day before and make huge savings.
A Home Celebration
Do you really need to invite the entire class to a sports hall for the birthday celebration? Why not just celebrate at home? Get a few bowls of popcorn and sweets, close the curtains and put on one of their favourite films. You can even put a couple of cheap pizzas in the oven for after the end credits. This works even better if you dress up like the characters, perfect for fans of superheroes!
Alternative Ideas For Party Bags
Do children really need a plastic bag full of plastic tat that cost you a small fortune to buy and loads of time to package up? Instead of what has now become the ‘traditional’ party bag, why not think of an alternative? You can get a collection of Julia Donaldson, Mr Men or Thomas The Tank Engine books from places like The Book People or The Works, for around (or sometimes less than!) £1 per book. That’s a much better party gift than some junk that will break within a few minutes and end up in the bin. Don’t forget to click through cashback sites!
Get Creative
Making your own cake will be cheaper than buying one. Crafting your own decorations will be cheaper than getting them from the shops. Plain colourful balloons are often cheaper than those with numbers on. Ask a family member to be the entertainment if they are good on the guitar or have a passion for magic. An iPod and speaker can provide plenty of entertainment for party games and keep the party flowing. You don’t have to spend a lot to make great memories. Use these top tips and you’ll be saving money on kids parties in no time. It’s child’s play!
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