When your little one has big ideas about his party, it’s time to get creative.
Here are some tips for a great party on a budget.
Plan Way Ahead
If you know your budget is limited (and whose isn’t honestly) then the best thing very first and most important thing you should do is think ahead.
Planning the party months in advance may seem silly but in reality, it’s smart for a number of reasons.
First, the more time you have the more money you can likely put together for the party.
Yes, you could just put money aside without planning, but the chances are that if you aren’t sure about what you want and how much it’s going to cost, you’ll probably end up spending that money.
Take the tips we’ve given below and start as soon as you’ve finished reading this article.
The second reason why planning ahead is important is because DIYing takes time and you don’t want to be all stressed out and crazy because you left everything to the last minute.
Be smart about it and just get a head start.
Go Digital
Digital invites have become so popular it’s no longer even remotely weird to send out an evite.
There are some major benefits to doing digital invitations; you save paper and that saves the planet (yay!), it’s simple (granted if you aren’t used to it it could take a few tries to get it right)it’s free and it’s efficient.
No one can say they’re invitation got lost in the mail!
There are some awesome online invitation makers but there’s something special about Paperless Post and Canva.
It could be because of their gorgeous templates, or the ease with which you can edit and personalize, or the incredible final product or the fact that it’s free.
Perhaps it’s all of these, either way, you should check it out!
Pro tip: since you’re planning ahead you can go ahead and make a digital save the date and send those out.
Only Use A Cheap/Free Venue
Generally, it’s more comfortable and functional to have the party at a house, especially if there are young kids who randomly need to nap.
Plus it’s free.
If you don’t have space because you live in a tiny apartment, you could consider having it at a friend or relative’s place that lives nearby, or even at the park (depending on the weather)
Spending a ton of money on a fancy venue just doesn’t make sense, that’s money you could use towards a cake or presents and besides if you’re willing to put in some effort, a party at home can be just as awesome as a party at a venue.
Time It Right
Having a party at lunchtime could be convenient because then everyone is going to eat at the same time, but if you do an odd time like 2 – 5, then that’s after lunch and before dinner.
That means that people will most likely arrive at your party, fed, and you won’t have to make that much food.
Some snacks and cake will be perfect for adults who attend and the kids will have their party pack snacks.
An added bonus of having your party at an odd time is that people won’t hang around as long because they actually do have to go sort dinner and then bedtime and all that glamorous parent things we have to do.
Keep The Decor Simple
Simple doesn’t necessarily mean boring when you pick a popular theme (which your kid will thank you for) you can get cheap party decorations that will also be trendy and on point.
You really don’t need more than some themed plates and cups, balloons, party hats and maybe a pinata (pinatas are multifunctional because it’s an activity, a snack and a decoration)
Kids parties don’t need a lot of decor because they’re only interest is eating sweets and having fun, focus your energy and budget on that instead.
Borrow Or Do Without
Things like kids tables, chairs and tablecloths can become really pricey really quickly.
Borrow from friends who own kids tables and chairs or better yet, go without! You’d be surprised how little kids actually care about neat table settings.
Set up a table with party packs and snacks and voila! Party done.
Things like an urn or cutlery or a bubble machine or even bouncy houses you can borrow from friends (or rent for cheap) instead of buying your own.
DIY What You Can
If you want extra decor like flowers or a photo booth, then make those yourself.
Again, if you plan ahead you have so much more time to work on the details.
DIY backyard games are always a hit at parties, and they’re actually pretty fun to put together too.
Take your party pictures yourself! Most smartphones have highly evolved cameras that can take great pics just like a camera.
You can DIY almost anything with the help of the internet these days, the only limit is your imagination.
DIY The Food Too
Do not buy pre-made snacks, they’re ridiculously expensive unless you’re going for something simple like potato crisps which you can buy in bulk and jam into some colorful bowls and be done with it.
Try to avoid themed food, those will definitely pile on costs and will drain your budget.
You can easily make some great and delicious party snacks yourself and if you decided against having your party at an odd time then you can make more cheap snacks and let everyone stuff themselves on those.
Mini pizzas are a party favorite and they can fill you up pretty well and you can buy all those ingredients in bulk!
Also, the cake! You can, yes can, make on yourself (with the help of the internet) even if it is simple, or even horrible, you’re kid will love that you tried to make a cake!
Speak Your Mind