We give you six smart ways to spend within your means for your child’s celebration.
Throw a Kid’s Party on a Budget
Keep it small.
A birthday celebration doesn’t always have to be a grand affair. For some years, you can celebrate but keep the numbers down by only inviting the most essential people in your child’s life—your family, the child’s godparents, his closest friends, and his friends’ parents. Limit sending out invites to family members (remember, inviting one second cousin would oblige you to invite his siblings and parents as well!) and friends (your closest pals won’t mind as long as you explain that you’re cutting costs).
Rethink your venue.
Instead of holding it in a hotel’s grand ballroom or a well-known events venue, hold it at your village clubhouse or condominium’s function room which would offer more affordable rates. However, this would mean booking a food catering service to provide the chair and table setup, waiting staff, and food. Some caterers have a minimum head count—which means they do not accommodate parties with a small number of guests. Another option would be to reserve a restaurant’s private room for a few hours and avail of their consumable package. That way, you won’t have to worry about the venue, food, and service.
Scrimp on minor concerns.
Decide on what you really want to spend on then allocate your budget properly. Most party throwers prioritize their venue (does it have proper ventilation? Does it have enough parking slots?) and food (are the dishes yummy? Is it enough for my guests?) before considering anything else. Draw up your own list of what to scrimp or splurge on then work from there. You can opt to forego the fancy decorations or give up the lights and sounds system.
Go generic.
From the game prizes down to the party favors, you can instantly trim your budget by purchasing non-branded items. Depending on your kid’s party theme, you can whip up a loot bag filled with fun yet useful things (such as a small lunch box, a water jug, a pack of colored pens, a coloring book) or even score big ticket items (such as a bicycle or skateboard) that cost less because they have no brands linked to them.
Hire your friends.
Do you know someone who can bake an awesome cake? Is your friend’s college daughter an aspiring videographer? Check out their social media accounts to see all the work they’ve done and ask other people for references. Who knows, you may be able to score cheaper suppliers by using the friend card!
Try to DIY.
Not everyone is gifted with an imaginative mind and a set of crafty hands, but there are many sites that you can visit to see simple, step-by-step craft projects. If you’re interested in doing party decorations, do your research early and time yourself while doing a test project to see how long you can accomplish it. Determine how much time you have left until the party, and then set a schedule to do the project little by little every day. That way, you don’t exhaust your hands or end up rushing your project and producing unsightly decors.
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