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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think this is a load of middle class toss?

203 replies

CUKAmbassador · 15/04/2011 21:05

Daughter is 5 next month. The wife(who doesn't work but think's that money is something that the cash point fairy just conjours up) has booked the local church hall.

4 hours at £15 per hour. OK. Sorted with that.

And hired a bouncy castle. £60. Fine with that

And booked a children entertainer and magician. £200 for two hours. WTF! £100 PER HOUR!!

And paid caterers to do the food £120!!!! WTF £120 for the a childrens * party!

£440 for a four hour childrens party!!! WTF!!!!

Is this excessive? She thinks that's what it should cost!

OP posts:
exoticfruits · 15/04/2011 21:49

Mad! 5 friends to the house, tea and party games-sorted!

MadamDeathstare · 15/04/2011 21:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
CUKAmbassador · 15/04/2011 21:50

Harecare

"ponies????"

He does a trick where two miniature ponies appear allegedly? It's on youtube I'll see if I can find it.

OP posts:
exoticfruits · 15/04/2011 21:51

Are any of you actually expecting to enjoy the experience? 4 hours?!

Merryleggs · 15/04/2011 21:52

Ponies. Grin

Applauds.

OP, I think your work here is done.

harecare · 15/04/2011 21:53

Wow! So why do you need the other entertainer?

allbie · 15/04/2011 21:57

How very troll of you.

TransatlanticCityGirl · 15/04/2011 21:58

All depends on what your family can afford. 400 doesn't sound TOO unreasonable to me but if you are struggling to make ends meet, then yes it is.

The thing is when you both agreed she would not work (presuming this was a lifestyle decision) all of your money became jointly shared. You gave up the right to tell her how to spend it. It is now up to you both to agree equally how it should be spent together. So get talking you two!

One of the many reasons I shall never give up work. Not right for one person to hold the purse strings and allow it to cause disharmony.

lurkerspeaks · 15/04/2011 22:01

If you are going to buy sandwiches from M&S, crisps, some fruit to get thrown on the floor, nibbly cakey things, plastic/paper plates, ? cutlery, cups and some squash/ juice (whatever is acceptable in MC party land). The caterer for 120 quid who will presumably do some clearing up might actually be a bargain.

I am however very lazy!

frantic51 · 15/04/2011 22:04

Where does it say that the party is four hours? I see she's booked the entertainer for two hours and the hall for four. Surely that's to give time at either end of the party for setting up/clearing up?

I agree, church hall - fine, saves an awful mess at home. Bouncy castle OR magician, not both (and for that price I'd be expecting a cross between Paul Daniels and the Chuckle Brothers) Caterers? No way! How hard is it to knock up a few sandwiches and make a few jellies?

nijinsky · 15/04/2011 22:07

Why don't the pair of you do the catering yourselves?

Why don't you get a wife who works and earns her own money if you grudge her spending yours? Plenty of women do work these days, you know.

sausagesandmarmelade · 15/04/2011 22:08

Depends what you call excessive....
I've heard of far more extravagent children's parties.

If she has the money to splash out...then good for her I say.
I'm sure the kids will love it.

What's not very 'classy' is to tell people how much she has spent....

and personally I think it would have been more reasonable to have spent 200 on the food and 120 on the entertainment. How many children are going?

sausagesandmarmelade · 15/04/2011 22:10

Oh dear....wipe the bit about telling people...she is your wife! Note to self...must pay more attention to detail.

Newgolddream · 15/04/2011 22:12

Ponies ffs Grin It would have been sooo much better if you had said "elephants" - ala David Copperfield.

sausagesandmarmelade · 15/04/2011 22:14

In my day we had party games (musical chairs, pass the parcel, what's the time Mr Wolf...and all that), jelly and ice-cream, sandwiches, sausages on sticks etc for tea..and a home made birthday cake and balloons..and we were happy.

No reason why you shouldn't get back to basics and have a retro childrens party!

If you can't afford the money...then there are plenty of cheaper options.

QuintessentialShad0ws · 15/04/2011 22:16

4 hours? That is mad. Most childrens parties only last for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. They have had enough by then.
bouncy castle AND entertainer is overkill. Caterer for FOOD? For a childrens party? I lived in a pretty middle class area, where everybody had a nanny, and nobody brought caterers in. Parents were lawyers, doctors and stockbrokers, etc. Home made sandwiches, cupcakes, fruit, cucumber, carrots, cherry toms, cheese sticks, M&S mini sausage rolls and coctail sausages, etc. Plus birthday cake. Why cant SHE cater for the party?

You buy bread and MAKE your own sandwiches.
Strawberry jam
soft cheese and cucumber
ham
etc

DuelingFanjo · 15/04/2011 22:20

we had you lot before Grin

yes it's way too over the top. I hope I don't feel forced to get into this kind of competitive party throwing. Luckily DS was born 3 days before Christmas so hopefully I won't have to.

ullainga · 15/04/2011 22:21

all those entertainers and circus elephants nowadays are just ridiculous and simply competitive parenting, not for the benefit of kids. When I was a kid, I had friends over, we ate cake and played whatever games we would come up with.Didn't wait for someone else to amuse and entertain us. As sausages here said - back to basics, buy a cake and let kids find something to do themselves. sorted.

SoupDragon · 15/04/2011 22:22

Can the magician make a contractor disappear up his own arse?

harpsichordcarrier · 15/04/2011 22:22

4 hours?????
what kind of NUTTER has a party for FOUR HOURS????
1 1/2 to 2 hours = plenty.

Original poster
CUKAmbassador · 15/04/2011 22:23

QuintessentialShadows does your husband work with SAS?

Sausage. Retro like that.

So sounds like one not the other.

Still unsure why referring to the little lady as the wife is an issue but hey ho?

OP posts:
dizzyblonde · 15/04/2011 22:25

dizzyblonde's DD here, I think £440 is excessive for a child's party. Food and a bouncy castle for two hours would suffice. I remember when I was three, I had a party in my school hall with two magicians. The show lasted thirty minutes (from what my mum says), we had food and free play. Party lasted two hours altogether.

Why can't you get party food from Sainsburys? Party rings, sausage rolls, cocktail sausages and chocolate fingers - that's what I remember as party food. It was cheap and I remember it as special because we only had it at parties.

Plus whatever party you do now when your DD is five, you are going to have keep topping every year. For her, her friends and her friends' parents. Just think about next year.

Cyclops99 · 15/04/2011 22:32

Ok I know he's a troll.....blah blah etc......but have to stick my oar in regarding childrens entertainers because I am one! We are not ridiculous and a waste of time....well not all of us.

Today I entertained a lovely group of 4 year olds and they were laughing their socks off, especially one little boy. They had a great time and they remember their parties for a long long time. I've met teenagers who remember the fun we had when I did their 5th birthday party. If you can afford it, great, if not fine but don't criticise others whom want to spend their money this way.

sausagesandmarmelade · 15/04/2011 22:37

CUK - Retro and Vintage are bang 'On Trend' right now... :)

Hope you come to a mutual agreement on this one...otherwise you may find that things escalate every year....

Original poster
CUKAmbassador · 15/04/2011 22:40

Thanks Cyclops. And good job.

If I was trolling BTW I would have used a different account
. I do post on here with this account.

I think you're right. As a once off it's a great idea. The magician also does a disco(didn't mention that)' magic show, balloons and the pony thing(serious).

Just think for a five year old it's excessive. Sausage rolls, muscial chairs etc should be enough.

OP posts: