Dh thinks we have spent too much money on dd's birthday

[justalittlelemondrizzle]

Just that really. £130 for a party with 12 friends £120 on pressies and extras. I don't think thats extravagant at all. Infact it is the cheapest weve ever done. Am I living in a dream world?!

I don't think so because my parents forgot about my b day

Tell hime from now on he can organise all the gifts, parties atc.

He can buy the cards, post the cards, ring people, send out invites, all the wifework.

Then you can sit back and gently criticize that he has gone slightly over budget, even though you can both afford it.

DD's 3rd birthday party cost about £150 last year - £60 hall hire, £60 soft play hire, at least £30 on food for around 30 adults and children. We probably spent around £80ish on presents - a mix of things she needed and expensive plastic shite that she hasn't looked at since (obviously).

Either way, if you discussed it with him first and he's only now moaning, HIBU. No matter what the costs involved were.

We don't do big birthdays, Ds(12) gets a choice of a day out/sleepover with 3 friends (circa £120) or an expensive (~£150) pressie. He usually asks for the day out and gets some clothes/books.

His birthday is in February so close to Xmas and he usually get what he wants at Xmas so prefers the day out.

In my experience Millymollymoo children just love parties, some people haven't got space, time or patience for at home parties.

Going full out on homemade decorations, cakes and games does not sound simple to me!!!!

For our 4 if they have a party tit can easily cost £3-400 by the time entertainment has been paid for so your party price is great! We spend about £200 ish on birthdays but the teenagers get more now as they'll have laptops, phones etc I don't think you've overspent but it's all relative to what you can afford. So long as you e paid all the bills and not gone into debt it's fine in myind x

I have just spent £170 on birthday party..Presents will be about £120...

The amount varied each year dependant upon what DS wants..Last year all he wanted was a rubix cube...So although he got more than that.. It cost a lot less last year

No room for parties at our house, so parties have always cost us two or three hundred quid (London). Never really worked out a way of them costing less (unless you have very few children, I suppose, but DS always wanted about ten, and I thought I might as well let him on the basis that you're only young once). Even the local churches round here charge close on a couple of hundred quid to rent you a room. Incidentally, we've only got one DC, so I'm guessing that's a huge factor in our indulgences! And, of course, I could afford it. I wouldn't do it if I couldn't.

I used the manage a place that specialized to kids parties. The most expensive one I organised was for a one year old and was 3500 pounds!!!! 😳

It doesn't sound expensive to me. If you can afford it why not.

My much wanted & waited for baby will be 1 in September and although he probably won't even remember it I will be having a party for the occasion as his my baby and I want to plus we can afford it

I think your dh is bvu. You ran the figures past him, he made no complaint and now he thinks it's too much. Next year let him do it all and see if he can do any better. we all know he won't!

He is BU.

I probably spend similar on DD for parties, although now she's a bit older it's sometimes less. Equally though I usually spend less on gifts but that will probably go the other way.

Last year we had half a dozen friends for tea & DVDs for her 11th and it was a complete disaster, so am off the hook this year as she wants a day out with her best friend, although it will probably cost more as I'm more willing to indulge the two of them as BFF is like part of the family.

My dds 4th party (jan) cost me over 600 before the food was bought. To me its not how much/little you spend if its what your child wants and you can financial manage to pay it then go for it

That's about what we spend on KS1 DCs.

I usually spend around 200-300 on my child's birthdays. £100-150 for party or special day out and same for presents.

We've just spent about £50 on DDs 2nd birthday presents plus same again, if not less, on a party at home. Hiring a venue when they're older fills me with dread as its so expensive!! Thankfully she has no concept of party bags so they all got a piece of cake and a sticker book instead. Entertainment was balloons that cost less than £2, they loved them!

He is BU to have a whinge about it if you've told him before hand and done all the organising!

I think it seems fine. My DDs (DD2) most recent party cost about £500 at a soft play place. Think in the end there was 50 children including family/friends/nursery friends. Party bags/cake/decorations etc on top of that was another £200. It all adds up! DD1 is currently coveting a funfair party at home, apparently...including rides, a petting zoo and candy floss. They've been learning about the 'fairground' at school for their topic and she's thoroughly enjoying it. Perhaps a bit too much, evidently.

Sounds about right, we will be spending more than that on my sons party - £130 for entertainer, £40 for hall, £25 food budget. He won't get a large gift though, my children get the choice between big party small gift, or small party big gift. We usually budget around £200-£250 all in for each child's birthday. We save up over the year. Celebrations are important to us! Each to their own.

That sounds quite a lot to me, but as others have said, everyone has a different budget and I can see how you could easily spend it if you had it.

We probably spend about £50-80 on gifts unless they need something like a musical instrument or bike. DS is turning 10 next week and is getting a football shirt £35, plus some slippers, a puzzle, 6 books, some bouncy handballs and a carnivorous plant.

Party is for 4 friends plus my 4 kids, going to a trampolining centre which is £6 per kid. Will buy takeaway pizza and drinks and I'll make a cake, so I guess £70 for the party.

For those wanting cheap party ideas, we've gone on a 'stick hunt' in local park then walked home, built a 'campfire' and toasted marshmallows and sausages, had a "mystery dinner party" (menu written in code), a cake decorating party, treasure hunt or photo scavenger hunt in local park and streets, craft themed parties...all cheap but all rely on a space at home and/or good weather (we aren't in the uk).

I didn't realise parties for young DCs were often so expensive! At least DDs is at the end of the year so I have plenty of time to save.

Tbh, I think I'll find the stress of organising it worse than the funding it, chasing up invitees who haven't replied, wondering whether the spread of food I've put out with cater to everyone's tastes/dietary needs. I'd much prefer to take DD out for a day with a close friend or 2 but that only seems to be the done thing when they're a bit older.