Parties need not cost a fortune!!

[slipperandpjsmum]

I have read on a couple of threads recently that people are concerned with regard to the cost of parties and for our families chances are there are alot of parties!!

Thought it might be a good idea to share cost saving ideas that us clever MNs have come up with to share.

Think when they are little its not so difficult, its as they get older we need to get more creative!!

Watching with interest as my dcs are approaching birthdays soon.

Birthdays in march, april and june. They will be 1, 3 and 5.

Hoping to do a budget joint party for the 1st and 3rd birthday celebration.

If im completely honest was hoping to not do a party for my dd1 (5 in june) this yr as she had a fairly expensive one last yr (we had an entertainer) when i organised it i remember thinking at the time i would aim to do a party every other bday. I thought that would be fine as i never had a party growing up and cant remember being bothered, but maybe thats a sign of the times being as it seems every child at school has a yearly partly

I would have though it gets less expensive when they are a fair bit older as they cant choose a friend to go to the cinema or bowling or something then maybe back home for a sleepover!?

My ds (15) wants to hire the top floor of a restaurant!! All his friends have parties every year - paintballing, hiring venues (the days of the church hall are long gone) etc. Think when they are little its easier to get your own way as a parent! I also thought they were supposed to stop wanting parties as they got older!!

We have alot of sleepovers all the time so bit limited to using those as a party idea.

We didn't have parties for ours until they started school, other than family and friends round to the house. But somehow my 4th ds is having one at a farm in April, doing a joint one with me. Taking our own food then camping, so costs should be low.

We are now entering the realms of the 'house party', cheaper but I am bracing myself for a whole different set of worries!!!!

Anyway, back to the money saving tips ..........

Do your first party in reception and last party in year 5.
For DD1 she had a third B'day party with her little friends from nursery that we now haven't laid eyes on for 6 years and then one every year, with number 4 he will have a 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th birthday party and that shall be his lot.

Last autumn half term we held a thrift party to celebrate the spending review. The rules:

• wear nothing you've bought new in the last 10 years
• we provided baked beans on toast, bring something else if you couldn't face that (max £2 per person)
• prizes for the nastiest wine / beer / cordial
• there was a make something out of junk competition
• cheapo autumn games - conkers, apple dunking, eating doughuts hanging from a string with your hands behind your back, 3 legged race etc.

Loads of families came and loved the idea - will definitely do it again. Spent hardly anything on the party itself (although I hang my head in shame to say that I paid someone to cut the grass and make the garden presentable in advance - not something I could manage myself with toddler twins!).

Teddy bears picnic is so cheaply done! In the garden or a local park. Good for up to age 5 probably. Everyone brings a teddy. I used teddy bear cutter to cut out sandwiches. Fairy cakes with two choc buttons for teddy ears, smarty nose and ice eyes and mouth. There are loads of teddy bear ideas on websites.

Just out of interest do you do party bags it almost seems an expectation now!?

I often think a play and tea then birthday cake is enough. Then i think well actually i prob need a pass the parcel and party bags which bumps it up slightly!