Cheap Birthdays!

[karlahine]

Wow what can I say? The soaring costs of birthdays is not so funny any more, especially when you're little one asks for something out of the ordinary! My youngest wanted a Thundercats cake! What? Where and How? Well when push came to shove I thought time to get my thinking cap on! Home made fairy cakes with - Ebay purchased "Thundercats" rice-paper cake toppers! Fantastic, it went down a complete treat yesterday! What's your birthday money saving idea?

They love designing their own invitations and we all know from experience that it works better with small groups. I share a "birthday box" with my sister, so keeps all the stuff together for quickly putting together party bags / prizes / candles / banners / blutack etc. All kids love the supermarket chocolate cakes, especially the fab Asda caterpillar cake. They enjoy putting together their own party plans / playlists / games designs. We tend to have parties in the house or somewhere cosy and cheap (last one was in a church with lots of bean bags). The food is pretty cheap - we tend to go for cucumber / melon / crips / sausages / cheese straws etc - boring but they eat it and not much waste. We bill them as 'retro parties' and the goal is often to spend a little as possible. Kids who come have a great time.

Not sure that this works past the age of 11 though... :-( would welcome ideas as a 12th birthday is creeping up. Am thinking taking DS1 plus a couple of friends to a theme park might be manageable.

Thata what I did for DD birthday, ebay topper. Poundshop have party cups etc.

Poundshop for party supplies and also biscuits, crisps, party bag stuff.
Make your own cake and totally cover it in smarties.

We don't do birthday parties we just go out for a day somewhere. I'd rather spend the money on doing something than buying plastic crap. I'm mean.

handmade party games(papermache pinata/pin tail or nose on whatever etc)

never make sarnies,just supermarket cheapo pizzas with extra toppings/cheese.plus lots fruit and veg chopped up.homemade cakes and biscuits

kids make invites and party bags

dreading when mine want expensive birthday outings.we usually have a party or outing as a family

I brought three packs of those coloured ikea plastic kids plates/cups and bowls. Cannot recall how many are in a pack, perhaps 8 - 10. I use these every birthday and it caters for the majority of people - and kids drinks in small water bottles because of mess (dds are five and under). It was kind of for environmental reasons, not to be throwing out numerous paper plates/cups/bowls. We've used these for every party for a good three years now and I am sure it has beaten the cost of paper plates/cups and cutlery every time.

Kids club at the cinema - £1.50 per child gives a free 'adult' ticket (which can be used for another child) You don't get to choose the film though (although we have two local cinemas so two options)

last 2 parties have been a film for 8 friends at a grand cost of £15 . I make up plain coloured party boxes (£2 for 10 from eBay) with split multipacks of popcorn crisps drinks etc from Aldi. Voila

How many years can I get away with it though???

my ds4 turns 4 this comign week and he is having a thunercats party! he is obsessed! i found some cake toppers on ebay, cheap!! probably the same ones you have!

this year i am hiring a local church hall £16 for two hours! bargain, getting a friend to do face painting, she will do them as lion, tigers, lepeords etc to fit the thndercat theme!

in the past we did a star wars party, i made light sabers out of foam pipe insulation from b&q, dead cheap! and had a bubble machine, viola hours of fun fighting/bursting bubbles!

also have cheap ikea plates etc, plus poundland is good for cheap paper cup and plates and party bags, invites etc!