Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Original poster

How much would you spend on a birthday party?

34 replies

lyrabelacqua · 05/06/2007 20:15

My friend's dd and my ds both turn 5 this summer.
She's planning on spending about £200 on her dd's birthday party and I'm aiming not to go above £100 (both budgets excluding presents).
Is she being extravagant or am I being mean?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
ChasingSquirrels · 05/06/2007 20:22

lol - you are both extravagant!
ds1's 4th cost, umm including food, I guess, umm £10.

Original poster
lyrabelacqua · 05/06/2007 20:26

Where we live though everyone hires venues, entertainers etc. I'm not too bothered about 'keeping up with the joneses' but I want him to have what all his classmates have.

OP posts:
SenoraPostrophe · 05/06/2007 20:28

I spent £10 on trinkets for the treasure hunt and pass the parcel, plus about a fiver on food. I thought I was being extravagent!

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General parenting
kittylette · 05/06/2007 20:29

im planning on spending £20 at most for DS 1st inc cake (not pressies)

ChasingSquirrels · 05/06/2007 20:29

yeah, everyone seems to do that here aswell, I didn't.
We had a party at home, he was allowed to choose 5 best friends to come, we did pass the parcel, musical bumps, playing in the garden, a treasure hunt in the garden, sports day races (sack race, egg and spoon, three-legged race), had a bit of a birthday tea, sang happy birthday and sent them home
If you want to do it, AND you can afford it - does it really matter how much you are spending compared to your friend?
What does your son want?

FrannyandZooey · 05/06/2007 20:30

I would spend as much as I wanted to, or as little as I wanted to, and could afford

there isn't a 'right' or 'wrong' to this, surely?

gegs73 · 05/06/2007 20:31

£200 is quite alot. I am a sucker for a party though (and pre-maternity leave had spare cash). Ended up spending c£90 on ds1 including £50 to hire a bouncy castle for the garden, c£30 for food/cake and £10 on goody bags.

Original poster
lyrabelacqua · 05/06/2007 20:31

He wants the place by the river that we hired last year. He's more concerned about who comes though.

OP posts:
ChasingSquirrels · 05/06/2007 20:32

was anyone talking rights and wrongs??

Original poster
lyrabelacqua · 05/06/2007 20:33

F&Z, no, just wondering what's a 'normal' amount to spend.

OP posts:
ChasingSquirrels · 05/06/2007 20:36

round here, village hall hire is around £20 bring own food no idea on an entertainer, soft play hire (in a sports centre) is around £50 bring own food, soft play centre is around £8 ph including food.

FrannyandZooey · 05/06/2007 20:37

Yes, rights and wrongs were mentioned, in the sense of who was being mean and who was being extravagant

Hulababy · 05/06/2007 20:39

DD's last 3 parties have cost around £150 mark I guess, maybe nearer £200 if I factor in food and drink for adults. That is for about 20-25 children. First one was at Gymboree, last two were hired hall, bouncy castle, self catered.

We only have one child to pay for and at the moment, whilst DD is young enough (she's 5yo), we also use her birthday parties as a get together for our own friends with children (who DD does know and get on with BTW) rather than just DD's closest friends.

janeite · 05/06/2007 21:18

The most we've spent is about £50 when we took a few girls for a meal in a restaurant. Usually we do parties at home and spend around the same but spread it over a few weeks - party bag stuff one week, game stuff the next and food the weekend of the party, so you don't really notice it.

Surfermum · 05/06/2007 21:23

We spent between £80-£100 on dd's 4th and that was a self-catered party for 23 children in the church hall, followed by a barbecue at home for my lovely friends who came along dressed as cartoon characters and helped entertain them all - so that included alcohol and food for about 12.

Step-d's parties have always been sport centre activity type ones and have been around the same price for about 10 children.

Original poster
lyrabelacqua · 05/06/2007 21:53

bump

OP posts:
Desiderata · 05/06/2007 21:55

Hmmm. I don't know, lyra - does is really matter? Why must we mention cost when it comes to birthday parties.

Are you sure you're not bothered about keeping up with Joneses?

Original poster
lyrabelacqua · 05/06/2007 22:02

You don't HAVE to do anything desiderata

OP posts:
Original poster
lyrabelacqua · 05/06/2007 22:05

My reason for asking was I was quite surprised to find my friend was spending so much, when i thought £100 was quite a lot .
If i was trying to keep up with the joneses I would spend more too (which I won't).

OP posts:
Desiderata · 05/06/2007 22:07

eh?

Desiderata · 05/06/2007 22:09

Sorry, x-post.

Then in reply , she is being extravagant and you are being well-balanced!

Original poster
lyrabelacqua · 05/06/2007 22:11

I hope my friend's not an MNer. I've never asked.

OP posts:
Whoooosh · 05/06/2007 22:13

I ended up doing a party for dd's 2nd birthday-25 kids I thought,on a tight budget.Got hire of soft play free but by the time I had paid them for food,done party bags,cake etc-definitely spent £200.
But we are lucky,we could afford it but it did shock me how it all added up.

Desiderata · 05/06/2007 22:23

It's funny, Lyra. For some reason, I wouldn't dream of asking a friend or acquaintance whether they were Mners.

I was tempted to tell a really funny story today about a situation I got myself into earlier on in the week .. then I backed off, thinking 'does she MN?'

Original poster
lyrabelacqua · 05/06/2007 22:25

Maybe we should all have to use our real names, then we'd know what we could and couldn't say.

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread