Sam’s birthday is next Monday. I could rent a place for $100, invite a dozen of his friends, overload them all with cake and ice cream, and bring home a dozen presents that Sam will probably forget about in a few weeks. But you all know me better than that.
Instead, I’m going to throw a frugal birthday party. Yes, money is tight and that’s part of the reason. There’s more to it than that, though. I want my children to appreciate simple celebrations. I don’t want them to feel let down if their birthday party isn’t a 5 star social event, worthy of mention in the latest celebrity gossip magazine. If I through a huge birthday bash at the Go-Kart track for his 5th birthday, what will my son expect on his 16th birthday? I just don’t want to get into that.
So instead of having a huge birthday bash for Sam, we’re going to have a small party here at home. He’s into NASCAR, so it will be a NASCAR party, of course. We invited three of his best buddies for the afternoon. I planned the party for 1:00, so I don’t have to serve a full meal. That will save a little money on food. I’ll make the cake (shaped like a race car track) and buy some ice cream and drinks.
I’m not even planning games, but that’s more about my son’s personality than being frugal. It’s not too hard to plan some frugal games. One year I threw a Veggie Tales party for Liz, and we played “Pin the Eyes on Bob.” It was a ton of fun, and all I had to buy were a couple of sheets of posterboard and some double sided tape. Sam is not into organized games, though, so I’ll just let the boys play. If they need some redirection, I’ll start a game of Hullabaloo.
The treat bags I’m putting together are inexpensive, too. I’m not really sure where the whole tradition of treat bags came from, and I’m not completely sure I agree with it. However, I don’t want to be so frugal that my kids’ friends think I’m cheap, so I will go with the flow here. I picked up some NASCAR stickers and flags on clearance at Target a while back. I’ll pick up some inexpensive craft bags and decorate them with the birthday guests’ names and stickers, put the NASCAR stuff in the bags, and voila! We’re good to go.
Lots of playing, cake and ice cream, and friends. Even though this will be an inexpensive party, I’m sure my son will have fond memories of his 5th birthday.
Coming soon: Frugal Birthday Party Ideas
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I think the treat bags are just like any other party favor (bridal showers, baby showers, weddings etc) except they are especially popular with kid’s bday parties (not only because the invited kids are expected to bring a gift like the showers and weddings) because it gives the non-birthday child something fun to play with to distract them from the fact that they aren’t getting gifts (which can be a problem with the little kids).
I’m sure the party will be fun!
Good point about the rising expectation. Remember that scene about Dudley in Harry Potter? He complained that he has less gift than the previous year.
The other day a friend was saying she limits her kids to birthday parties at ages 5, 12, and 16 because they are so expensive. I couldn’t believe it! My kids have a party with friends almost every year and a huge family party every year. It’s never been expensive, and we’ve been able to do neat things…one year we asked a teenager we knew to bring his pet boa constrictor to the party. It was free! Other people hire clowns for $30/hour…
We’re planning a frugal party for Bekah too…I’ll let you know how ours goes…and you’ll have to post pictures of Sam’s!
@Heidi – good perspective on the treat bags. I’m not totally against them, but I’ve seen them get out of hand, and I don’t like that trend. But yeah, distracting young party guests while the birthday kid is opening presents can be a good thing. :)
@Pinyo – I haven’t seen Harry Potter, but that’s the exact thing I want to avoid!
@Jennifer – I agree that parties can be inexpensive. I love the idea of the boa constrictor! Now that’s thinking outside the box! I’ll bet the kids loved it, too!
@Kandy – do let me know how it goes. And I’ll do the same. Hard to believe our kids are going to be 5 so soon!
Sounds like a great birthday party to me! :)
This past spring we had a talent show birthday party for Matilda. Each guest was asked to bring a performance – nothing fancy, a song, a trick, or a dance or some little thing – and it was entertaining and funny and free!
Also, for party favors I like to have crafty things that the kids can do or make and then take home.
I don’t agree with the treat bags or as some call them “party favors”. I think if you are coming to celebrate someone’s birthday, it IS all about them and watching them open gifts, etc. It’s a celebration of that person’s birthday.
My daughter will be 4 next week and we are having a frugal party with no treat bags. Just loads of fun and games!
Sounds great Lynnae!!!! I bet he’ll love it!!!!!
I’m sure he’ll love it. All my birthdays were frugal and I only once felt cheated (it involved a pony, plus I wasn’t invited).
@ Bev, a better idea than treat bags, I think, is putting together some fun stuff for the party, like snacks and whatnot. But I don’t know if I ever really used a treat bag. More clutter for the parents.
Still, Lynnae, it’s your party and if treat bags make you and Sam happy, then go for it.
Well Happy Birthday in advance. And what great ideas these are! I’m in Frugal Hacks too (but am terrible at frugal ideas these days)!
Happy belated birthday from Nascar’s biggest fan! I hope you saved some serious money by being a cheapo!
JK
Let’s go racin!
Ron Ripple
That was an interesting birthday idea. I am also planning for my daughter’s birthday, and I am wondering if I can save money, and prepare an affordable yet will satisfy her favors. This article gave me a lot of ideas, thanks for sharing!