5 Ways to Save on Birthday Parties

Kristel just celebrated her 6th birthday!  Thank you, Lord, for blessing her through the 6 years!  I pray that she will be even more blessed this year with wisdom, good health and safety.  We had a lot of fun, though we didn't really spend that much.  That's good, right?  To add some more value to this post, let me share with you some ways to save when celebrating birthday parties.

1.  Host the party at home, in a park or as in Kristel's case, we asked a friend if we could celebrate the party in their place because they have a pool.  It's just so hot that everyone likes to have dip in the pool.  If we went out and rented a resort, that would cost us way too much.

2.  Cook the food yourself, that is tedious (I know), but you get to save a lot.  Think of food to serve that you can prepare a day ahead, like lumpiang shanghai, chicken macaroni salad or your desert..  If you can't cook, ask someone, a nice friend or a cook, to cook it for you, just buy the ingredients.  Even if you pay the cook, it would still come out cheaper than ordering food from the restaurant or a catering business.

Want to make your own birthday cake?  Need some birthday cake ideas? There are lots of free videos on YouTube or Facebook that you watch so you can make your own birthday cake. If you have the time to learn and do it, it is certainly a good idea to save some cash. You could also turn it into a side hustle if you want.

3.  If you would be having games for kids, just prepare with a friend a list of games the kids can play instead of hiring an entertainer.  Disney.com has a nice list of party games for kids but it didn't include the popular hit the palayok and pabitin games of Filipino children.  Then, buy simple game rewards like stickers, chocolates / candies or simple toys.  It would be a good idea to have some printed coloring pages to keep the kids busy as well.  (Note:  We didn't have any games, the kids just can't wait to have fun swimming in the pool.)

4.  Party decorations?  Be creative and resourceful.  Use what you already have from the house like the poster of your son's favorite character displayed in their room (just borrow it first).  Get a cartolina and post several  photos of your son then write a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY! (print an outline of the letters and color it, if your handwriting is not so good).  You can dazzle it with some glitters (use glitter glue for less mess).

5. Keep your guests to a minimum.  You don't have to invite everyone you know especially if it's a children's party.  Close friends and families in the party will keep the party warm, manageable and fun.

Would you share some of the budget ways you celebrate your birthday parties?