Limit what we spend on throw-away-ables.
While there are some fun things that we could use to decorate and add to the festive environment, many of these items are only good for one-time use. Then they’re thrown away. That screams of waste to me. We’re going to be trying to decorate with things that can serve more than one purpose. For example, some of our decorations will be edible. A Candy Land theme just lends itself to that. A small bucket or other container with different candies sticking up from it should make a cute centerpiece. Smaller versions of this can be placed on other tables in the house too. These can be eaten during the party or given away to some lucky guest.
Keep the food simple.
We always have family coming from several hours away. That means that we need to feed them something that’s somewhat substantial. I don’t want them having to drive through on the way home because we did a cake and chips party. If everyone is local, that’s one thing. But our dedicated families travel quite a distance to celebrate with our little lady!
Food-wise, my goal is to make a filling yet frugal meal. For Emma’s first birthday, I served two different kinds of soup, breads, crackers, cheese, and some other finger foods. I did shredded BBQ pork sandwiches last year. The years between are kind of a blur now… I can’t remember what we had! I’m considering going with the soup theme again this year. That went over well, and I have a new recipe for Crock Pot Black Bean Soup that is really yummy!
Make the cake… sort of.
I’m not the ultimate cake decorator, but I have fun with Emma’s cakes. I’ve done all of them except the one for her 1st birthday. I have a killer chocolate cake recipe that I use, and I buy icing from a local grocery store’s bakery. (I stink at making icing.) I’ve made a Sesame Street cake using plastic characters (new) that Emma played with afterwards, a Backyardigans cake using coated cardboard finger puppets and an icing image (both eBay purchases), and a cake that looked like a pair of blue jeans (similar to the one HERE). Making a Candy Land cake should be fun this year!
Buy themed paper goods from Amazon.
If you’re a Swagbucks fan like I am, then check Amazon for your paper goods. Sure, Chinet I scored for $.50 is good, but character plates are really fun! I’ve saved up my Swagbucks for some Candy Land plates, cups, napkins, and – of course! – party hats. It’s a fun way to splurge without spending a dime!
Know when to splurge.
While I try to do food, cake, decorations, and paper goods on the cheap, I do know when to splurge. For example, last year we just knew that Emma would be ga–ga over the giant Pablo (Backyardigans) balloon we found at a local store. Since we had used rewards points from our debit card to pay for just about every part of her party and her gifts, we decided that we’d splurge a little for the giant balloon. And we were GLAD we did! It was a hit! I try not to be so frugal that I don’t allow myself to buy some truly fun things for birthdays.
Do you have any other advice for me? I’ve got a few weeks to plan a party and not go over budget!
For more great frugal ideas, stop by Frugal Friday hosted by Life As Mom.