5 TIPS for a fabulous Birthday Party
By Jo & Carl Violeta
T
he options for birthday parties nowadays are enormous but, unfortunately, so are the price tags. When you’re conscious of family spending or saving up for a new home or holiday, throwing a fabulous birthday party can feel like a real strain on the budget. With our eldest child turning 18 and our youngest being 4, we’ve had our fair share of experience in throwing parties. We’ve hosted both extravagant events and more frugal affairs and what we’ve learned is that with some creativity and know-how you can enjoy an awesome celebration without digging into your savings or maxing out your credit card. It’s possible to throw a fun-filled birthday party that your kids and their friends will love whilst on a budget; just take note of our top 5 tips for budget party planning.
1. Borrow, hire & re-use what you can I don’t know about you but themed birthday parties seemed to be on high rotation for at least the first few years of our children’s lives. Mermaids and pirates, then dinosaurs and fairies then disco and wizards. This is great news for the budget conscious parent as chances are you can reuse decorations and games from a friend or family member. Better still, repeat the same party for your eldest and youngestwith a few years in between they may not even realise it’s a revamp! Be sure to check out your local toy library. As well as toys, many toy libraries hire out larger equipment for parties such as jumping castles, which often end up being much cheaper than a commercial hire company. Good quality decorations are often worth the investment if you have many more parties to enjoy in the coming years. For example, fabric bunting looks festive and can be re-used, especially if it’s in a neutral colour. Cloth napkins, good quality cake tins and washable table clothes will all come in handy for years to come.
2. Embrace DIY For the catering, decorations and even entertainment, look at what you can DIY (if you have the time and inclination). •S imple homemade snacks such as fruit on a stick, fairy bread, vegemite sandwiches and popcorn are always a winner. We bulk cook biscuits and muffins at the start of every month and have been known to pull these out of the freezer for birthday parties in the past. • A couple of big jugs of water and diluted fruit juice with ice blocks in them is far cheaper than buying individual drinks and has the added bonus of being kinder to the environment too.
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Peninsula Kids – Winter 2019