It’s your little one’s special day and you’re obviously going to want to make their birthday party the best it can possibly be to earn as many mum-points as possible…oh and to see the smile on their little face, of course. It’s normal to want the best for your child, but there is always a risk of going over-the-top and spending money on things that are just not necessary.
Here are 6 things that your child’s party doesn’t need:
1. Fancy Invitations
Don’t feel the need to splash the cash on expensive invitations for your child’s party. An e-mail does the job in a flash and is much more practical and most of all – free! Most people these days use e-mail in their daily lives and you can still add pictures and nice text, but at no cost! There is less chance of the invite being lost too.
Alternatively, get crafty and make your own invitations. Get your kids involved and get creative with the card. Handmade invites are much more personal than generic shop-bought invites and it’s also a great way to keep the kids entertained.
2. Pricey Party Bags/Favours
Expensive, personalised favours for the guests to take home is the latest fad for over-the-top parents throwing elaborate parties for their children. Traditional party favours can be cheap but super-fun and the kids would never notice the difference in price to start with. Bubbles, whistles, sweetie treats, yo-yos, plastic toys and crayons are just some simple, cheap but kid-pleasing party favour ideas that will keep the children happy when they go home without breaking the budget. Buy, or even, make, some party bags to put the goodies in and there’ll be guaranteed smiling kiddies all round!
3. Expensive Entertainers
Many parents spend unnecessary amounts of money hiring magicians, clowns or other children’s entertainers in the hope that they will keep the kids occupied and happy at the party. This is often a bad idea and children get bored very easily and for older children especially, Bobo the Clown just isn’t going to cut it.
Why not hire a jumping castle instead? It is guaranteed fun for kids of all ages and there will be no bored faces. A jumping castle will keep the children entertained all day long whereas a magician would be there for an hour or so and then leave the entertainment down to mum!
Your guests’ mums will thank you too, tired-out from all that bouncing, kids will be straight to bed, no questions asked!
4. Catering
If you ask a child what their favourite food is, the majority would tell you ‘chicken nuggets’ or ‘sweeties’, so hiring expensive professional caterers for a child’s party is an elaborate expense that is just not worth it!
Your guests would much prefer some yummy pizza, cupcakes and sandwiches over salmon blinis and most would turn their nose up in disgust at some of the more sophisticated caterers’ offerings! Always think simple when it comes to kids party food as fussy eaters are ten to the dozen.
5. A Hired Venue
Many people would choose to hire a location for their child’s party rather than hold it at their own home. In reality, hosting a party at your house is cheap and easy, and there’s no risk of losing your deposit if something gets damaged.
To be on the safe side, weather permitting, hold the party outdoors in the garden where spills won’t matter and your favourite vase will be out of harm’s way. Be creative with the decor and your own backyard will rival any expensive party venue, and all for free!
6. A Ginormous Cake
Sure a cake is an essential part of any birthday party but splashing out on a huge, fancy cake is often a waste of money. A simple home-made or shop-bought cake can be just as yummy and at a fraction of the cost.
In all honesty after chowing down on all the party food and the sweet treats, most of the children will have no room at all for a huge slice of cake at the end of the day. Birthday cake often ends up going to waste, forgotten about at the bottom of the party bag and thrown away by mum the next day. Save some money and think simple when it comes to the cake.
