It seems with each year that passes, the cost of throwing a birthday party for a child grows more and more. However if you are willing to do some things yourself to cut costs, you can have a great party for a reasonable, affordable price.

First, lets talk about the guest list. Keep the number of other kids your child invites small if you are on a tight budget. The more guests that are there, the more it will cost for food, party favors, etc. I have found the best number for a young child’s birthday party is about 6-8 guests.

The easiest way to save a big chunk of money is to have a birthday party at your home, or at a park where it doesn’t cost to rent. Most places, even restaurants charge per child plus room rental fees that can add up very quickly. Plan some games and activities to keep the kids occupied and entertained. Have all the children make an inexpensive craft to take home with them, this can double as their favor for the party and help keep costs down as well as giving them something to do during the party.

Another big money item is a store bought cake. They are popular because you can find some many different characters and themes but they can become very expensive, especially depending on the number of kids you invite. Try making a cake and decorating it yourself at home. Do a search on the Internet to find different themes and patterns to make it special. If the decorating intimidates you, try something different than a traditional cake. Cupcakes are a great alternative, and each child gets one to themselves.

Have a mid afternoon party, instead of lunch or dinnertime. It can be expensive to feed a bunch of kids a full meal. Just offer a few healthy snacks instead. Set out a tray of vegetables and dip, cut up some fruit and put out a couple bowls of pretzels on the table. Most kids don’t want to sit down and eat at a birthday party, they would rather be playing with their friends and having fun.

Keep the party at about a two hour maximum. This way you don’t have to come up with tons of stuff to do to fill the time. Two hours is long enough for everyone to do an activity, play a couple games, eat and watch the birthday girl or boy open presents. Anything over two hours is getting a little long.

I hope these tips have helped with planning an inexpensive birthday. Its not about how much money you spend on your child’s birthday party, its about the effort you put into making it special!