We’re on a budget and with long planned trips (like our recent summer rendezvous in Maine), annual dates (all three of us have birthdays within a week or so of each other), end of school, etc. etc. etc., it was even more important to be as cost conscious as possible for Eliza’s 7th birthday. Last year, we had a weekend getaway in lieu of a party but this year, Eliza wanted to have friends for a pool party, as she did two years ago. We had just hosted her softball team for an end of season pool party, so fortunately, we were fresh and well practiced on the setup and prep routine.
So, back to the budget birthday party — I love a theme and I love little moments, but at this stage, we aren’t big on kid parties with huge expenses. I’m a big proponent of 90s-style kid party energy, and TBH, I think Eliza would probably LOVE a birthday party at a fast food restaurant with a playground, haha. I’d rather DIY the decor and allocate any hefitier fees to entertainment but with a pool, we get off pretty easy not really having to provide extra activities. So, with budget at the forefront of the priorities, I’m sharing 12 of the ways we kept costs at bay for this summer kid’s birthday party.
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1. AIM FOR A MODEST GUEST COUNT
This may sound obvious, but I know plenty of people who — either by tradition or obligation — feel like they have to invite extended family, all friend groups, adult friends, etc. to kid birthday parties. Since Eliza’s birthday is in the summer and it’s hit or miss if families are in town or on vacation, we can more reliably invite more people, knowing that a chunk won’t make it. But, Eliza comes up with her guest list and we only invite her friends. If the number of guests felt a little overwhelming, I would suggest to consolidate it. More guests means more just-in-case everything, from food to favors. And, especially at this age, Eliza would just be thrilled even with a friend or two to play in the pool. No need to complicate things and increase the guest number for the sake of what may be self-imposed pressure of inclusivity.
2. ELECTRONIC INVITATIONS
Ok, you’re probably like, “well, duh”, but believe it or not, this was the first year I sent out electronic invitations. We’ve always sent physical invitations but again, with a busy summer schedule, I wanted to be able to more easily manage the guest list and didn’t want to have to individually hunt people down for RSVPs. We’re probably the last people on earth to send out Evites — and I’ll be honest, it even felt a little rebellious — but it will absolutely be our regular method for kid parties moving forward. If you’re already using electronic invitations, this probably isn’t an area that will save you more, but if you’re used to the expense of ordering invitations and sending with postage (plus the time investment), this is an easy way to shave off some $$$.
3. DIY Balloon Garland
Having Eliza’s party in our backyard affords the advantage of not having the pressure of extra activities (unless we choose to), and fortunately, party decor doesn’t have to be over the top since the pool is the focal point. And, I’m all about DIYing some decorative moments. If you aren’t familiar with balloon garland artists, there are some gorgeous setups I’ve seen but they come with a HEFTY price tag. Not unwarranted, but it can be a substantial expense.
I knew I wanted to construct a Hello Kitty balloon garland and I used the softball party as a trial run for a huge garland, running the length of the retaining wall behind the pool. Around 50′(!!). I used balloons on Amazon and in addition to the quality of the balloons and the direct sun popping them steadily throughout the afternoon, I knew I would have to alter my game plan for Eliza’s birthday party. This is what the softball party looked like, after only a few balloons had popped…
Loungers | Umbrellas | In Pool Ledge Loungers & Table
So, I decided to take my chances with higher quality balloons from Tuftex (via Balloons Direct) and construct a garland on the porch as the main focal. I started inflating the balloons two days in advance and I used a different method this time. (By the way, if you don’t already have an air pump, I have the basic hot pink one and I can inflate SO many SO quickly). I created clusters of balloons that I twisted together (each had a 17″ balloons, four 11″ balloons, and four 5″ balloons. I used large rubber-bands to secure the clusters together and I used rubber-bands secured with painters tape on the wall to secure the garland to the wall in a few spots. Having used better quality balloons and not being in direct sunlight for hours, this garland was still perfect the next morning, despite the heat.
Hot Pink 7 Balloon | Tuftex Balloons | Club Chairs | Coffee Table | Side Tables | Diamond Rug | Pillow Covers (20″) | TV (55″)
I set up a few additional impromptu balloon moments in the final moments before the party — there was some pop-age, but mainly from the lower quality pack of hello kitty face balloons that I grabbed from Hobby Lobby and incorporated into the nicer balloons.
4. AI Tv art
We are also having a time coming up with AI prompts for the TV art on the TV on our back deck. We came up with several potential Hello Kitty scenes before settling on one. Whether it’s indoor or out, using your TV as a banner/opportunity to showcase the theme is easy and free.
5. walgreens banner Hack
I saw this trick pop up in my social feed and I first tried it for Eliza’s softball party. Not only can you print a custom banner at your local Walgreens (for pick up in less than an hour), but I was able to find a coupon code both times for 60% off… discounting my 6′ banner to $12.80. I just Googled and it looks like they have a current 60% off code (using code PORTRAITS). While the tip showed up on my social with Canva-designed banners with specific dimensions, I went even simpler and asked ChatGPT to come up with banner options, using 2’x6′ dimensions, and got really specific with the details. When I went to print, it said the photo resolution may be grainy but I used the same method for both parties and they turned out great. After ordering online, I received notice almost immediately that my order was ready for pick-up.
6. Hobby Lobby/Dollar Tree for Paperware
Of all the places costs can potentially escalate, I am determined for plates and napkins to not be one of them. For the basics, I’m a huge proponent of Dollar Tree — they have all the colors of the rainbow and I got really familiar with it being Eliza’s room mom this past year. For something a little more theme forward, Hobby Lobby always has their paper party-ware on sale and at a great deal. Unless convenience is your primary priority, check these places first!
7. Shop Your stash (Inflatables end of season)
I love using an inexpensive float for pool party decor and I’ve shopped for budget friendly inflatables in on-theme colors for every party we’ve had, I think. But, I also love scooping up a few inflatables at the end of the season for a secret basement stash when they inevitably go on super sale once summer has come to a close. I could have gotten a Hello Kitty float and I would have used our flamingo had it not just recently popped, but instead, I looked to see what we had on hand I’d purchased previously. A pink unicorn with rainbow hair and silver glittery tubes totally fit the bill. (BTW, I found it new on eBay for $8 HERE). I did add a couple of THESE pink and white striped tubes 😉
8. Costco pizza
Costco pizza in the food court is delicious and a deal that’s hard to beat, but if you’ve never done the full sized pizza from the Costco food court, you get a HUGE (seriously, HUGE) pizza for $10. It’s cut into 12 large pieces and is so big, that one piece is typically enough. For a kids party with everyone swimming, only running by to grab a quick bite, pizza continues to be the easy go-to and at this price, worth the trip for pick-up in lieu of having pizza delivered. With 10-12 kids and one/two adults per kid, we ordered four pizzas for Eliza’s party and had 2.5 pizzas left over. One of the best food deals ever if you have someone you can task with pick-up (in our case, Dave, arriving back home just as the party was starting). You can call ahead the day before to order.
9. Kid Pleasing Budget Snacks (Popsicles)
We kept it simple here. I cut up a huge watermelon on my own (saves a ton of $$$), arranged a tray of pre-packaged individual snacks for quick grabbing next to the pool, and offered frozen icy pops later in the party. There was no shortage of food and it was SO cheap. We didn’t have a food table — I had the pizza and watermelon set up on the kitchen counter in a line and the snacks stationed around. We had coolers outside with juice boxes and water.
10. Walmart cupcakes
One of my favorite brand new finds — 24 count theme cupcakes from Walmart for $13!!!!!!! While Publix and Costco have the reputation for the great bakeries, I have never ordered a bakery item from Walmart. But, after trying a friend’s cookie cake from there in the past year, I was a quick believer. When I was looking for budget cake options that would be easy on cost, effort, and serving, I stumbled upon Walmart’s deal of 24 theme cupcakes (in our case, Hello Kitty), where you choose the flavors, for $13. I ordered online and they were ready for pick-up on the day and time I requested and lemme tell you… DELICIOUS. Custom cakes and even decorated sheet cakes can be expensive. This was SO the move. I also scored individual ice cream cups at Publix during a BOGO deal with half vanilla/half chocolate and ended up with 24 portions for around $8.
I dressed up the cupcakes a smidge on stacked tiered cake stands and grabbed a screenshot from the video Dave filmed 😉
11. Custom Favors
A lot of people are leaning into no favors at birthday parties these days, and I’m totally in support of that. We did get water squirters at Costco (ended up under $2/each) and then Eliza and I made pony bead bag charms/keychains for each child. Girls got flower chains (totally Hello Kitty!) and boys got fish — all with monogram initials. I love that she was able to take ownership of her favors; they turned out cute, custom, and it was such an affordable way to do favors.
12. Candy Salad
Eliza and I LOVE “candy salad” as a treat and so while totally unnecessary, and in lieu of a candy bar (also unnecessary), I thought it would be fun to assemble a huge candy salad jar with bags to go, alongside the favors. I sourced red and pink fruity candy, marshmallows, etc. from Walmart and Amazon, depending on cheapest price. It was a huge hit! And, way more budget friendly than a full bar setup.
That evening, we actually joined some friends for a Taylor Swift cover artist at our town’s city center (free!) — it was a long but fully celebrated day 😉
It was a last minute decision and Eliza and I pulled our coordinating outfits together quickly.
And unrelated to Eliza’s birthday party but still in line with kids budget birthday parties, we assembled these adorable custom and embellished bags for two sisters who were celebrating birthdays this past month. We scooped up the little zippered hand bags for $4.99 (!!), the scarves I braided onto the handles for $2.99, zippered pouches inside the bags (also with monogram patches and coordinating chapstick)– all from Hobby Lobby — and Eliza and I made cute bag charms. They turned out absolutely adorable and were under $20 each, fully outfitted.
Saving money and priorities within a budget look different from family to family, but I’ll be sharing more of our personal approach in the coming months, since it’s something that’s very real to us right now — as I’m sure it is with many of your families. And, as always, budget or no, we don’t judge each other for how we choose to spend our money, right? 😉
I appreciated the practical ideas for a kids’ party. Love the little purse gifts you put together. Would you consider sharing a tutorial or source showing how to braid the scarf onto the purse handle?