Saving money on Birthday Parties

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Out of Gas Newsletter - Issue 69 January 23, 2010

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Today is our anniversary.. Lisa has put up with me for 19 years and I can’t believe it. It is pretty funny but I still feel like I’m on my honeymoon. My daughters birthday is coming up and today we talk about saving money on your birthday party.

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Saving Money on Birthday parties

There are really three types of parties -

a) The intimate party - this is probably the cheapest of them all. You invite a few close friends for a sleepover or an afternoon at your house. This type of party could also include a trip to a movie or some other fun place.
b) The party at your house. This involves all the normal birthday festivities at your house.
c) The party outside of your house. This could be at the pool, chucky cheese, a skating rink etc. This birthday party is usually the most expensive. This is the party we’ll be talking about.

1. Invitations - You can save a lot of money by printing your own invitations. They don’t have to cover the whole page, in fact it is pretty easy to get 6 or so on a page. You can find some word birthday templates here - http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT101447601033.aspx
2. Food and Drink - If you’re having a big crowd probably the cheapest way to go is pizza. Everyone loves pizza and if you call around I’m sure that you can find them for 5 or 6 bucks each. Ask about quantity discounts.
3. The venue - the best way to save money on the skating rink or whereever you’re going to have your party is to find someone to share the costs. We have my daughter and nieces party every year together, that way we and my wife’s sister splits all the costs. In fact we’ll be having Haley’s birthday party on Sunday.
4. Party gifts - you know the little bag of things that you give the people that come to the birthday party. Believe it or not their are kids that go to the parties with the ‘best’ goody bag.

One thing to remember to is if you don’t go to the other kiddy parties, then not many people will come to yours.