How to Plan an Affordable Birthday Party

Okay, I’m sure by now we all know that kids are expensive. It is just so much that goes into parenting and the costs grow as they grow.

I’ve heard horror stories of parents spending hundreds and thousands of dollars on kids parties, and end up regretting it because the kid is too young to participate, and let’s be honest, they won’t even remember it.

We all love a good celebration, but you don’t have to break the bank to do so.

I, personally, am not a fan of large parties. A huge guest list will cause my anxiety to get out of line, so I chose to keep it simple and vouched for a more small and intimate gathering in which my son was able to interact with the guests on a personal level instead of having to say hi and bye to 50 different people.

I decided to throw a “Hotdog and Ice Cream Bar” themed party. The hotdogs were more so for the older kids and adults since doctors advise us to not feed infants hotdogs.

If you have kids that are of the appropriate age, this is a very affordable theme to recreate.

Once I chose the theme, I then chose the color scheme and created the party invitations on Canva. I literally did them from my phone using the Canva app.

I sent it as an electronic invitation via text, and asked everyone to RSVP with a quick text. This saved on buying paper invitations and having to buy postage to mail them. It also made it easier for guests to let me know if they were going to be able to make it or not.

I tried to keep the same color scheme of the invitations for the color scheme of the party.

I found tablecloths at my local Walmart, and also picked up small items like confetti and party glasses for decoration and for a party favor for guests.

The menu for this party was very affordable, filling, and simple.

For the hotdog bar:

• grilled hotdogs

• buns

• dill pickles

• chips

• assorted condiments

• sliced fruit

...and for the ice cream bar:

• 1 gallon of ice cream

• sprinkles

• chocolate chips

We also had popsicles and punch. Instead of a cake, I decided to get individual cupcakes because it’s easier to distribute to guests, and you don’t have to worry about cutting slices and passing out additional plates and forks.

If you are looking to do something not only nice, but also cost efficient, consider a Hotdog and Ice Cream themed party, and enjoy!