Frugal Birthday Party Ideas

There are a lot of things to consider when planning a birthday party. You've got the invitations, the decorations, the cake and ice cream, the games and activities, and the goodie bags. This can add up to a lot of money and before you know it, it may have been better just to have the party at a local party place instead!

With a quick rundown of the easiest ways to save big money on your child's birthday party, you won't have to sacrifice any of the fun to have a frugal party. Here are a few ways to have a great party for around $100.

Theme Parties

These ‘character' or ‘theme' parties can be the most expensive of all. To cut corners, mix and match accessories and decorations with plain things such as tablecloths, napkins, plates, and such.

If you are choosing to go with a theme such as a Disney movie or TV show character, find printable characters online or draw freehand if you can and use them for hanging banners, or even the design for a homemade cake.

How to Plan a Superhero Birthday Party

Old Fashioned Picnic Parties

Taking all the kids for a big picnic in a park can be a great way to save money. The kids can use the playground and a simple $3 pack of balloons filled with water can provide a whole day of fun playing water balloon games.

You can even bring a couple cartons of eggs at only a few dollars a carton, along with spoons, and play games like racing to the finish line without dropping the egg. If the situation is right, you may also like to get an organized game going, like softball, volleyball, or soccer.

The Great Outdoors

An outdoor party where you camp-out in the backyard, or even just cook-out in the backyard, can be a wonderful time. Roast marshmallows and hotdogs, and make S'mores on the grill or fire pit. Set up tents for sleepovers, or just gather around the campfire to tell spooky ghost stories until it's time to go home.

The cost is minimal for a big bag or two of marshmallows, some hot dogs and buns, a box of graham crackers, and some bars of chocolate. For goodie bags, little flashlights and glow in the dark stickers are a great way to have fun outdoors.

Check out this Sponge Bob SquarePants birthday cake.

Wild Winter Parties

If your birthday party falls during the winter months, and you have snow to play in, this could provide you with a built-in party. Rent or borrow sleds and you're on your way to a great party. You will want cold-weather food including thermoses filled with hot chocolate and a supply of marshmallows to add in each mug.

Don't forget the blankets and lawn chairs for whoever wants to sit and watch the fun. Bring a big pot of chili and a box of cupcakes, and you have an easy party with easy-to-serve food, and very little money involved.

There is no doubt about the fact that $100 is a tight budget to plan a birthday party for a group of kids. But, you can stretch that budget far and wide, making use of many of the fun things in life that cost little to nothing at all!