How to throw a kid's birthday party for $100

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I consider myself a birthday party veteran having thrown nine of these shindigs between my two sons. Here's the thing: I always end up overdoing it. Not like Tom and Katie droppin' $100K for Suri or parents up spend upwards of $10,000 in parties with $1,500 birthday cakes. (Read this, you'll laugh in that "oh my gaw" way). But I've ordered way to much food, invited too many people or and spent money on entertainment for kids that could have just as easily been a simple game of pin the tail on the donkey.

I'm a huge believer and supporter of birthday parties without pressure. It's easy to get carried away. It's a party! You want everyone to have fun! The kids must be entertained at all times! You can't run out of food! And don't forget the goody bags!

But as my youngest son approached his third birthday, I decided to get back to the simple birthday party. I was on a mission host a party that was easy to plan and execute...on a budget. I gave myself a $100 limit. Now, the goal was not to be cheap. It was to keep myself in check and stick with a plan while still dishing up delish food and good times.

It was a family-only party with 14 adults and six kids under the age of 7. And guess what? I came under budget with $6 to spare.

Here's how I managed to keep this birthday party to under $100:

I planned an afternoon party where we didn't have to offer lunch or dinner.

We had tons of snacky finger foods and salads for everyone to nosh on. We had pita chips and tortilla chips with store-bought salsa, fresh guacamole and hummus. I made three platters of tea sandwiches (cucumber/cream cheese on white, turkey/swiss on wheat and peanut butter and jelly on white for the kids. I bought three loaves of bread, a tub of cream cheese, a pound of turkey and half a pound of swiss chees). We also had a cherry tomato/fresh mozzarrela and basil salad (two pints of organic cherry tomatos and tub of mozzerrella balls and a fresh bunch of basil). I also had some family help with the cooking of two side dishes (macaroni salad and fruit/jello salad). One plate of leftovers, perfect for school lunches.

I made the birthday cake saving myself $30 from a store-bought cake. I baked one 13"x9" cake that I decorated using a store-bought icing pen to create train tracks. I placed two of my son's Thomas the Tank Engine trains on the tracks and it looked pretty cute until he managed to get his fingers in the icing. Five times. We served generous slices and still had leftovers.

We're still in the middle of heat spell in Silicon Valley, so beverages were flowing and were the most expensive items on the shopping list. We had kid's boxed drinks, Izze sparkling soda (because I am addicted), bottled water and a few adult-oriented drinks. Tons leftover but will use them.

We didn't hand out goody bags for the kids. I'm not sure how this trend started and while I so appreciate the gesture, I don't think it's necessary. Again, this is all me. If you dig goody bags, go on with your bad self. Some ideas for low-cost goody bags include a take-home cupcake (homemade), a little bag of homemade mini-cookies or a small, inexpensive book.

What's your typical birthday party spending limit? What's you're take on goody bags? Share your ideas for low-key, low pressure birthday party for kids.

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Posted by princess Mon May 19, 2008 1:40pm PDT

I think the $100 spending limit is reasonable, even for a hardworking single Mom such as myself. Homemade cake is the way to go, you just have to get creative. Finger foods are a great idea, I mean, who needs all that heavy food anyway? Also, I don't think that goody bags are an absolute necessity. But, I do believe that entertainment is needed such as a pinata or pin the tail on the donkey.

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Posted by Mimi-pz Mon May 19, 2008 2:22pm PDT

I am so with you on this one! Birthday parties can get over the top. In fact, my 3 YO has never had a party and my 7 YO had his biggest this year -- and it was on the cheap... but I did two for him.
We like to get Pizza -- either from Costco - very yummy and they feed a crowd (plus you can get the salads and stuff) or we have a few places that have $5 pizza's -- cheese or pepperoni (and they will deliver) so that keeps the cost down.
Most of ours are play dates at the house instead of going to a big venue. We did take 4 kids bowling this year, but we did the "lunch and bowl" option on Friday afternoons. We had a meal for each kid, 2 games of bowling and shoe rental for $7 each.
I agree about the goody bags too! I went to a party once and the "goody bag" was a $3 gift card to the ice cream shop down the road. My kid of goody bag!

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Posted by JaneDoe Mon May 19, 2008 8:06pm PDT

What great tips!

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Posted by Candeecrafter Tue May 20, 2008 2:51am PDT

I agree totally. All my kids parties were at home with fun activities, games and sometimes paid entertainment (ie. magicians are great) You can get tons of great ideas searching on the web. And goody bags - son't get me started! So many are tossed aside when the kid gets home and the poor hostess spent time and money putting them together. Many of my kids parties had a craft activity resulting in a keepsake item that they took home. I felt that took the place of a goody bag.

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Posted by joshsmom Tue May 20, 2008 9:39am PDT

This was the best. I am so anti-party because of the competetive nature of parents to prove how much they "love" their children. I only hav two parties for my olest son. My second child had no parties and I dod not think my third son will have any parties. We just christened him without his godparents to avoid an after party

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Posted by thundernreign29 Tue May 20, 2008 1:15pm PDT

I have 3 kids and first we don't have their first party with "Friends" until they are 4 years old and we don't attend "friend" parties until they are 4 years old. Also, I think the party should be decided upon the age of the child as to what you should do and not do. Anyway, we typically have parties at home too.
Parties we have had:
1. pool parties, with a bbq, homemade cake and pinatas; and
2.Guy's Night (with boys you can't call it a sleepover!) with ice cream sundaes and gummie worms, chili dogs, chips n dip, pinata and video games.
3. Parties just at a park where the kids can play and run themselves out! Relay races, cake and pinatas are great at the park.
We have spent money on parties going to Main Event, Bowling and Burger King, but I think the minimum I have spent doing any of these is $150. And I know this sounds bad, sometimes I'll offer my child (the oldest is 14 years old) either a b-day party or cash that I would have spent on the party. That worked for a few years, last year we did the Main Event for $200--ouch!

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Posted by pink bliss ♥ Wed May 28, 2008 8:15am PDT

GREAT ideas! I myself am hosting a "Rock Star" party for my 7 and 10 year-olds (their birthdays are 2 days apart) and will bake the cupcakes, make the favors for the goodie bags, string up white lights (Christmas lights) in the garage for a concert effect, have 2 or 3 friends give music lessons to the kids, and everyone, including adults, can come dressed as their favorite rock star ~ I'm hoping Elvis will show! The kids are excited and it won't cost a bundle.

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Posted by yay Fri May 30, 2008 12:28pm PDT

I have one son and I am also an only child. With us its a family tradition, to have all the family over( I have a huge one)and we cook and have a good time playing games with the kids. The party bags are the stuff you get out of the pinatas and the kids are happy with that.

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Posted by cherynw Fri May 30, 2008 1:20pm PDT

Last year, one of my daughter's has a summer birthday. Our local pool only costs 75 cents per person with a park near by, so I made a cookie cake and decorated it, had chips, Ice cream, and sodas at the park, and then paid for the kids to go swimming afterwards. I took small ziplock bags decorated with princess stickers and put dollar store candy in it for treat bags. Both the kids and adults had a good time.

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Posted by aegamy Fri May 30, 2008 3:59pm PDT

My daughters b-day party is in a week. We always have it at home. I always provide lots of snacks, cheese, fruit & veggies. I am making her cake this year - guitar shaped. I bought the pan at the local crafts store. I agree that parties are getting out of hand! In an effort this year to be more earth friendly - I have made the decorations. I bought a yard of felt and cut out triangle shapes that I then decorated and glued onto a ribbon - happy birthday banner - that I will use several times over! For the goody bags I found little cotton tote bags and bought a pack of fabric markers - the kids can decorate the bags themselves and take them home at the end of the party.

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