Those of you that know me know I love a good party. Before Dawson was born until now we have always tried to have really epic birthday parties. This year we had 120 people at our house for Dawson’s 4th birthday and while I might be a little crazy, I am not made of money. I set a budget for the party and I stick to it firmly. Here are my top 4 tips for saving money AND still throwing an amazing kids birthday party.

1. Buy all year– I buy party supplies all year. I tend to hit the stores after major holidays and I purchase my cupcake cups, treat bags and neutral colored supplies during these times. I buy smart and only buy colors my son would like. If there is a theme I can usually make something work that I got after most holidays. This year we did a batman themed birthday party and I had purchased black party supplies after Halloween last year. Party was DONE.

2. Epic Dessert Table– I secretly believe this is why people come to our parties. They know I take over the dining room with what seems like an endless number of treats. Not only does this look amazing, but the kids LOVE it. My secret is I make everything myself. I start a couple weeks in advance and freeze any thing I can. This helps me to save money because store bought desserts are expensive, and I am able to control completely what is going into my food.

3. Make Easy Food – back to the I make everything for the party. I really make everything. THIS is how I save the most money. If you are not a cook or don’t think you’re very good, that’s okay. Choose something you are good at and make that. This year we did a simple taco bar and it was a huge hit! Any time you pay someone else to do something you end up doubling your costs. Figure out what you can make well, and do that for your party.

Some of our favorites are:

1. taco bar
2. soft pretzel buffet
3. baked ziti or lasagna
4. meatballs
5. pasta salads
6. small sandwiches
7. Macaroni and cheese

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4. Skip the favors– So I know kids love getting the clear baggy with plastic toys, but those toys are not cheap and this adds up fast. We skipped favors this year and every kid got to choose a mask to wear because of the batman theme. Last year, we did dinosaurs and I had gummy bears in little jars. The kids loved it and I think parents are happy to not have more tiny toys laying around.