Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dollar tree for decorations and paper goods (though sometimes Target and other places are cheaper for plates in larger sizes).

$5 pizza's - several pizza places have deals right now - 3 double cut
Fruit, veggies, chips, sandwich platter from Costco or where ever
Bottled water and maybe a few sodas/ice tea for adults
Costco Cake $20

Then activities

The above is not the OP— I know, because I am the OP!— and the above food sounds like a very bare minimum of $80 just for the food. If minimal decorations and paper goods (we are also doing Dollar Tree) and minimal for favors, I think that still sounds like $120+. With $0 activities, maybe that’s it? If it’s even $3-5 per kid for activities and games, you’re butting up against that $200 minimum I mentioned. So, I feel better, because that sounds pretty minimalistic.

We are not doing anything crazy IMO, but it’s still about $6 per kid for food, drinks and cake, $6 per kid for special activities and games, $3 per kid for favors. Then that leaves $75 for fairly fancy (diy) decorations and tableware and extra food for adults.

Not at all the bare minimum. You can cut your own fruit and veggies so its cheaper than a platter - carrots and celery, maybe cucumber or green beans depending on price. Bags of pretzels at Aldi's are often $1-2, just need 2. A few ago they are $.60. If you want to go fancy, then you can spend more but if you are looking for a budget. Kids in K. want simple so you just go fancier for the adults- some adults will eat pizza, some not so we usually get subs too or something else for adults.

If you want fancy, then you have to be very creative.

ug, good luck OP! If you do manage to pull off an amazing party on budget come back and repost how you did it. I've held some great parties in my home for my daughters where I[d be surprised if we spent that much! We got favors from amazon (I've always leaned toward fewer, better favors), minimal decor, and pizzas/waters/seltzers/chips/veggies and hummus.

I recently lost my job and my husband's business is not making money, so we are trying to cut back. (I'm about to get a job, though -- I was recently laid off). We're trying to cut down expenses, of course. We wouldn't be able to do a $300 party. I fondly remember the birthday parties of my childhood, where we all ate cake and pizza around the ping pong table or on the deck and ran around in the yard -- or played musical chairs or pin the tail on the donkey. So much fun and dirt cheap! Back then, parents never stayed!

I just spent over $1000 for a supposedly low key home party so yes, $300 seems very reasonable.

OP here— and yes, home party. Local to DC. Not a meal time but we have a cultural aversion to serving just cake and punch (which I don’t mind as a guest— I just can’t seem to do it myself.)

Anonymous wrote:
I do home birthday parties and could never go down lower, so consider it a baseline.

+1 the time it takes to clean your home for party readiness and then to clean up after.

Anonymous wrote:Dollar tree for decorations and paper goods (though sometimes Target and other places are cheaper for plates in larger sizes).

$5 pizza's - several pizza places have deals right now - 3 double cut
Fruit, veggies, chips, sandwich platter from Costco or where ever
Bottled water and maybe a few sodas/ice tea for adults
Costco Cake $20

Then activities

The above is not the OP— I know, because I am the OP!— and the above food sounds like a very bare minimum of $80 just for the food. If minimal decorations and paper goods (we are also doing Dollar Tree) and minimal for favors, I think that still sounds like $120+. With $0 activities, maybe that’s it? If it’s even $3-5 per kid for activities and games, you’re butting up against that $200 minimum I mentioned. So, I feel better, because that sounds pretty minimalistic.

We are not doing anything crazy IMO, but it’s still about $6 per kid for food, drinks and cake, $6 per kid for special activities and games, $3 per kid for favors. Then that leaves $75 for fairly fancy (diy) decorations and tableware and extra food for adults.

Is this a house party? Are you bringing in outside entertainment? Does the party span over a meal time? Are you posting locally?

Give us some details and we can judge accordingly.

It sounds perfect.

I think it's reasonable for what you want to do. You could go cheaper, but you don't want to, and that's fine. You don't have to justify not doing it on the super cheap!

Sounds frugal to me.

Dollar tree for decorations and paper goods (though sometimes Target and other places are cheaper for plates in larger sizes).

$5 pizza's - several pizza places have deals right now - 3 double cut
Fruit, veggies, chips, sandwich platter from Costco or where ever
Bottled water and maybe a few sodas/ice tea for adults
Costco Cake $20

Then activities

I do home birthday parties and could never go down lower, so consider it a baseline.

Yes

Absolutely.

I know it’s *possible* to do it more cheaply, but does $200-300 sound like a moderately thrifty party for about 15 kids and a a bit more food for a few of their parents (Kindergarten in this case, so drop off optional)? I feel like I can’t get away with less than this, even though I’m fairly frugal. We want to do a few activities and my kid and I enjoy a semi-elaborate theme. Just considering my budget going forward. This is for absolutely everything, including favors, etc.