Love to get something free? How about on your birthday? Over at fabulous savings, they have a list of 49 things you can get for free on your birthday. If you plan your day out just right, you might be able to get a fair amount of them! Know anything else you can get for free on your birthday? Let us know.
Enjoy your day!
Frugality is being more economical and less wasteful.
Showing posts with label parties. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parties. Show all posts
Happy Birthday!
Does that statement bring you dread or excitement? What if I said it was a child's birthday? How are you feeling now? When did children's birthday parties become such a big event? Store bought cakes, events not at home, presents bigger and better than last year's? Kind of reminds me of Harry Potter's cousin's birthday.
We had several birthdays celebrated in our home in the past couple of months. With four children, planning huge parties for the entire class at a restaurant, bowling, paint ball or whatever is not an option. To have a party at home is just as natural as breathing and I didn't even give it a second thought until a parent of one of the children brought it up. They asked if it's a new trend to have parties at home or was I just that brave or crazy to do this, and where was the rest of the class? With these thoughts in my mind, I thought it would be best to discuss the blessings of having a home party.
Here are my rules for having a great frugal birthday party for your child.
#1 DO NOT buy a cake. Man, those cakes cost $20 and upwards! That's a present! Unless you really can't bake, and I mean like you destroy a cake mix, make your own cake. We have had everything from spiderman to elmo to a plain round cake with funky candles and sprinkles. Cakes don't have to be an art piece. They are going to be devoured in two seconds. Make it simple. The favourite here is the money cake my Nanny use to make. As you are baking your cake, you wrap up one of each of the following in wax paper; loonie, quarter, dime, nickel and penny. They are the wonderful prizes the children look for while eating. Recommend it for ages 5 and up. Others we have done had crazy candles, funky colour icing, sprinkles and decorations on it. Try it.
#2 DO NOT invite the entire class, school, every person your child has said hi to over the years. A good rule of thumb is however old your child is, that would be the maximum amount of children to invite. We end at 10 children because it just gets crazy. When you have children in school, church, hockey, karate, or whatever else, they can make a lot of friends in a lot of places. Get them to only invite their closest friends and if anyone gets upset, tell your child to blame it on their parents who put a limit on the amount of people allowed to come.
#3 DO have your party somewhere free! People shell out so much to rent out a hall, take children to a video game or paint ball place when it's easy to just do it at home. Remember, if you aren't inviting EVERYONE, you have more room in your home to have them. If your child really wants to have it somewhere else, tell them that it will be part, or all, of their present to have it there. It can become really costly to take everyone out, unless you are getting the guests to pay their own portion as their gift to the birthday child.
#4 DO ask your child want they want to do at their party. We over schedule our children so much with extracurricular activities that it even carries over to their parties. In actuality, they just want to play with a bunch of their friends. We have a few organized games at younger parties, twister, pin the something on something, scavenger hunt, bean bag toss, etc and we usually set something artsy up like paint a picture, do a nature craft, learn a new craft technique, make your own pizza, decorate your own cupcake for the birthday song etc. We allow free play time and running outside with tag, hide and seek, soccer etc. Unless it's pouring rain or absolutely freezing cold, we love for everyone to have time outside. Lately, our daughter has wanted to have her friends over for a movie birthday night (not a sleepover! They just get to stay late, like 10pm and then go home). Most of them have even watched the movie already and just love eating munchies and watching a movie with their friends. VERY EASY PARTY!
#5 You DON'T have to give a tonne of candy in a loot bag. Recently our son came home from a party with a tennis racket and ball from the dollar store. One was given to each of the boys instead of candy. We have done a small craft package, silly bands, hair elastics and clips or playdoh. All of these are available at the dollar store and last much longer than the candy and are around the same price.
#6 You DON'T have to have the biggest, most expensive gift in the world for your child. Find out what your child truly wants, not the latest whatever, but what they really want and will keep for a longer period of time. Last year, our oldest wanted an ipod touch. REALLY, REALLY wanted one. Well, the price was WAY more than what we spend on a birthday present. He proposed having a combo Christmas/birthday present (his birthday is 7 weeks before Christmas) and he was willing to contribute some of his own money to pay the difference. Was it worth it? Totally. He learned the cost of things, how to appreciate it more and saving his money for something worthwhile. This year, the same thing happened as he wanted a guitar for his birthday. It's a wonderful way to go.
#7 When giving a gift, DO give an actual gift as it can be way cheaper than a gift card or cash. It's a little more work on your part, but can save you money if you are looking around for sale items.
#8 DO make a homemade card. Really, there are not many children that care about keeping the card. Yes, you can get a card at the dollar store, but other than that, they are $4 and up! CRAZY!
#9 DO reuse your gift bags to wrap presents in. Or use flyers, packaging paper decorated up or old newspapers. It's going to be recycled anyway. Why spend the money on the wrappings that get destroyed?
What are you money saving ideas for parties? Would love to hear them and share with everyone else. Drop us a line!
Enjoy your day!
We had several birthdays celebrated in our home in the past couple of months. With four children, planning huge parties for the entire class at a restaurant, bowling, paint ball or whatever is not an option. To have a party at home is just as natural as breathing and I didn't even give it a second thought until a parent of one of the children brought it up. They asked if it's a new trend to have parties at home or was I just that brave or crazy to do this, and where was the rest of the class? With these thoughts in my mind, I thought it would be best to discuss the blessings of having a home party.
Here are my rules for having a great frugal birthday party for your child.
#1 DO NOT buy a cake. Man, those cakes cost $20 and upwards! That's a present! Unless you really can't bake, and I mean like you destroy a cake mix, make your own cake. We have had everything from spiderman to elmo to a plain round cake with funky candles and sprinkles. Cakes don't have to be an art piece. They are going to be devoured in two seconds. Make it simple. The favourite here is the money cake my Nanny use to make. As you are baking your cake, you wrap up one of each of the following in wax paper; loonie, quarter, dime, nickel and penny. They are the wonderful prizes the children look for while eating. Recommend it for ages 5 and up. Others we have done had crazy candles, funky colour icing, sprinkles and decorations on it. Try it.
#2 DO NOT invite the entire class, school, every person your child has said hi to over the years. A good rule of thumb is however old your child is, that would be the maximum amount of children to invite. We end at 10 children because it just gets crazy. When you have children in school, church, hockey, karate, or whatever else, they can make a lot of friends in a lot of places. Get them to only invite their closest friends and if anyone gets upset, tell your child to blame it on their parents who put a limit on the amount of people allowed to come.
#3 DO have your party somewhere free! People shell out so much to rent out a hall, take children to a video game or paint ball place when it's easy to just do it at home. Remember, if you aren't inviting EVERYONE, you have more room in your home to have them. If your child really wants to have it somewhere else, tell them that it will be part, or all, of their present to have it there. It can become really costly to take everyone out, unless you are getting the guests to pay their own portion as their gift to the birthday child.
#4 DO ask your child want they want to do at their party. We over schedule our children so much with extracurricular activities that it even carries over to their parties. In actuality, they just want to play with a bunch of their friends. We have a few organized games at younger parties, twister, pin the something on something, scavenger hunt, bean bag toss, etc and we usually set something artsy up like paint a picture, do a nature craft, learn a new craft technique, make your own pizza, decorate your own cupcake for the birthday song etc. We allow free play time and running outside with tag, hide and seek, soccer etc. Unless it's pouring rain or absolutely freezing cold, we love for everyone to have time outside. Lately, our daughter has wanted to have her friends over for a movie birthday night (not a sleepover! They just get to stay late, like 10pm and then go home). Most of them have even watched the movie already and just love eating munchies and watching a movie with their friends. VERY EASY PARTY!
#5 You DON'T have to give a tonne of candy in a loot bag. Recently our son came home from a party with a tennis racket and ball from the dollar store. One was given to each of the boys instead of candy. We have done a small craft package, silly bands, hair elastics and clips or playdoh. All of these are available at the dollar store and last much longer than the candy and are around the same price.
#6 You DON'T have to have the biggest, most expensive gift in the world for your child. Find out what your child truly wants, not the latest whatever, but what they really want and will keep for a longer period of time. Last year, our oldest wanted an ipod touch. REALLY, REALLY wanted one. Well, the price was WAY more than what we spend on a birthday present. He proposed having a combo Christmas/birthday present (his birthday is 7 weeks before Christmas) and he was willing to contribute some of his own money to pay the difference. Was it worth it? Totally. He learned the cost of things, how to appreciate it more and saving his money for something worthwhile. This year, the same thing happened as he wanted a guitar for his birthday. It's a wonderful way to go.
#7 When giving a gift, DO give an actual gift as it can be way cheaper than a gift card or cash. It's a little more work on your part, but can save you money if you are looking around for sale items.
#8 DO make a homemade card. Really, there are not many children that care about keeping the card. Yes, you can get a card at the dollar store, but other than that, they are $4 and up! CRAZY!
#9 DO reuse your gift bags to wrap presents in. Or use flyers, packaging paper decorated up or old newspapers. It's going to be recycled anyway. Why spend the money on the wrappings that get destroyed?
What are you money saving ideas for parties? Would love to hear them and share with everyone else. Drop us a line!
Enjoy your day!
Needing your advice and help
Hello Readers,
A fellow reader needs your help. They have an event coming up in a couple of weeks that they have to provide food for 75-100 people for the beginning of October. They need it as cheap as possible and will be doing as much of the work on their own.
Please submit your idea, recipe, suggestion whatever as a comment, via email at smile_zil at yahoo dot ca or on twitter, fightin2bfrugal. Could you have those ideas in by Sunday the 12th? Thank you. I'm off to start my research for my side of it as well.
This will turn in to a wonderful post for preparing frugal food for lots of people for weddings, anniversary or birthday parties or any other event. PLEASE, help out a fellow reader.
We truly appreciate it.
Enjoy your day!
A fellow reader needs your help. They have an event coming up in a couple of weeks that they have to provide food for 75-100 people for the beginning of October. They need it as cheap as possible and will be doing as much of the work on their own.
Please submit your idea, recipe, suggestion whatever as a comment, via email at smile_zil at yahoo dot ca or on twitter, fightin2bfrugal. Could you have those ideas in by Sunday the 12th? Thank you. I'm off to start my research for my side of it as well.
This will turn in to a wonderful post for preparing frugal food for lots of people for weddings, anniversary or birthday parties or any other event. PLEASE, help out a fellow reader.
We truly appreciate it.
Enjoy your day!
What are you doing New Year's - New Year's Eve?
(Photo courtesy of http://www.solosholidays.co.uk/_uploads/uploaded/Happy%20New%20Year.jpg)
Since New Year's is tomorrow night, I thought I would ask you, dear readers, what are you frugally doing to celebrate the beginning of a new decade?
Here in this busy home, we aren't going out. Usually we end up going to my sister and brother in law's home with all the family (adults and children) and hanging out together for the evening. This year, my husband and I decided to forego invites to some friends' homes and anywhere else, and stay home with our 4 children. Our children usually end up going wherever we go for New Year's as babysitters are très expensive! Thankfully, our family and friends are of the same mindset so there is usually a children's party and a grown up party going on together.
We are going to play some boardgames, card games, maybe even a round of twister and eat munchies, dance and hopefully everyone will have fun. We usually turn the clocks ahead and the children get to have an earlier new year's than we do. They are in bed around 9 ish.
There are ways to have a frugal party for New Year's Party though, even with children. You could see if there is anyone that is willing to swap babysitting services for the night, or if there is a grandparent or someone else that isn't going out that would love to come in.
When having a party, get everyone to bring an appetizer, snack or drink with them to cut down on costs of the food and drink side.
Use an ipod or mp3 player with your system to have music instead of going out to a club or even having someone in to master mind the whole thing.
Use Christmas lights and ribbon/garland from your tree in a different fashion for decorations.
Play group board games, karaoke, wii and other games for entertainment. There are a whole assortment of party games out there that are rather entertaining.
Or just stay in with you and your special someone, and cook an extra nice special meal for the two of you to enjoy, dance the night away or curl up for a movie marathon.
Then there are always free fireworks in every community practically to be able to participate in. Check out your local paper. Some communities have free parties downtown to be apart of and some communities even have an early children's party so everyone can be part of the celebration.
There are plenty of ways to celebrate. Whatever way you celebrate, be safe and have a Happy New Year!
Enjoy your day!
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