Don’t want the most special date of the year to go blank, but overspending isn’t an option? Here’s how to celebrate without breaking the bank
Parenting brings so many challenges and so many joys, that it’s hard to pass up celebrating every time your child completes another cycle in life. What kid doesn’t count the days until his birthday party arrives, even if it’s the famous “just a cupcake”? Indeed, Raise your hand if you’ve never thought of making “just one cupcake” and ended up getting carried away, ordering decorations, calling more people than expected and, look, there was a card limit! To avoid this suffocation and not have to stop celebrating as your little one deserves, you need to focus on planning.
” The first point to define is the budgetthat is how much you can spend,” says party designer Carol Brandão ( @carolbrandaodecor). And here it is important to be realistic. Sit down, do the math and focus on the real possibilities. It’s useless to promote an incredible party, for 100 people, and then spend months with the bill in the red, right? Based on this value you can define whether it will be a small party or a large party and then go to the organization. Date, time, place, theme… All of this affects the final price. To help you plan better and not overload your finances, Carol gives you seven tips. Come and see!
1. The guest list
“The fewer people we have on the guest list, the better. At least when the idea is to save money”, says the expert. Even if the party is not a buffet, everything is calculated on the basis of the number of guests. “This goes for the size of the room, the size of the cake table, the amount of sweets, snacks, drinks…”, he recalls. Why not focus on calling out who is most special to your child and a part of their life, instead of wanting to please the adults who don’t even care about the child the rest of the year?
2. Children’s party just for kids
Another resource to make the party cheaper is invite only the children instead of inviting the parents as well. “Helps you save a lot. Imagine inviting 15 classmates. If you factor in everyone’s parents, there’s already 30 more people,” Carol says. But beware! ” I only recommend doing it from the age of 5when the little ones already have more autonomy, they already go to the bathroom by themselves, eat and ask you if they want to go out or call their mother”, he continues.
He also reiterates that, in this case, it is even more important to ensure that the location is secure (does the building’s lobby have access to the parking lot or pool area, for example?). Remember that the parents of the birthday child are responsible for all the children while they are at the party.
3. The place of the celebration
The choice of the place where the celebration will take place also makes a difference in the final value. To begin with, you need to think about the possibilities, the amount available, and the number of people you already have on your guest list. “There are halls in buildings that seat 30 or 40 people. There are buffets that seat 100,” explains the expert.
Are outdoor parties, in parks or squares, cheap, fun for children and can they accommodate more people? Theoretically yes, but before deciding on this alternative it is necessary to consider some points, such as the safety of the little ones, if the parents are not present (we talked about it above). Carol also mentions that it’s important to have an alternative in case it gets too cold or raining, which could also make the idea more expensive. “Sometimes, that Plan B involves renting a penthouse or thinking about a salon. It can be more expensive. Plus, when there’s nowhere to run, you can get stressed out and end up ruining that very special day and for which you have prepared everything with all your affection”, he reiterates. Think about this.
4. Choosing the date
Now that you have the number of guests and an idea of the place, think about the exact day you want to have the party. “To save, the ideal is to avoid commemorative dates, such as Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, etc. Everything ends up being more expensive during these times: flowers, chocolates, deliveries – because of the increased demand,” says the designer. If your child’s birthday is close to one of these occasions, consider celebrating it a bit ‘ sooner or later.
5. Practice
According to the expert, the party is much cheaper when the family gets involved and personalize the decorative elements, instead of renting or using “pick it up” services, which is when you rent a themed box and put everything that comes there on the table. “Sometimes it’s even cuter and translates better into the child’s identity, who’ll be happier,” she says.
6. Economic theme
Defining the theme can also help cut costs, you know? “If you have a ballroom with a more rustic decor, for example, it’s ideal to leverage that foundation and choose a theme that capitalizes on the look that already exists in that space,” she explains. “In this case, if you’re going to have a Cinderella party, you may have to spend more to make the setting match the theme. If you go for a theme like Fazendinha, you’ll spend less, because it takes better advantage of the decoration of the venue,” she suggests.
What if the child has already decided on a specific topic that has nothing to do with space? There are two options: either you try to convince your child, in the way that every mom/father can do (by reading stories, doing activities and talking more about the decoration that you think is easier) or you adapt the theme he has chosen to the conditions that has.
7. The magic 2pm
According to Carol, there’s even a better time to start the party when you want to save money. “The best thing is to book at 2pm, always”, he recommends. But why? “At that time it is not necessary to serve lunch or dinner. If you program it at 1 pm, the guests are waiting for lunch. So, in addition to food, you must have tables, plates, cutlery, towels… And this ends up making the most expensive party. . The same goes for dinner,” she points out. You can serve cheaper snacks, such as hot dogs, popcorn, hamburgerinho, corn and cheese bread.
“This is also good to keep in mind the party must consider the children’s schedule. Often, when parents leave to start around 7, 8:00 pm, happy birthday is sung at 10, 11:00 pm. Then, the baby is already stressed, tired, doesn’t want to take a picture, doesn’t want to sing happy birthday and is already dying of sleep,” she adds. The little ones have more energy during the day.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
