Six Tips for a Simple and Frugal Birthday Party {Eat Well, Spend Less}

May 22, 2013
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I don’t know about you, but I’ve never really spent a ton of money on my girls’ birthdays. Usually, we have family over and roast hot dogs and eat cake. Every other year, they get to have a friend party at a local park, where they can invite a few friends (plus family) to play and have cupcakes.

Six Tips for a Simple and Frugal Birthday Party

This year, Reese had a blast playing at the playground and eating store-bought cupcakes. Even though I didn’t go the homemade route this year, I still didn’t spend much; less than $50 for cupcakes and paper goods.

However, I realize that many people can spend hundreds of dollars on one child’s birthday party. To each his own, but this just isn’t how we roll. Having four children means having four birthday parties, and I would rather spend my money on something tangible, rather than a party everyone wants to pin on Pinterest. I’m not very pinterest-y anyway, have you noticed?!

Ahem.

So here are six tips to help you eat well at your children’s birthday parties and still spend less.

Use a theme with toys you already have.

One year, we had a Dora-themed birthday for Abby Grace. We bought the Dora plates and cups, but all of the decorations were the Dora figurines we already had. Shane set up the Dora castle and figurines as the table centerpiece and Abby Grace loved it. When we had a Barbie-themed party, we bought the Barbie and some accessories as her gift and used those as part of the decor. Two birds with one stone, baby!

Fire up the grill…

… or have a hot dog roast. We enjoy roasting wieners in our fire pit, and it’s always a hit when we use it for a party. Snack on s’mores instead of cake and you have a campfire birthday to remember. Try purchasing hot dogs when they are on sale (mainly the months of May, June, and July) and then freezing them if your kiddo doesn’t have a birthday during the summer. Don’t forget to take your coupons!

Have one big party.

In the past, we have combined Abby Grace’s and Reese’s birthday parties; Reese was born in March and Abby Grace was born in May, so we have one big party in April. Since we are inviting pretty much the same people for both, this works really well. We save time and money and everyone still has a lot of fun.

I have made a huge pot of beans, homemade cornbread, and of course, cake and the party was a huge hit with the guests. I love this guide on how much to serve at a party. It will definitely help you plan and hopefully keep you from having too much (or not enough!) food.

We still make sure their special days are special by celebrating with just our family and each girl always gets a special lunch date with Daddy.

Eat cake…

… without serving a meal first. Have the party in the afternoon, between 2 and 4 and just serve cake (maybe some ice cream!) and punch. This option is definitely cheaper and there is a lot less work and clean-up. ‘Nuf said.

Take the easy way out.

No, I don’t mean go to Chuck E. Cheese. If you have to have food with your cake, but don’t want to cook a meal, go the easy route: mini sandwiches, fruit, veggies, and dip. Easy-peasy, satisfying, and you can keep costs down by buying the fruit and veggies in bulk, rather than pre-cut. You can also make your own dip or pair chips with salsa.

Opt for homemade.

You really can’t beat a homemade birthday cake (with an awesome homemade birthday banner to boot). Homemade can easily be the least-expensive, yet tastiest option for birthdays. It’s the way we usually do it, and while it can be more work, you can make it fun by including your kiddos in the planning, making, and creating.

Here are a few of my favorite homemade recipes:

What are your tips for having a frugal birthday party?

And don’t forget to visit the other ladies to see how they are eating well and spending less on summer parties!

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April Wrap-Up: Eat Well Spend Less, What I’m Reading, and More

April 28, 2013
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Happy end of the month! Keep reading to see what we’ve been up to this month :)

{Links to Check Out}

We are celebrating our two-year anniversary this month in our Eat Well, Spend Less series. See how what changes the other ladies have made in the last two years:

12 ways to help you eat well and spend less, + creamy buttermilk dressing recipe, from Aimee at Simple Bites
How my cooking and grocery shopping habits have changed, from Carrie at Denver Bargains
Eating better on a budget, from Jessica at Life as MOM
Brace yourselves… the 2012 food budget may shock you! from Katie at Kitchen Stewardship
Letting go of food guilt and shame, from Mandi at Easy. Homemade.
Looking back on the way we ate, from Shaina at Food for My Family
How I really eat well and spend less, my contribution

We have also started our series on saving money with essential oils.

{What I’m Reading}

On my reading list for this month is a book by my sweet friend, Amy, about raising families in this digital age. I’ve got my copy pre-ordered and I can’t wait for it to come!

{Looking Back on April}

Reese had her 7th birthday party, and we enjoyed time with family that is in from Tennessee. Cam turned seven months old, and we are still nursing and babywearing. Our family is gearing up to go to Disney in a few weeks for the Disney Social Media Moms Conference. It will be the first time for all of us (well, Shane went when he was 8), so this is very exciting! In addition to everyone’s first trip to Disney, it will be the first time flying for all of the kiddos, and for Shane since all of the new security measures have been put in place. It is definitely going to be the trip of a lifetime!

How was your April?

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Eat Well and Spend Less… Two Years Later

April 17, 2013
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Happy two year anniversary to our Eat Well, Spend Less series! I wasn’t there for the birth of this fantastic series, but the group was very welcoming when I took over the writing on this site. And while *I* may not be celebrating two years of being a part of this, I have followed along from it’s inception… and gleaned so much along the way.

Being a part of this series (and with this amazing group of ladies!) has pushed me out of my writing and cooking comfort zone. It has pushed me beyond limits I didn’t even know I had. I’ve shared my Whole30 and sugar challenges, about how I’m trying to eat better, my love-hate relationship with menu planning, food goals, and more.

Eat Well and Spend Less Two Years LaterReese with her pretty cupcakes

So, where am I, two years later?

Well, we aren’t perfect.

Sometimes I take shortcuts to get by during the busy seasons.

For example, I have always made the girls’ birthday cupcakes from scratch. Always. I have never bought store cupcakes or store cake or anything. Not that this is bad, it’s just something I have never done because their favorite cupcakes are homemade. The evening before her party, I went to the grocery store for ingredients and came back with really cute store cupcakes and Koolaid pouch drinks.

Yep, you read that right. Refined-sugar-laden and dye-filled goodies, all designed to make my life easier. And you know what? No one was any worse for the wear.

Did I feel a twinge of guilt for taking the easy way out? Yes. I’m sure it was just my OCD talking, but I let Reese decide if she wanted the homemade cupcakes or pretty store ones (my homemade ones are not so lovely!). She was happy, and I was able to go home that evening and have a little birthday dinner and movie with my family, instead of spending all night baking 4 dozen cupcakes.

Could I have “planned” better and started earlier? Probably. But our week ended up being really busy, and by the time Friday rolled around, I had not had a chance to get anything ready.

My point in admitting all of this, is that we all have to do what works for our family.

Even with my Type-A personality, perfection in the kitchen is something I no longer strive for. I may make my pie crust from scratch, but I may or may not have a Sonic gift card in my wallet. I love including my children when I cook, but at times having littles “helping” can be stressful. I can definitely tell you how to save money on healthier foods, but I don’t always follow my own advice. I am in a position to feed my family fairly well on a regular basis. I know not everyone is able to do this. Full bellies are more important than eating perfectly. Do what works for you and your family. Period.

Where am I two years later? Doing my best… which is exactly what you should do as well!

Feel free to browse the archives in this series. I’m including some of my favorite posts below!

We want to hear from you! Tell us your grocery spending challenge or question so we can better serve you in the next year by filling out this survey.

And don’t forget to visit the other ladies to see how they are eating well and spending less!

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March Wrap-Up: Eat Well Spend Less, What I’m Reading, and More

March 30, 2013
This post may contain affiliate links. Ready my disclosure policy here.

Happy Easter! I hope you have a wonderful weekend with family, friends, and celebrating the resurrection of our Savior!

Keep reading to see what we’ve been up to this month.

Cam and I with the Minion from Despicable Me 2 at Blissdon

{Links to Check Out}

We are making the transition from winter to spring this month in our Eat Well, Spend Less series. Get great ideas, tips, and more from these awesome bloggers:

Five Things I Plan to do in the Kitchen this Spring and Summer, by Carrie of Denver Bargains
What to do with Spring Produce, by Jessica from Life as MOM
How to Dehydrate and Preserve Spring Greens, by Katie at Kitchen Stewardship
46 Ways to Serve Fruits and Vegetables at Snack Time, by Mandi at Easy Homemade
Spring Cleaning your Pantry, by Shaina from Food for My Family
Stock-up on Fresh Spring Produce (and what to do with the extra), my contribution

We are also gearing up for a new series on Saving Money with Essential Oils with a very special “guest” writer!

In the Pier 1 suite at Blissdom

{What I’m Reading}

I’ve restarted my Whole30 Challenge, and am currently finishing up the Whole30 companion book, It Starts With Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways.

At Blissdom last week, I received Jon Acuff’s latest book, Start. I started it immediately after returning home. It. Is. Awesome.

We also received The Book of Business Awesome / The Book of Business UnAwesome, by Scott Stratten, one of the keynote speakers.

Reese, then and now

{Looking Back on March}

The month has been full of ups and downs. Our sweet Reese celebrated her 7th birthday. Cam turned 6th months old, and is learning so many new tricks. My Mac finally died, though not from lack of care on my part. Apparently, I’m in the tiny percentage of people who have whatever issue it is, and it’s unfixable unless I want to shell out some serious cash. I might as well buy a new one, fixing it costs so much! Blah.

I attended the Blissdom Conference last week, and had the best-looking date evah. I also got to spend time with some of my sweet friends, including Stephanie and Rachel. It was so nice to be around people who “get” me and what I do. It was also awesome getting to see friends I hadn’t seen since Blissdom ’10.

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