Planning a Birthday Party should be fun, because (after all) parties are supposed to be fun too! But what’s not enjoyable is rushing around at the last minute, trying to get everything you need for your child’s birthday. You will often pay more money shopping as well because you have no time to compare prices. And not only are you planning the birthday party for your child’s friends, you are likely having a family party as well, requiring a different focus and different items. So planning about a month in advance will make the whole process so much more pleasurable. I find it easier to plan the party for my child’s friends first, then wrap our family plans around that.

A great place to purchase party supplies is online.

Planning a party does not have to mean spending a huge amount of money. Many of the best parties are not ones with tons of material goods, but ones that have the best gift of all wrapped into them, love. Dollar Stores are a great place to purchase party good inexpensively. If your child would like a Dora The Explorer party and you don’t want to spend all of the birthday budget on the Dora plates, Dora napkins, etc., purchase one item, such as a paper tablecloth, with Dora on it and use coordinated solid coloured accessories for the rest of the table. Solid color plates and napkins are generally a few dollars less than their counterparts with characters on them and come in bright, cheerful colors. Thrift Shops make great places to search for dress-up clothes or for fabric for crafts. There are many, many ways to creatively save money and still have fabulous party favors and activities. Whether your budget is $30 or $300, remember that fun doesn’t have a price tag attached.