Birthday party budgets?

[LovesTimone]

For DD's first birthday we kept it really simple, cake and ice cream and presents, we did a smash cake but it was provide by the bakery at no charge...
Now as they got older - Birthday picnic/party in the park... Elementary School age - Local ice cream place, party at the movies, took a few friends ( 2 to 4) - to the water park for the day, Lowry park zoo birthday and MOSI ( Museum of science and industry), SeaWorld - middle and high school - pool parties with pizza and snacks, some long weekends at WDW thrown into the mix.

 

[scrapquitler]

our daughter is turning 1 and I can’t believe how much her first birthday party is costing us! We’ve already decided to take her to Disney for her third birthday, but I thought I’d ask here, what do you guys do for birthdays with your kids?

Until they were in elementary school, we just did cake, coffee, snacks at home with the relatives. I don't think it ever cost me more than $75 or $100. I figured that there was no point of a big blow out party with entertainment, lots of food, etc. when the child would be overwhelmed and not even remember it.

Even when they were in elementary school, I kept it pretty low key. I never did the invite the whole class thing...we did whatever kind of party they wanted (pizzeria, gymnastics, swim and gym, local ice cream parlor, dance studio, bowling, rock climbing were a few we did) but never more than 10 kids. I think the rock climbing gym was the most expensive party I did, and that was only 6 kids plus mine, because it was something like $25/kid plus the food.

 

[JediBonas]

We have twins and for their 1st bday did a big party with a ton of people at a nice restaurant, easily cost us $1k. 2nd and 3rd bdays we did Disney so no party. The last few years (they just turned 6) we've scaled down and it's been around $500.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

Parties usually tend to cost me around $300 at a minimum. When the kids were younger (pre-elementary age), it tended to be a family party at home with food, cake, and some sort of entertainment (bounce house, magician, etc) -or- a destination of some sort like Chuck E Cheese or a play place. But I have a rather large family with lots of young kids, so the cost added up quickly. Once the kids were school age we allowed them to choose a destination like bowling alley, arcade, etc. and invite 10-12 school friends. Now that my oldest is in middle school he's happy with having a few friends at our house and putting the party budget toward whatever electronic device (new iphone usually) he's been saving for.