Making 40th Birthday Special?

[EmmyT]

My husband is turning 40 this weekend, and I need low cost ideas of how to celebrate it. We just started paying off all our debts in January so he really doesn't want to "waste" any money on his bday-no restaurants, no gifts (except hockey socks). Sadly, but wisely, I had to cancel the DCL cruise that would have put him on Castaway Cay for the big day. From Castaway Cay to eating at home (after he works all day too) seems like such a letdown for a milestone birthday. Do you have any ideas for me?

 

[dsilva51]

Why don't you surprise him with a intimate cocktail party at home with his closest friends and family. My dh is turning the same in august and I plan on doing that. I plan on hiring a babysitter to watch and take care of my little ones. You can do appetizers and a few drinks.

 

[actnkidz]

My DH is also turning 40 this July, and I just started thinking about what to do after my MIL asked if I was going to have a party for him. We are also on a budget so that is out and it isn't anything he would ever want. I will be interested to hear any ideas as well.

 

[lady_bug_888]

I'm with you on the debt thing. We are working our butts off to pay off all our debts and although our Disney trip DIDN'T get the axe...it was a close call. We pretty much gave up everything else...cell phones, satellite, trips to see family, camping, outings... Celebrations can be tough when you are on a tight budget but there are plenty of ways to make them spectacular! Just a couple of ideas here:

1) Call the radio station in the morning to wish him a happy birthday. Most radio stations also do a draw for some sort of free giveaway so maybe you'll luck out there!

2) Call the radio station again at noon and request a song for your DH. OR request at a time your DH might be listening...and call and tell him to listen.

3) With the help of your kids, make signs that announce his birthday to the world and put them up with some balloons all around your neighborhood.

4) Make him a special breakfast, a lunch for work (include a note listing things you love about him) and then his favourite dinner/dessert (or cake).

5) Maybe have dinner outside (or even inside) and decorate the place to have a castaway cay feel...play Caribbean music, watch a movie set in the Caribbean...


I hope some of these suggestions help! We are celebrating our wedding anniversary on Monday and we are having pizza for dinner (I have a coupon for a pizza and breadsticks for $10) and I am making a replica of the top layer of our wedding cake. Our kids will be with us but that's fine with us. I will be dedicating a song to DH that day and for gifts we have decided to just get a set of cotton napkins instead of searching for cheap gifts for each of us.

Have fun!

 

[WAMUMOF4]

My husband is turning 40 this weekend, and I need low cost ideas of how to celebrate it. We just started paying off all our debts in January so he really doesn't want to "waste" any money on his bday-no restaurants, no gifts (except hockey socks). Sadly, but wisely, I had to cancel the DCL cruise that would have put him on Castaway Cay for the big day. From Castaway Cay to eating at home (after he works all day too) seems like such a letdown for a milestone birthday. Do you have any ideas for me?

Get the kids to help make a memory board with photo's etc of 40 favorite memories you have with him over the years.
A special dinner what about inviting friends and family over and asking them to bring a plate of food and their own drinks or just a family picnic/dinner and a nice homemade cake.

 

[Kies99]

MAKE SURE YOUR HUSBAND WILL BE OKAY WITH ANYTHING YOU DO FIRST!!

You don't have to give specifics for your husband, but I'd make sure he'll be okay with you doing something special.

I turn 40 in September this year and I've made it clear I want nothing different than a normal birthday, which for me is not much as I'm not really into birthdays.

 

[KTSMOM]

I like the Carribean theme idea. You could make him a dinner with Carribean themed food. You could cut up fruit and serve it on skewers with yogurt dip. Grill out some chicken with a terriaki (sp?) glaze and sliced pineapple on top. Serve it with a salad and maybe some of the hawaiian bread. Then make his favorite dessert. Play Carribean music in the background (steel drum/Reggae type stuff) and if you have a little bit of extra money maybe buy some leis or napkin/plates from the $1.00 store or Party City just to have a little bit of decoration.
It's not the amount of $ that you spend, but the thought behind it.
I hope has a fantastic 40th!

 

[MSSANDRA]

I agree to be aware what your DH would be ok with. My DS would never want a big party. I took him away for a week-end and he did the same for me. Is there anyway to manipulate some money to give you a little bit more to spend? I can really play with grocery money to the point of skipping buying groceries one week and eating whatever we have to free up a 100.00 or so! You at this point would just have to agree to not buy any groceries next week as the time is so short.

 

[semo233]

Not knowing your husband makes this difficult, but what does he like and what did he like as a child?

If he LOVES ice cream, have a banana split party or hire an ice cream truck.
If he loves the beach, have the party at a state beach/park picnic style
If he loves video games, have it at a local arcade.
If he loves hockey, have it at a local ice rink.
You can have a party during regular hours and not rent out an entire space.
At 40, you want to feel as young as possible, so don't worry that the activity is normally for kids....it's still fun!
You don't have to serve a full meal.....time it right.
Adding some kind of theme will help you to keep it simple.

Let us know what he likes/liked and we'll come up with more ideas!

 

[bjscheel]

I like the idea about photos of 40 favorite memories- if photos are too hard to come up with, just a handwritten list made by you and the kids of 40 special memories would be awesome and free!

I should use that idea for something- maybe for in-law's 50th anniversary, too bad my parents' 50th is over.

For my DH we went to Pizza Ranch supposedly to celebrate DD9's birthday with his side of the family. When we got there and his good friend's family was there too he realized it was more about him. Simple, yet it involved a restaurant. You could make frozen pizzas and have a couple of friends over.

 

[arthur06]

There are a couple of things that could be fun (at least for me)

#1. Go to the local city park (ours is on a lake) and grill out there. My favorite would be a Ribeye with a couple of easy sides and an Ice Cold Mountain Dew! Since you eat at home, there is no additional cost for this!

#2. Stop at the local Dairy Queen, Cold Stone or what ever for an Ice Cream treat on the way home! (We are a family of 5, so maybe around $20, and I don't care for leftover cake.)

#3. THIS IS THE SPENDY ONE! Get a convertible for him and put it in the garage or somewhere where he can't see it! Give him a card with a small present. Wrap up the key and when he opens it, tell him its in the garage. Have him go outside to see the convertible and tell him happy birthday! Have the picnic ready to go and take off. (Of course, the convertible would be rented for only the day or half day from your local car company, or perhaps borrowed from a friend. Let him cruise around with the top down and just live it up for the day.) I would guess that you could rent a convertible for under $50 for the afternoon!