This is gonna break me

[wvjules]

Kendra's birthday party has been scheduled. She wants a bowling party. It's $9.95 per child!!!! And that doesn't include a cake!

 

[cinlee3]

Tell me about it! I am trying to plan my DD's birthday party and I don't think I'll get by with any less than that. Yike's her b-day is April 3rd and I don't have it planned yet.

 

[LIDisneyFan]

DS's 8th BDay is also a bowling party - can we come you your bowling alley? Ours is $15.95 per child, and does not include cake, plates, or cups!

Let's see - 20 kids at $15.95 + cake, tips, etc. - We're looking at $400 by the time we're done!

 

[Sugarbaby]

How many kids are you planning to invite? How long do you have to budget the money? At most of the parties around here, the trend is to give out goodie bags to all the partygoers, plus the refreshments and any entertainment. That can end up costing a chunk of change now! Thankfully, my DD is happy with a slumber party.

 

[wvjules]

It's in June so I have time to save for it. They'll be atleast 5 cousins and there's 15 kids in her class plus some friends in the other class and friends that live near us that don't go to her school. With it being right at the end of the school year, I don't know how many will actually be able to make it due to vacations and such. Goody bags are almost mandatory[/] so they'll be given out. Thankfully the price includes hotdogs and chips and bowling shoes.

Can I charge a cover? LOL

 

[jamsmom]

The last non-party we had, I offered to give my son the $ that I would spend on a party. He took the money

 

[nativetxn]

YIKES, Jules, birthday parties are getting very expensive.

 

[Sugarbaby]

Jeeminy Christmas,wvjules! At least you have time to look for a second job to pay for it! I like the way you think,jamsmom! I will be filing that little bit of stategy away for future reference! I think my DD was Uncle Scrooge in a past life, and she would so jump on that idea!!

 

[wvjules]

At least you have time to look for a second job to pay for it!

I'll be happy with a first one. (I lost my job in January.) But have no fear. Her grandparents will help me out if need be. Their only grandchild will not go without.

 

[disneychrista]

Thankfully for the most part my DD's are over having / needing a big birthday party. My DD who just turned 12 hasn't wanted one for the past two years. My other DD, who is turning 10, is not having a party this year. She decided that she would rather have a "party" at Disneyland. She is getting to plan the entire day (with a few surprises from mom thrown in), from what rides we go on (or don't go one) to where we eat.

 

[TerryKitten]

Is that the rate that the bowling ally quoted you for the amount of kids? Sometimes they can give group rates. Just a thought...

 

[Mskanga]

I feel your pain, both of my kids want their separate parties, I'm not having two parties 4 weeks apart! Also the little one's class has the policy , everyone gets an invitation or nobody ( so nobody cries ) but DD does not want to invite everyone, so what do we do here?
One is in 3 weeks and the other 4 weeks after that...help!

 

[elgerber]

You can come to my bowling alley. My sons party has been there the last 2 years, and I paid a grand total of $84.95 for 8 kids, including cake, pizza, cups, plates, candles etc and they get a real bowling pin that says Happy Birthday that the kids autograph.

Erika

 

[Lynn CC]

We are taking 40 family members out to dinner on DS's Confirmation at $20 a person this month. It sure beats cooking for everyone and being stuck in the house for days before preparing and afterwards cleaning up!

 

[wvjules]

TerryKitten, that's the birthday party price. I could have gone with the 8.95 party but there's not DJ and no discoball and cool lights. It's called cosmic bowling.


MSKanga, see if you can get their home addresses and mail the invitations. That way she's not giving them out in front of the kids she doesn't want to invite. The teacher can't control what is mailed/not mailed out of school time.

Hey egleberger, how far would I have to drive to get there?


Kendra wouldn't mind having her party at the arcade in the mall either. They supply some tokens and pizza from Sbarros. I need to check on the price.

 

[wvjules]

Normally, I wouldn't pay that much for a party, but last year she got ripped off. She was in NC with her dad and evil step-mom last year on her birthday.

 

[Mskanga]

Jules, a couple of years ago there was this big stink in school about some parents not agreeing to make up an address book of the classroom and they stopped doing it. I remember we did this for my oldest kindergarten class and it worked great because some moms would keep in touch and help out in the classroom as needed, well , that's gone now and if I don't know the kids, I can't ask. I think I'm just going to take a few of her friends out to the local pizza place with a play place and that will be it. Now my oldest is another story, she's older and she can give the invitations out.
OH, I just thought of something.....on the 28th they are having a talent show in school, maybe I will ask the parents then! Why didn't I think of that??

 

[aprincessmom]

jules,
For the goody bags go to Oriental Trading Company. You can get good stuff cheap, cheap, cheap and the kids love it. I agree with you on the pricing...we did one outside the house birthday for DD's 6th. And while it was fun and she got to invite lots of kids it will be the last outside the house party for a long, long time.

mskanga...WOW! I can't believe your children's school mandates outside activities that they have no control over. And that they force everyone to be invited. I'd laugh in their faces if I heard that one...it's none of their business who we chose to invite.

Most of DD's daycares and schools have specificially requested no invitations come into the school and required us to mail them out. Which keeps hurt feelings to a minimum and lets them regulate the activities that are appropriate -- the ones that happen in school.

 

[CathyCanada]

I'm so glad we are over birthday parties!

Like you said, Jules, you have some time to save up for it and I am sure you will get a job before then. Pays to plan ahead though!
Good luck,
CC