Creating an Event Budget
I am extremely THRIFTY!
In my family of origin, we brag to one another about the deals we get and absolutely love saving money. In fact, I think it was my frugalness that led me to planning parties in the first place. Instead of just renting a venue and signing up for a party package, I aim to achieve a nice overall impact for the lowest possible cost. I am confident that it was my frugal nature that led me to paper crafting party elements because I was too cheap to pay for them pre-made. On top of that, the storage areas in our home reflect that I also like to save and repurpose just about everything.
As a stay-at-home mom, I often try to offset my lack of personal income with ways that I can save money for our family. BUT… over the past decade of creating parties, I also have learned the value of MY TIME and MY SPACE. Just because I can make something cheaper doesn't mean it is always the best route.
As a working mom who always felt the pull on her time, Cindy reached this conclusion a little quicker than me. She is way more willing to splurge on statement pieces. This difference in our personalities often becomes a joke between us. She will send me home will boxes of leftover party and craft items. Meanwhile, I like to force her to notice the times that I manage to put those items to use.
Whether you are more like Cindy, or similar to Erin, you have to figure out what works best for you when it comes to party planning.
Smartsheet Event Planning Template
Budget Planning: Here is a wonderful Event Budget Template from Smartsheet that you can use for free. This tool will help you itemize the places that you are spending when you plan your event and provides a corresponding chart for those of you that are visual like me. If you plan a lot of parties, using a tool like this each time will make the initial budgeting easier each consecutive time. Or if you are a first timer, it can get you thinking about all the costs involved in throwing a party so you can plan accordingly.
Venue:
Having researched party venues in my area, it appears that the lesser expensive options cost between $200 and $600. The following vendors (in the Bellevue/Issaquah, Washington area) illustrate the types of venues with party packages that work well for birthday parties:
While these are local to my area, similar types of venues exist in most metropolitan areas. No matter the size of city or town you live in, you can also likely find a local restaurant that has a side room that you can use if you meet a food and beverage minimum.
Entertainment:
When party planning, the most expensive elements are often the venue and entertainment. Typically I am able to side step those costs by hosting events in my home and coming up with activities and projects to entertain guests, but if either one of those elements is needed for you, prioritize them in your budget.
Food and Beverage:
Food and beverage costs can also be high, but trying to prep a meal in addition to party decor gets stressful. We like to keep food simple. Pizza is a great go-to, but we use Costco deli items frequently or get catering from inexpensive places like Qdoba or Panda Express.
Realistically, I probably spend between $300 - $500 on a child’s birthday party and closer to $800-$1,000 on a larger party, such as my recent 40th Birthday Party (where we were providing food and beverages for 40 - 50 adults). For that event, the majority of the costs were related to food and beverages for a large crowd. At a kid party where we have fewer guests and feed them with a couple pizzas, it can be a fraction of the budget.
Decor:
Personally, I spend a lot of time creating decor, thereby spending less money. This is really where my thrifty-self kicks in trying to reuse or make as much as possible. I do typically buy graphics or party printable and then sprinkle them into as many areas of the event as I can. The bigger expenses occur when I decide to purchase something new that I plan to reuse like a serving piece or photo backdrop. All-in-all, it seems to be about $100 a party AND a lot of time happily crafting. If you are less inclined to craft, the decor costs can increase quickly.
Favors:
For the kids’ parties, I like to make sure guests walk away with something that they can enjoy later, whether that is packaged treats, a piece of jewelry, or a personalized tote. I also try and incorporate take home elements with the favors, such as the wand activity with the Harry Potter Party or the spa supplies for the Lush Spa Party. If there are several of these activities, then I end up spending around $8 - $10 a person. This can equate to a 30%-40% of the overall budget.
Here are my tips for saving money:
Printable Collections or Click Art from Etsy - So much bang for your buck if you plan to cut out and make all the items in the collection.
Electronic Invitations - So many free options and while I love beautiful printed invites, this is an easy way to save money!
Host an event at home or in a park to keep venue costs down.
Playlists go a long way for setting the tone for an event and don’t cost a thing if you have access to a streaming service.
Focus on what is important to your guests - Often I have been so excited about creating a complex decor element for a preschooler’s birthday party, only to realize that it will go unnoticed by them. That helps me to pull back and redirect my energy towards elements they will interact with like games or activities.
Incorporate decor items you already have - greenery, candles, themed pieces, toy figurines, etc.
No sew table runners and centerpiece squares - a few yards of printed fabric can add a lot of pizzazz to your party.
Invest in reusable pieces that you love - cake plate, table clothes, apothecary jars, platters, etc. Once you have them, you can continue to use them for holidays, parties, or everyday decor!
Save glass containers to upcycle: I shop at Trader Joe’s and a lot of their products come in glass jars. Through the years, I have saved jars of different shapes and sizes and once washed with the label removed, they can be used for lots of purposes: vases, food display, party favors, etc. I have a set of a dozen empty Starbucks Frappuccino containers that we cleaned up and reuse as party glasses. They look adorable with a paper straw and a themed sticker, washi tape, or band of printed paper (water bottle wrap). A friend who drinks Frappuccinos saved them for me and now I’ve used them at least 10 times since.
Store bought cake or cupcakes with themed decorations can save $100 or more from buying designer cupcakes or an artistic cake. There are some events where a delicious bakery cake or pastry is truly appreciated, but at most kid’s parties there is so much waste that you are better off buying grocery store cake/cupcakes.
Dollar Tree: I often buy the tissue paper pops or garlands, colored napkins, poster board, paper straws, plastic bins, and glass items. For specific items I need for games like small balls, buckets, I check Dollar Tree first before going elsewhere. Beware though, sometimes Amazon can be cheaper for items if you are buying in bulk, especially craft items.
Embellish items with vinyl. I use my Silhouette Cameo electronic cutter to cut vinyl that can be easily transferred to smooth surfaces. I like to make cups, shirts, place cards, or party tags with this material. With it I can embellish/transform inexpensive items into something special.
One quality favor instead of a bunch of cheap plastic toys. I loathe some of the stuff my kids haul home from parties or prize bins at school. I try to avoid purchasing this as much as possible. I know it seems inexpensive to get several of these items, but this often ends up costing the same amount as buying one nicer (and usable item). I like Pez machines with the theme, necklaces, personalized glasses, jar of homemade play doh, stylishly packaged candy, etc.
Make your own entertainment - If you don’t plan to hire a magician or a clown to entertain your party guests, consider making party games or craft items. Even setting up a build-your-own ice cream sundae station is an entertaining and tasty option.
Costco - The Costco deli, snack offerings, and beverages can be a big help feeding a crowd inexpensively. We’ve done pizza, mac & cheese, cobb salad, and street tacos. I also use their photo department for poster printing, photo enlargements, and invitation printing. My very favorite is the Kirkland signature Prosecco. I find it is the best bang for your buck. It is cheap enough for your mimosas and champagne cocktails and still delicious to drink by itself for only around $7.00 a bottle! Whether for adult-themed parties, bridal showers, or simply celebrating the successful end of a kid’s party, it’s my go-to!
Choose one focal point or element to splurge on, either with your time or your money. Cindy has a free standing popcorn machine that we use often and is loved by guests. I have bought large framed art pieces for a party, later finding a place for the art in my daughter’s room. Cindy’s husband creates amazing cardboard vehicles or intricate Halloween decor. He spends a lot of time on them, but they create the “wow factor” with the guests.
Embrace a minimalist decor design - Simple design is in fashion in party styling, so choose your essential elements and rock the trend.
Some great party blogs about how to plan a party on a budget:
The Chickabug Blog - How to host a party for $150 or less
Rhythm of the Home - 35 Inexpensive Decorations Ideas For Your Party
