• About
    • Work With Me
    • Contact Me
    • Privacy Policy
  • New? Start here!
  • How To Budget
    • Ways to Save Money
    • Set Up A Budget
    • Stick To A Budget
    • Budget Printables
  • Easy Meals
    • 15 Minute Meals
    • Easy Lunch Ideas
    • Meal Planning
  • Home Organization
    • Home Management
    • Save Time
    • Home Routines
    • Home Management Binder
  • Make Money
    • Work From Home
    • Side Jobs
    • Money Making Apps
    • Hobbies That Make Money
  • Shop
↑

The Busy Budgeter

A balanced life for busy people!

  • Work with Me
  • Contact
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Shop
  • How to Budget
  • New? Start here!
  • Home Organization
  • Make Money
  • Easy Meals
    • 15 Minute Meals

7 (Cheap!) Ideas to Make a Birthday Special

By The Busy Budgeter | 18 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links

741 shares
  • Facebook21
  • Twitter
  • Yummly

Whether it’s your kid’s birthday or your spouse’s, when you’re looking for ideas to make a birthday special, it’s TOUGH on a budget.

Update: 4/5/20 I know how stressful finances are right now with stay at home orders and the pandemic. I also know that I’m uniquely qualified to help you. I’ve helped hundreds of thousands of people get out of the paycheck to paycheck cycle (after trying and failing for years), by teaching them how to work with their unique personality to actually stick to a budget. 

I’m giving you access to the insanely popular 90 Day Budget Bootcamp for FREE. Because I know that this program will change every aspect of your life. Take a look around. Because this is the LAST DAY you will ever sit around worrying about money. Let’s get to work. 

Join the 90-day Budget Bootcamp for FREE here… 

Of course you want to plan an awesome party, give great gifts and enjoy an amazing and memorable time.

Kids, spouses and everyone can enjoy an awesome birthday without breaking the bank. Use these 7 cheap ideas to make a birthday special!

These ideas to make a birthday special are amazing! Not only are they super budget friendly but now I can throw my kids and husband an awesome birthday without having to worry about money. These tips are cheap and easy and so much fun!

I am a huge believer of giving experiences over gifts. Of course, it’s hard not to go overboard when planning a birthday party. We all want to give our kids a birthday they’ll remember…but before you plan an (expensive) birthday extravaganza, take a moment to think back to your own childhood…

What do you remember about your birthdays when you were young? Probably a special cake your mom made, having a bunch of friends over or playing a game you really enjoyed. I’m guessing those memories are much more cherished than tons of gifts or decorations.

We spend money on birthdays because we want our kids to experience an amazing childhood. But dropping hundreds of dollars on a party won’t make a difference. Kids will remember an amazing childhood because of the experiences they enjoy, the connections they build and the time you spend with them.

Your husband will love a great date, a yummy dinner or doing a special activity with you, much more than more “stuff” you both don’t even need or want. My husband and I tried an online massage date night using a company called Melt and it was way more fun than another “gift” to shove in a corner.

It’s about shifting your intentions to the experience over spending the money. You don’t need to spend lots of money to show someone you care. There are plenty of ideas to make a birthday special without spending a lot.

Free Budgeting System That (Finally!) Helped Us Stick to a Budget (even with birthdays!)

If you need help making your budget work beyond just this party, then this free program will walk you through the process step by step. It made a huge difference to us! After trying for years to save money (and failing), this simple system helped us reduce our spending by over $23,000 and pay off all of our debt so I could stay home. It even taught me how to survive birthday’s and sports on a budget! You can sign up for the free 90 day budget bootcamp here.

Here are seven ideas to make a birthday special and memorable, for cheap!

1. Keep it Simple

It sounds kind of obvious, but so often we start planning a birthday party and fall down the “theme” rabbit hole. Suddenly we’ve purchased napkins, cups, plates, a cake, balloons, wall hangings and more. I know themes are cute and fun party ideas. I know when you see all those Pinterest-pretty items at the party store it’s hard not to drop tons of money.

Instead of going all-out with your theme, I want you to opt to highlight the theme with one or two items and keep the rest of the décor festive and fun (but simple). If you want to use a unicorn theme, a baseball theme or whatever the focus of the party, decorate with a festive tablecloth or wrapping paper. Keep the rest of the items colorful and fun, but don’t run out and purchase every themed item to match.

Coordinate items already on hand. For example, if you own black or white plates and cups, use those and accessorize with a tablecloth or fun napkins. Use paper streamers and easy-but-festive decorations.

Use your kid’s existing toys to decorate or choose a birthday party theme in their area of interest. You may already own tons of items with your favorite superhero, sports team or latest movie character, so incorporating them into your party will be easy. Look for printable clipart to jazz up your invitations, banners and more without spending money.

Your local “dollar store” is also a great resource for birthday decorations. Find balloons, wrapping paper, plates, napkins and fun accessories to decorate for almost nothing. You may also find small toys, containers and other items for your party.

2. Go Potluck!

If you’re inviting several people to your party, host a potluck. Many friends and family members love an opportunity to bring a dish to share and it’s a real cost saver if you want to host a lunch or dinner. If you’re looking for ideas to make a birthday special, throwing a potluck is a great one!

Encourage guests to bring their favorite dish. Encourage friends of your kids to bring a favorite game or item for entertainment. Host a sprinkler party, where each kid brings their favorite water toy. I’ve literally seen kids spend hours of fun with something as simple as a $10 Slip ‘n’ Slide. You don’t need to go all-out. Guests will feel special because they get to contribute and share their own personal touch.

Another great “BYO” idea is to ask kids to bring their own stuffed animal friend for a picnic, zoo, or jungle themed party. Host a sports party and ask each kid to bring or wear an item with their favorite team’s logo on it or a hero (or princess) party where everyone dresses up as their favorite character.

Making a birthday party special is easy when each guest has a chance to contribute and share in a part of the festivities. You might feel like you should be the hostess with the mostest and do it all yourself, but really? Your guests will enjoy an even better time if they get to take part in the fun.

3. Keep it Action Packed!

The most inexpensive, fun party ideas are the ones where there is plenty of action and activity. I’m not telling you to go out and rent a bounce house, a clown or a pony! Instead, simply keep the party lively and fit in more activity by keeping the party short. A two-hour-long party where kids play a game, enjoy cake, create a craft and go home is much more memorable than a long afternoon where everyone gets bored or cranky.

Play music. Plan in a few more activities than you think you’ll have time for. Don’t plan for a long, extended present-unwrapping portion of the party (especially for kids). It turns out, kids tend to get really fussy when they’re sitting and watching a friend unwrap present after present. (You know this.) This is one more reason to pack in more birthday action.

The same concept works for adult birthday parties as well. So many parties are themed around food and gifts. Instead, host a game night or a family fun night …both great ideas to make a birthday special. We love poker night with our pals and the kids enjoy running around and playing together too. It’s a fun party idea and it provides an awesome source of entertainment (that doesn’t cost much at all).

4. Start a Birthday Tradition

Set up a birthday “routine” or a birthday tradition to do every year. Think of how meaningful it is when you receive a single red rose for Valentine’s Day or another special “annual treat.” Create a tradition that consists of a simple gesture to signify the special day.

You could start a family tradition where the birthday boy or girl chooses their favorite breakfast, gets to select a movie for the whole family, or even chooses an activity they really love to do. Maybe your son’s idea of a perfect day is watching dump trucks at a construction site and playing at the park. Perhaps your husband would love an afternoon of videogames and watching golf.

Carry on a birthday tradition you can revisit every year. It’s fun to cook a meal they love, have a chance to bake cookies together as a family or work on a cool art project. Traditions really make a birthday special without going all out and spending a boatload. The tradition itself is a unique, fun signifier of the importance of the special day.

5. Give Experiences Over Gifts

Giving an experience is so much more meaningful than giving kids or adults a bunch of stuff they don’t really need. If you’re stumped while looking for ideas to make a birthday special with a cool experience, check out Groupon. You can save a ton on awesome activities, from your local theme park to a waterpark to a trip to the racetrack. Groupon offers great deals. Find extra room in your budget by forgoing presents and even selling items around the house if you need to generate income (trade in those old videogames and DVDs for example)!

For a kid’s birthday, request no gifts but plan a special activity instead. An afternoon at the children’s museum, a fun time at the local pool, a trip to a local nature preserve or petting zoo…all awesome birthday ideas that don’t have to cost a lot. (Look for free or discount days and plan the party then!) Your fellow parents will thank you for a chance to NOT spend more money on yet another toy.

A memorable birthday experience is one of the best ideas to make a birthday special and unique. A fun, memorable activity will provide memories to last a lifetime and it’s much better than a party and a bunch of presents forgotten in a few months.

6. Give Small but Meaningful Birthday Gifts

If you really want to give a birthday gift, opt for meaningful small gifts rather than big “stuff” and more toys. Find really great items at a thrift store—a pretty antique pot, a cool vintage purse, new-to-the owner books or games. Watch for jewelry and fun items at flea markets and other spots where prices are low but items are funky and unique.

For kids, watch for items that appeal to their interests. Kids love tiny items and activities requiring creativity, offering a chance to explore their artistic side. When we do give gifts (which is rarely these days), we love giving educational, creative or learning themed birthday presents.

Baskets are another great option for gifts—practical items pooled together and packaged in a fun basket or container (which are part of the gift). My family has a great $10 basket gift tradition at Christmas which you could easily use for birthdays as well. Put together creative and cool gifts specially made JUST for the recipient.

Edible and homemade gifts are another great option with a lot of meaning. Let your kids draw a card or picture for Grandma or design a game to play with their friends. Even if you aren’t crafty, bake cookies, bread or another food gift, or even pick a bouquet of flowers for a birthday present.

7. Take Photos

If you want to host a memorable birthday, remember to document the day by taking lots of photos. If you’re going for a special experience, a fun activity or a get-together where everyone is excited to participate, you’ll want to capture the day and take pictures. Of course, as the hostess you might not have tons of time to play photographer too, so it’s a great job to assign a friend.

After the party, email photos out along with a thank you for coming. You could even go old school: print the photos and tuck them into a card to share the memories with your family and friends who enjoyed the day. You won’t worry about party souvenirs or take-home swag because the photos are great memories.

Photos are wonderful gifts and putting together a photo book or even framing a favorite picture is a meaningful and special gift idea and it doesn’t cost a lot at all. Dollar stores offer many frame options, as do thrift stores. Print out a photo or a few photos and put them in a frame.

Birthdays don’t mean you need to go all-out and spend a ton of money to create a memorable, fun or really special time. There are tons of fun and cheap party ideas out there. Put together an awesome party and give inexpensive-but-meaningful gifts (or better yet, experiences), and help your loved one feel like a total rockstar on their special day, without spending money.

Put together birthdays on the cheap. The day should really focus on the guest of honor and help them feel important and cared for. You don’t need money, gifts or crazy elaborate parties to succeed! What are your go-to ways to save on birthdays? Do you know any unique ideas to make a birthday special?

90 Day Budget Bootcamp is FREE right now! 

Is your spending out of control? Do you set a budget and then never stick to it? Or just have no idea how to start? I’ve totally been there! But the 90 Day Budget Bootcamp changed my entire life. You can now get immediate access to the 90 Day Budget Bootcamp for FREE (limited time only!) through this link. You’ll learn how to create a *realistic* budget that you can actually stick to, create a meal plan of simple 15 minute meals that take less time than the drive-thru, and even get your spouse on board with the budget. Grab it here for free before it’s gone!

More You'll Love:

  • The Best Budget-Friendly Gift Ideas for Everyone on Your Holiday Gift List!The Best Budget-Friendly Gift Ideas for Everyone on Your Holiday Gift List! With the holiday season right around the corner, I must say that I love getting in the […]
  • 8 Ways to Build Your Debt Snowball and Pay Off Debt Fast8 Ways to Build Your Debt Snowball and Pay Off Debt Fast Debt sometimes feels like being trapped in an avalanche. You look for footholds and […]
  • Budgeting for a Baby: Money-Saving Tips for New MomsBudgeting for a Baby: Money-Saving Tips for New Moms Five years ago, we welcomed our baby boy! Becoming a mom was wonderful, amazing and […]
  • Sticking to a Budget When Your Motivation is Zapped: 6 Steps to SuccessSticking to a Budget When Your Motivation is Zapped: 6 Steps to Success So, you're really trying to commit to your budget. GO YOU! But despite your hard work, […]
FTC Disclosure of Material Connection: In order for us to maintain this website, some of the links in the post above may be affiliate links. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we use personally and/or believe will add value to readers

Filed Under: Budget, Get Organized Tagged With: budget, Save Money

Comments

  1. Miguel @ The Rich Miser says

    August 20 at 12:57 pm

    Great tips! I very much agree that experiences have more value than objects or money. I also really like tip 3 (keep it action packed) since people really dislike boring parties. Conversely, being known as a fun host is great and goes a long way to ensure that guests will attend you future parties because they look forward to having fun, rather than out of feeling obligated.

    Reply
  2. Sandie at Fulfilled For Less says

    August 21 at 1:55 pm

    This was great timing as today is my husband’s birthday!

    I think he’ll enjoy a family night with games and food instead of going all out and spending unnecessary money on something he’ll forget about in a month anyway.

    Thanks Rosemarie for the tips!
    Sandie at Fulfilled For Less recently posted…10 Ways to Ease Back Into RoutineMy Profile

    Reply
    • The Busy Budgeter says

      August 21 at 6:19 pm

      That sounds like fun! 🙂

      Reply
  3. LaToya Edwards says

    August 21 at 8:52 pm

    We are low key for birthdays. No parties, just a family fun day. Birthday boy gets to plan the day and choose dinner. They also get to bring a friend. It’s always a lot of fun! $100 for the entire thing including a gift from mom and one from his two brothers.

    We at planning to go all out for birthday 13. A ride of passage celebration with extended family and friends.

    Reply
    • The Busy Budgeter says

      September 11 at 7:32 pm

      That’s greta! Sounds like fun 🙂

      Reply
  4. Stephanie says

    August 21 at 9:17 pm

    Love this, especially #5. You’ll be teaching your children to value experiences over material things early in life, which is always a good thing.
    Stephanie recently posted…How To Make Felt SucculentsMy Profile

    Reply
  5. Amanda says

    August 22 at 10:58 am

    This is a great list! I really love the idea of birthday tradition – something the birthday person can pick and makes the day about them. Game night sounds so fun and great for fun on a budget! Thanks for the tips!
    Amanda recently posted…My Favorite Subscription Boxes & Honest ReviewsMy Profile

    Reply
  6. Belle says

    August 22 at 4:19 pm

    We just had our first child (Grace) this past March! *Happy Dance* So, I can’t say we’ve ever planned a birthday party. What we have done as adults are dinner parties at a nice restaurant. But, for Grace, I’ve already started a Pinterest board. IDK what I’m going to do.

    Reply
    • The Busy Budgeter says

      September 11 at 7:32 pm

      Congratulations! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Krystal @ Simple Finance Mom says

    August 22 at 9:35 pm

    Why is number 7 so hard to do?!?! And I so agree! Memories are so much better than stuff that will lose interest in a few months!
    Krystal @ Simple Finance Mom recently posted…5 Ways an Evening Routine Will Save You MoneyMy Profile

    Reply
  8. Janet Stelly says

    September 12 at 8:35 pm

    This is so true. One of the gifts that we gave our college age kids was recipes of their favorite meals. I printed them on cute recipe cards and put in a recipe book. It was inexpensive and they really enjoyed it. It was for Christmas but could be for any time of year.

    Thanks for sharing these tips!

    Reply
  9. Jennifer S Bryan says

    April 26 at 1:55 pm

    Thanks so much for posting this. My son is turning five and I recently took in a foster child whose birthday is a week after his (eek) so I’m scrambling to plan two birthdays at once. Instead of panicking, I’m simply going to dial it down and keep is simple and enjoy our time together, since that’s really what it’s all about anyway.

    Reply
  10. Matt says

    April 29 at 9:28 pm

    Awesome article!
    It’s my sister’s birthday next week.
    She’s 36 years old, and a horse lover (she also likes books)
    I want to spend about $100
    Do you have any good birthday gift suggestions please?
    (and keep those great blogs coming!!!)
    Matt recently posted…The coolest & most thoughtful birthday gifts for your stud muffin!!!My Profile

    Reply
  11. Amanda says

    July 2 at 9:23 pm

    i need to plan a birthday party for my soon to be 11 year old and these are great ideas for me to remember. I always say that when we were kids a birthday party meant a big pot of boiled hot dogs, cake, presents, and games. So simple, and probably cheap! I hope to keep costs down a well!

    Reply
  12. Ramya says

    July 6 at 6:38 am

    Thanks so much for posting this. My son is turning five and I recently took in a foster child whose birthday is a week after his (eek) so I’m scrambling to plan two birthdays at once. Instead of panicking, I’m simply going to dial it down and keep is simple and enjoy our time together, since that’s really what it’s all about anyway.

    Reply
  13. DSS Software Solutions says

    August 6 at 6:30 am

    Very Nice Blog……………..

    Reply
  14. Umar Craig says

    November 11 at 10:24 am

    Very professional post with a valuable content. I love to read this article and share with others.
    God bless you. You are really making our birthdays special, memorable and lovable.
    Umar Craig recently posted…20 inspirational Birthday wishes for Niece – Get todayMy Profile

    Reply
  15. Start Blog on WordPress with Bluehost says

    December 27 at 4:38 am

    Here is a complete guide to starting your Money Making Blog with Bluehost WordPress Hosting.
    Start Blog on WordPress with Bluehost recently posted…Start a WordPress Blog with Bluehost And Make your First $1000 [2019 Complete Guide]My Profile

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Recent Posts

Planner Ideas That Work With Your Personality.

Planner Ideas That Work With Your Personality.

May 10th, 2022

7 Easy Ways To Save For An Emergency Fund Right Now.

7 Easy Ways To Save For An Emergency Fund Right Now.

April 5th, 2022

Cook Once, Eat All Week: Pulled Pork Edition.

Cook Once, Eat All Week: Pulled Pork Edition.

March 28th, 2022

Financial Goal Examples (Plus An Easy Trick To Make Yours).

Financial Goal Examples (Plus An Easy Trick To Make Yours).

December 10th, 2021

Easy Chicken and Waffles Recipe (Just 15 minutes!)

Easy Chicken and Waffles Recipe (Just 15 minutes!)

December 7th, 2021

Busy Budgeter Inc. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Ready to save a TON of money?

Get step by step budget help with the FREE 90 day budget bootcamp!

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

  • How To Budget
    • Ways to Save Money
    • Set Up A Budget
    • Stick To A Budget
    • Budget Printables
  • Easy Meals
    • 15 Minute Meals
    • Easy Lunch Ideas
    • Meal Planning
  • Home Organization
    • Home Management
    • Save Time
    • Home Routines
    • Home Management Binder
  • Make Money
    • Work From Home
    • Side Jobs
    • Money Making Apps
    • Hobbies That Make Money
Copyright ©2022, The Busy Budgeter. All Rights Reserved. Contact Rosemarie@busybudgeter.com. Privacy Policy
Design by Pixel Me Designs