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Post by kajo1982 on Mar 23, 2016 15:25:46 GMT
I'm planning a Harry Potter party for my niece who will be 11 and I'm trying to decide what a reasonable budget is that would cover games, activities, decor, invites, food and prizes.
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Post by littlemama on Mar 23, 2016 15:27:09 GMT
You make the party fit the budget, not the other way around.
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Post by bigbundt on Mar 23, 2016 15:34:15 GMT
Anywhere from $50-$75 for a simple party up to $200 when we rented inflatables.
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Post by melanell on Mar 23, 2016 15:39:15 GMT
Ours vary by year, so I can't really vote. We've had parties that went over $250 and we've had parties that I kept under $100. I don't recall if I've ever kept one under $50, but I never tried, kwim? Like someone else said, the party fits the budget and for us, the budget varies from year to year based on other things we're doing, or what gift(s) we want to get for the kids, etc.
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pudgygroundhog
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Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Mar 23, 2016 15:39:35 GMT
I think it depends on how much you will be doing on your own (making your own decorations, food, etc) and how much you will buy ready made. I agree on deciding what you want to spend, then figuring out how to make the party fit your budget or what items you want to splurge on.
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Deleted
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May 4, 2024 4:01:39 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2016 15:49:07 GMT
For each birthday in our family, we gather the whole family (aunts uncles cousins grands) and share dinner and dessert. Birthday person gets to set the menu and choose dessert. Everyone contributes.
So whatever dinner and dessert costs.
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Post by gmcwife1 on Mar 23, 2016 15:49:11 GMT
I'm another one that didn't vote because it varies year to year Dd is 16 and we spent a lot on her 16th birthday party because it was only her 3rd party. She's had 1 party at Chucky Cheese, 1 party at her Tae Kwon Do school and then her 16th party at the VFW. Every other year she did something with 1-3 friends but no party. Even though we threw a party at a venue last year dh is a member so the room rental was just over $100.00 and then me and my family did all the food and decorations. We didn't hire out for anything so I'm guessing we spent less than $300.00 including the room rental.
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Post by lorieann13 on Mar 23, 2016 16:00:31 GMT
Under $50 because we do not do parties. We take our kids out to some place they would like to go or do. Typically for dd it has been American Girl Place LA and Hollywood. For ds, bowling, the park, and shakey's for games.
This next year dd wants to invite her best friend and I am totally down for that.
She will get a sweet 16 if she would like one. We will cook and make the cake like my parents did for me. I think they spent $50? Low key.
I do not see a need to fork out hundred of dollars every year.
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calgal08
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Jun 27, 2014 15:43:46 GMT
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Post by calgal08 on Mar 23, 2016 16:03:24 GMT
This is one of those, it depends on where you live. In Silicon Valley there's not a single organized party place for under $300 (plus food etc.). We've only ever done 1 party at home, it was low key, and still cost at least $150.
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Post by lancermom on Mar 23, 2016 16:13:32 GMT
By the time you send invites, get cake and favors it can be close to $100. I did little things like tie fleece to flip flops, around $3 each if done right! My DS didn't get more than a couple parties. Because the boys he invited ruined it each year. So 6th grade he invited five boys, we drove up to Minneapolis for a Monster Truck event. Bought them all the crisp they wanted. I figured it was a lot at once, but combined from all parties he didn't get it wasn't too bad.
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Post by genny on Mar 23, 2016 16:19:22 GMT
We usually spent $2-$250 when they were younger. Once they hit about 11 or 12 we started giving them the option of $200 cash or a party. It was a no-brainer for DS, he always chose the cash. DD likes a party, so she skipped the cash until last year.
When they choose the cash, we still have a cookout or some kind of dinner at our house for grandparents and aunts and uncles to come over and celebrate with the birthday person (we do this for all the adults too).
Sounds like a fun party though, make sure to share pictures!
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Deleted
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May 4, 2024 4:01:39 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2016 16:31:58 GMT
We just had DS's party last weekend. We did not do anything fancy - play structure wristbands and $2 arcade cards at the local bowling alley, plus pizza, cake, simple goody bags and decorations (all from Dollar Tree), a bowling lane for the adults - and it was about $320 for ten kids and 12 adults.
It adds up FAST.
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smartypants71
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Jun 25, 2014 22:47:49 GMT
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Post by smartypants71 on Mar 23, 2016 16:39:58 GMT
I live in a townhome, so it't easier to do it at a place. This year, we did paintball, and it cost me about $250-300. The most expensive one was when I had the laser tag people come to the park near my house. It was about $400. Way too expensive, but we all had so much fun! DS will be in hs next year, so we won't be doing big parties anymore.
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Post by darkangel090260 on Mar 23, 2016 17:14:55 GMT
this year i will spend about 150.00 on M b day party. That includes have a dog trainer come out with his pack and do a demo for the kids. I will be making his cake .
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Post by myshelly on Mar 23, 2016 17:15:11 GMT
Usually around $300.
The kids get a choice every year - they can either have a party or spend the $300 on whatever they want.
No one has home parties here. You rent out a venue. We have done water parks, bounce house places, trampoline places.
My kids like places where you can rent the whole place and have a private party with no one except you and your guests there.
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Post by bosoxbeth on Mar 23, 2016 17:19:15 GMT
We used to do $400-500. These days more like $250-300.
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Post by lostwithout2peas on Mar 23, 2016 17:22:11 GMT
Depends and what type of party. When the kids where small I could easily drop $300 on a bday party that included a jumping castle, a large pinata plus goodie bags, food, which was usually Carne asada which is pricey for a large party (I am 1 of 5 so a bday party with just family is usually well over 30 people!). It usually went 100 on food, 100 on jumping castle and 100 on pinata and other stuff. Now that they are older I offer them 100 bucks or a party... the boys will take the cash my daughter is harder to convince...she says the memories with family friends is worth more to her then the money that will be quickly spent ? I've also done a roller skating party at the roller rink and that was probably about $200.
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Deleted
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May 4, 2024 4:01:39 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2016 17:41:50 GMT
Even when I do a party at the house, which is well, always, I find that just the food adds up to about $100 if not more. We invite kids, family, friends and there is always a bunch of people here. Then you add in decorations, party favors and what not that's another $50 or so if not more. It just always adds up.
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johnnysmom
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Jun 25, 2014 21:16:33 GMT
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Post by johnnysmom on Mar 23, 2016 18:07:09 GMT
I honestly don't have any clue as I've never added it up. It's usually just the cost of food since I typically make the decorations/invites and the entertainment is the pool. But I find this poll interesting because I'm hoping to expand my party biz to include rentals sometime in the next year. The idea is to rent a 'party in a box' so this gives me a good idea of what budget to aim for.
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Grom Pea
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Post by Grom Pea on Mar 23, 2016 20:38:01 GMT
Here renting a venue is generally $300 to start and can be as much as $500, but at my youngest ds's 1st birthday I think I spent $12 per kid for pizza and the venue (arcade) and then paid about $200 for food for adults and party favors and donuts(instead of cupcakes). I did a joint party at home where my friend and I made a ton of party stuff and got pizza and yet we still each spent about $200. I think I spend way too much on food because I love food and also in my culture it is literally insulting to have just enough food, you always want to have excess. I realize I'm the only one that feels this way out of my friends but I'm always happy to eat extra pizza after the party I'm also assuming the cost will go down if you just invite kids and no parents. Personally I prefer a home party so I don't have to remember to bring everything, but dh likes to go somewhere so they clean up. Tbh if I'm home I still spend the money on nicer food. I think the arcade party was actually the cheapest because they did not allow outside food other than cake or donuts or cookies. This year we're skipping our 4 year olds parties and all going to Disneyland. I think it's 4 or 5 families. Should be easier and less presents to deal with I think the offering the $ idea is genius, I'll do that when the kids are older. My mom just said kids over 12 don't get a party. For my 16th birthday my older sister took me too the hard rock cafe and to look at Christmas displays and I stayed at her place in the city. No big party but I'm glad, I'm not a huge party person to begin with.
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anniebeth24
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Post by anniebeth24 on Mar 23, 2016 21:01:04 GMT
For my kids, it varied by year. The most expensive one was DD's 7th when we went to a water park. She was the oldest of all of the neighbor kids that we wanted to invite. I did NOT want to be responsible for other people's kids around water, so we invited whole families and paid for their admission, pizza and cake. That one probably hit $400.
Many other years, it was homemade cake and backyard games, so maybe $20.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2016 21:26:52 GMT
Most of the parties I threw cost about $100-200, depending on which one it was. The roller rink cost $100 for 8 kids. The bounce place cost $150 for 8 kids. The at home, no real theme, I made everything cost $50.
You decide your budget and then see what you can do.
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Post by leannec on Mar 23, 2016 21:33:13 GMT
We spent way more when the dd's were younger ... see avatar of dd#1's Fairy Party Now that they are teens it's at bit less expensive because I limit the number of guests to 6 or 7 ... we go bowling or to a movie so there is still that expense but with fewer attendees it's not so bad The kids then come back to our place and hang out in the hot tub ... I bake cupcakes and provide a bunch of snacks
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Post by shannoots on Mar 23, 2016 22:34:29 GMT
A few years ago, an acquaintance told me about her birthday party strategy and we have been using it for years.... Our kids get a choice whether they would rather have birthday gifts from us or a birthday party. Since implementing this, my oldest has chosen a party almost every year, my middle son has always picked gifts, and my daughter has done both. My oldest figured out that he would get a party and gifts from his friends and grandparents. We spend about the same for a party versus gifts so it works out nicely. The kids have never once complained about having to choose.
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perumbula
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Post by perumbula on Mar 23, 2016 23:24:46 GMT
we keep the parties small and at home. Generally we don't have family, just a limited number of friends. If we invited family, the party would be too large for us to handle. I keep them simple too. Cake, ice cream, and an activity with a time limit of a couple of hours. Luckily most of my kids friends aren't from high income families so we don't have to try and keep up with the competitive parenting crowd.
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Post by epeanymous on Mar 23, 2016 23:37:42 GMT
It varies. For the kids who have warm-weather birthdays, we often have done something outside in a park with a cake, and that is a pretty cheap party (we reserve a party shelter, pay for the cake and bottled water/juice/etc., and call it good). For the cold-weather parties, when they are teeny, we have them at home, but as they get older, we usually get a venue of some kind (bowling, inflatable plate, game place, whatever) -- that usually runs around $250, although that again varies.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Mar 23, 2016 23:57:18 GMT
Even when I do a party at the house, which is well, always, I find that just the food adds up to about $100 if not more. We invite kids, family, friends and there is always a bunch of people here. Then you add in decorations, party favors and what not that's another $50 or so if not more. It just always adds up. This is us too. We like entertaining in our home on occasion. When the weather is nice and we can be inside and out it works out great. Even so, it adds up with just the food when you have a bunch of people coming over and you want to serve a nice meal. For DD's last birthday it was probably around $250 give or take because at the last minute DH decided to rent a bouncy castle for the yard which bumped up the total cost. We invited the families from the neighborhood (four families, eight kids plus two babies under a year old) and her two friends from preschool and their families (three more kids) so with all their parents we had a house full. DH made most of the food. I made most of the decorations, the cake and cupcakes, and about half of the party favors as well. It was a nice party and everyone had a great time. I started researching places to go for her party this year and pretty much everywhere would be around $275-300 but that's for around 15 kids which we didn't want to do this year. I can't really do the party here this time so we have to figure something else out.
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Post by finally~a~mama on Mar 24, 2016 0:57:51 GMT
So far we have done family parties that involve a meal for 20+ people. So between the cake, food, decorations & venue we are easily at $250. We are doing our first "friend" party this year and it will be in the same range. There won't be a meal, but there will be a venue, cake, & some decorations.
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Post by JustCallMeMommy on Mar 24, 2016 1:46:59 GMT
I would budget $300, hope that it came in at $200, and then be relieved if it was only $350.
I think a Harry Potter party sounds fabulous!
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Post by AussieMeg on Mar 24, 2016 3:06:46 GMT
I selected $100 - $250, but sometimes it has been closer to $300 if the party has been at a venue such as laser tag and arcade games with food etc.
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