The Recession-era Guide to an Affordable but Stylish Birthday Bashes

The economy may be less than robust right now but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice fun and style when it comes to giving birthday parties. If you’re tasked with throwing a birthday party for a loved one, these cost-saving tips will help you watch your wallet, while still allowing you to create a party no one will forget:

Be Creative with the Party Theme

Why not try an unusual theme that can be implemented without breaking the bank for your guests or you? If you’re giving a children’s party, you can ask all the guests to bring inexpensive gifts suitable to give to a local animal rescue organization or family homeless shelter. If you call the organization’s manager, you can get a list of low-cost items you can recommend to your guests. Instruct them to wrap the items as if they were regular birthday gifts and then everyone can go as a group to deliver them. Doing this would be a meaningful experience for everyone and would also teach the children the true concept of giving.

If the event is for an adult, save money by throwing a re-gifting/recycling party. Most people can locate at least one gift they’ve received that they don’t want, so why not have them wrap them up and give them again? Make sure to let them know who is coming to the party though, so people don’t re-gift items they received from other party guests! If you’re worried about hurt feelings, this idea also works well for items that people have bought new on impulse but never used. The presents should be limited to a dollar amount that’s appropriate for the group, so people at all income levels can participate.

Make Your Own Birthday Party Decorations and Invitations

The Internet is chock full of a terrific selection of free printable invitations for both adults and kids. So why spend money on store-bought invitations when you can print them at home for just the cost of card stock and ink? There are also plenty of free birthday clip art options online, many of which would make ideal party decorations. If you can find large enough art, you can make your own banners and signs for the party. If you can’t find the right kind of clipart, you can at least use smaller art to make table place holders or to cut out and sprinkle throughout flower arrangements or plants. If you like vintage, try printing and cutting out various free vintage birthday cards and attaching them to a string that you drape around the room or the cake table. This is an easy way to get a vintage feel and make the party more festive! To finish off the vintage theme, get intentionally mismatched plates, glasses and silverware at a thrift store to use in place of plastic and paper partyware.

The key to creating a memorable birthday party is to be creative. If you infuse style into your party plans, no one will ever know you did it on the cheap!