Hi friends,

I'm under pressure from the wife to spend $700+ for a birthday party for my kid - (the kid's in kindergarten). I think she's going overboard. We've already argued about $700 being too much - but to no avail.

So here's an informal poll for you all - if you have kids in a similar age range, what's your typical budget for their birthday parties? Your responses will help me decide if I'm being stingy. BTW - I would consider ours to be a middle-class family.

Thanks in advance

-G

Jesus. When I was in kindergarten, a party consisted of three pizzas for me and my friends, a (fantastic) homemade cake from mom, and a bunch of party games from the dollar store. Maybe a pinata with candy. And the best parties were the ones where my parents turned on the sprinklers and gave us balloons and squirt guns to play with.

I was six. It was awesome. I had the best parents ever. I can't imagine they spent more than $50 total.

Edit: super typical suburban middle class family, annual income in six figures. As I got older parties probably got cheaper- more food cost but less entertainment costs (teenagers amuse themselves, they just need a loud enough stereo).

gyagya said:Hi friends,

I'm under pressure from the wife to spend $700+ for a birthday party for my kid - (the kid's in kindergarten). I think she's going overboard. We've already argued about $700 being too much - but to no avail.

So here's an informal poll for you all - if you have kids in a similar age range, what's your typical budget for their birthday parties? Your responses will help me decide if I'm being stingy. BTW - I would consider ours to be a middle-class family.

Thanks in advance

-Gmy sister recently had a party for my niece and it was around $250. It was at one of those little Gym fitness places for kids and included the cake and like 2 hours of the kids playing and stuff. $700 is ridiculous. What happens when the kid turns 18, gonna throw a party that costs $2,100? haha

For a party with 40+ relatives / friends in attendance

$75 on park shelter (lots of family history or we wouldn't do this!)
$25 on pop
$25 on ice
$20 on three veggie subs for stupid vegetarian friends that never showed up
$24 on three minor league baseball game tickets (guests were notified in advance that they were paying if they wanted to go to the game)
$40 on cake
$50 on food (pulled pork, pasta salad, buns, chips, nachos, nacho cheese)
$20 on streamers, balloons, tableclothes
$20 on forks, spoons, paper plates, napkins, etc
$75 on matching minor league baseball game shirts for the three of us
$32 on gas to get there and back
----------
$406 or about $10.15 per person.

This was for our son's first birthday, but we do something similar each year (plus the birthday-party-on-the-birthday which is about $50 for pizzas and pop for the grandparents and friends / relatives that can't make the "big" party). We've cut down on some costs (no more veggie subs! and we don't do the baseball game anymore) but gas and pop has gone up a little. I don't like spending this much (especially not since we have two now and they're within a month of each other), but it's become a big family gathering for both sides of our families so it's more than just a kid's birthday party.

We'll probably combine the two birthday parties into one big party for the relatives and family friends and have smaller kid's-friends parties. I've been stocking up on Chucky Cheese tokens ($.10 each with coupons in the Hot Deal's section) for that day...

Your wife wants to spend $700 on something the kid won't even remember? I think this is more for your wife to show off to her friends & neighbors than for the kid.

Are you nuts?

$700 is meaningless unless you can tell us how many kids and adults you expect at this party. Many kids party places cost $25 per kid, plus many many extras.

On my birthday, my dad would routinely rip me a new one for free as a reminder of all the costs incurred raising me over the prior year.

I do not have kids but last winter I organized on $400 duckpin bowling for 40 people. $200 to rent the duckpin bowling upstairs. Delivered a bunch of pizzas. Sodas chips, cupcakes, cookies and a bunch of beer(mine was a party for adults)an extra $200. but even that all happened for $10 a person.(we charged $20 and rest donated to charity) So are you having 70 people?????n what type of party are you considering. I swear cake and pizza will make many little kids happy

$700 is what I spent on my 22nd birthday party in Vegas. That included drinks, lap dances, craps and everything. It was perfect for me and 5 friends.

I'm sorry, but your wife shouldn't be wanting to spend $700 for a birthday party. That is simply insane!!!