by Jen Mango

There is this unstated pressure we feel as parents to live up to this extreme neo tradition of birthday party extravaganzas. What will the other mom's say? How will my child feel? While I am not advocating we jump and do whatever our children want, I think there can be balance when it comes to making a child feel special on his or her birthday without shrinking your bank account to do it.

It is impossible as the parent of three to pull off one of these grandiose events three times a year without a little planning and a great deal of budgeting. Here are just a few tips to keep you in the running for 'Martha Stewart of the Year' in your community without breaking the bank.

Use a theme, not a specific character. It is much easier and cost effective to plan an 'Under the Sea' theme than it is an Ariel or Sponge Bob party. It will save you time and money not having to run all over town for Ariel's jewels when you can get a bag of sand at Home Depot, get some shovels and pails at the dollar store and have the kids dig for trinkets you picked up or possibly even had (mardigras beads, old jewelry, etc...)

Be a Copycat! Don't reinvent the wheel. Get on the internet and look up party ideas. If you get a head start, you can find great party invitation ideas that don't cost a lot of money. I once had a friend deliver inflated beach balls (usually 2 for $1) with the party information written on it. She found this idea on the internet. Not only were her guests excited, but the delivery and 'gift' was much more functional AND memorable. It also cost her less than if she ordered and purchased invitations and mailed them.

Choose the right time of day. Be strategic with your party time. If you are on a budget and can't spend money on food, then plan your party when eating is not a priority. This makes the party more enjoyable for you and less stressful not having to feed 10 -30 kids. To accomplish this, schedule your party from 10am to noon or 2 pm to 3:30pm.

Leave the parents at home. When entertaining, the less people (even children) to manage, the less stressful and costly it will be. However, with young children (under four years of age) you may need a few designated parents to chaperone for safety. Good protocol for getting these results is simply stating in your invitation a DROP OFF and PICK UP time. If you are throwing your bash at a remote location, this saves you $$ by not feeding or entertaining adults as well.

Stretch Your Dollars with Color. If you or your child have your heart set on a specific theme, buy only one themed package of cups, plates and napkins and then fill in the rest with a solid color. For example, a Strawberry Shortcake set may cost $3.99 per package, while a solid pink set will cost you 99 cents. You can find deals at the dollar store, Big Lots, and Tuesday Morning. Many times the grocery store may be more cost effective than a traditional party store.

Consider Cupcakes. How many times do you see the remains of a children's birthday party and note how much cake is thrown away. Truth be told, I think most of them would be happy with a spoon full of icing! I have found it very cost effective to make my kid's cupcakes for their parties. This makes it easy if someone has to leave early. It is also much easier to pass out 15 cupcakes rather than cut 15 slices of cake. You don't need a plate or a fork either!

Send home something meaningful. One thing about birthday parties that drives me crazy is all the trinkets that end up in the abyss of my car on the way home from a party. Send your guests home with a less traditional gift that reflects the party or your child. You can find a coloring book or a book for just about every theme. Visit half price books or the 75% off bookstore for great deals. Purchasing a book for $1 per child is much cheaper and more meaningful.

Once the balloons are popped and the presents opened, it will be a matter of time before it is time to do it all over again. You will be throwing birthday bashes for years to come. Be creative, plan with your child's enjoyment in mind and remember that no one knows what you spent but you!

Jen Mango, otherwise known as the Dime Diva, lives in Frisco with her husband, Phil and their three children. With a passion to shop and decorate on a budget, she is helping women across the Metroplex stretch their dimes to save them dollars. For more information about her services and speaking engagements, contact her at \n This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

This article was graciously supplied by Collin County Kids .  All right reserved.  Contents of this article may not be reproduced without the written permission from the Publisher.