How I Spent $457 on Rooney's 1st Birthday Party
I was going to post this back in March after Roo's 1st birthday party, but I was embarrassed that I overspent my $300 budget (which already seemed high). Then the other day I was cleaning up some piles in our house and came across the piece of paper where I kept track of how much I was spending on everything and decided I wanted to share it.
Decor
- Pink/white twine (Archiver's) - $3.17
- Photos (Kanvess) - $10.25
- Mini clothespins & poms (Michael's) - $3.37
- Cupcake topper (Lisa Leonard) - $24.25
- Chalkboard we made & eraser (Lowe's & Office Max) - $75.57
- Glue & tape (Target) - $4.91
Total: $121.52
Food
- Pre-made lemonade & frozen organic strawberries (Trader Joe's) - $16.99
- Pasta & breadsticks (Pizza Hut) - $52.01
- Cupcake mix (Trader Joe's) - $5.98
- Ice cream, veggie dip (Hy-Vee) - $24.71
- M&Ms & sprinkles (Party City) - $26.63
Total: $126.32
Dinnerware & Paper Goods
- 24 Starbucks Frappuccino bottles (Costco w/ coupon) - $22.00
- Eco-friendly disposable plates & cupcake liners (Party City) - $14.80
- Straws, wooden forks, wooden spoons (Shop Sweet Lulu) - $29.40
- Napkins (Target) - $6.00
- Tablecloth (Target) - $4.02
- Cupcake liners (Bake It Pretty) - $23.70
- Cups (Party City) - $2.97
Total: $102.89
Gifts
Total: $106.70
Grand Total...$457.43
So...yeah. I went way over budget. And I didn't even send invitations this year (I used evite.com instead) to try to save time/money, and Eric's mom brought all the fruit and veggies. Luckily a lot of the stuff we bought (and the chalkboard we made) can be reused next year (milk bottles, twine, etc.). I also have a ton of cupcake liners, sprinkles and paper straws left over. I didn't have much in my party-throwing arsenal before this party and now I do. The cupcake topper actually didn't even arrive in time for the party so it will make its debut next year.
I spent nearly the same amount in each category (food, gifts, decor, dinnerware/paper goods). Next year I would like to have the cupcakes made by Scratch Cupcakery because I am basically obsessed with them. I will try to save money on the utensils for sure. The wood ones we had were cute but I don't like spending that much on something that will be used for 30 minutes and then thrown away.
Looks like we better start saving for next year!
How much do you spend on your kid's birthday parties?