Let's Talk Birthdays

[TheBudsMom]

How much do you all spend on birthday presents and parties?

We are really cheap around here :para
We always have cake and family over on their birthday and they all end up getting a small gift no matter who's birthday it is. The b-day child gets a bigger gift of course :)
Then in the summer time the weekend after Shelby and the twin's birthday we have a HUGE party and claim that as everyones party.

What do you all do?

[TEF]

A & A were still into having parties. So their party, wherever we have them is normally our gift to them. But, this yr they are going to be 10 ys old in April ( :thud ) and have opted to just take a few friends to the movies. Which will be way cheaper than previous yrs, when they invite the whole freakin class and we have it someplace like Rolling Skating, Chuck E Cheese, Bowling etc...
So we will get them a small gift besides paying for the movies.

Nick will be 13 yrs old on Tuesday. Last yr he took some friends from school to the movies. So that was not expensive and we got him a small gift also. (cant remember what it was at this point?) But, he too, in the younger yrs had the big party and that was our gift to him. This yr he does not want a party of any kind so we bought him the Wii. We are also going to take him out to dinner (his choice) that night. So that's his gift. I hope this doesn't sound terrible but I am glad we are at this point. I was getting really tired of doing goodie bags and waiting for kids to RSVP so I could call the place with the # of guests etc... And it seems NO ONE RSVP's anymore :para

[Supercalafragilistic]

Our kids like parties...with Mikey and LYnny in school, they get to invite friends over, too. We tend to spend around $150 on cake, ice cream, food, and drinks. I've discovered that it's easiest to order pizza for those parties :lol

[Free Bird]

Count us in on the cheap factor. We do parties for their b-day until they are 5. Then we just do cake (usally their favorite made by me) and dinner as a family. I also send cupcakes to Shawn and Maddy's class on the day of thier birthday if it's during the week. The boys arent big on parties, they are cool with the family dinners and cake. I'm sure I won't get so lucky as Maddy gets older. She is quite the social butterfly.

[TheBudsMom]

:phew I am glad to see I am not some evil parent for not going all out at every birthday. It would be like a constant party around here with all these kids and I would have to start renting them out just to pay for it :lol

[Loosey]

We let them choose wherever they want to go for dinner and bring a friend, extended family is also invited (grandparents, my siblings and their families) .. this is usually the weekend before their birthday and then on the actual day of their birthday I will either cook them whatever they want or we order in whatever they want and it's just me, hubby and kids. I don't decorate or go all out anymore except for my husband and that's mainly because the kids still look forward to doing the decorating. Plus, when you're old you haven't got much else to look forward to. :snicker

[Jennalicious]

Jonah's birthday is only about 2 weeks from the twins', so last year we did it combined. It's in the middle of summer and we just put in a pool last year. So we did a huge pool party for our family and friends. We spent a little money because we had a BBQ place cater it (I was celebrating surviving the first year with the twins... I wasn't about to cook! :teehee ) So we spent about $150 on food. And we spent some $$ on party favors and decorations for the kids. That's about it though - maybe $200 total, plus gifts for the kids. Not too bad though, since we did all 3 kids party at the same time for that price! I think we'll continue to do it this way until they're old enough to care and ask for something different.

[TheBudsMom]

Jenna that really does seem like the easiest way to do it around here.
Shelby's birthday is July 3rd and the twins July 4th so we have to go all out around here since it is the 4th of July with fireworks and all.
We rent a huge water slide sometimes we rent carnival games.This year we are thinking about adding the cotton candy machine we always overdo it but it if for the adults just as much as it is for the kids :lol

[UnFun]

:doh How'd I miss this thread?

We usually just do a family party (which lately means just my kids, DH and I :kickcan) I will cook the birthday kid their favorite meal and for the little ones, I decorate or get balloons. Sometimes we'll do a pizza party at the park and let them bring some friends or for the older ones I'll just give them money and let them decide what they want to do (movies, etc..)

[UnFun]

I should add... Quin's bday is just before Halloween so sometimes I'll throw a big costume party. I should post pics of the one I threw a couple years ago...

[Candyland]

I normally have a big party for their birthday. Usually a meal, cake and ice cream, and some kind of activity. One year we rented a blow up bouncy for the party and last year we did the party at a pizza/arcade place. I have a huge family and by the time I invite friends too it ends up being expensive. So this year we aren't doing a party. I got the kids gifts that are more than I would normally spend but I don't plan to make it a habit. They don't understand cost right now so to them it is just something they want and won't expect me to spend that much next year. I hope at least. :para

Birthdays were always a huge deal in our family.