Debt-free Birthday Opinions for 5 yr.old
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Debt-free Birthday Opinions for 5 yr.old
| Mon, 11-15-2004 - 1:21pm |
Hello, I was hoping to get a few opinions. I am trying to celebrate my son's fifth birthday the debt-free way! :)
In the past we have invited friends and family over and ordered pizzas or cooked hotdogs/hamburgers, had a large cake, supplied party favors for all the children.
This year we are TIGHT! I was thinking of only inviting my son's grandparents over to our home for some cake and ice cream one evening. I already have a gift for my son, and I'm sure his grandparents would bring one too. The question is, will my son feel the difference? I don't want my children to want for anything, but this is a hard time of year financially.
What would ya'll do? Do you think he's too young to care what we do? Thanks for any comments! :)


I am considering having a party for her for #5 because she's in school now and has a few friends, but then again the Chuck E. Cheese idea is working and about once a month they have coupons in the Sunday paper for up to $30 off of their different plans. I ususally pick one in the middle and get about 75 tokens, a large pizza and 4 sodas for $25. As a four year old, she has never missed having a party.
I think as long as you make your son's day special, he won't care what you do. There are many ways to make it special. I agree with the other poster, just starting the day with his favorite breakfast (perhaps served to him in bed) is enough to make anyone feel special.
BTW my DS is two and hasn't had a birthday party. I refuse to spend money on something that is more for me than him. I realized that important lesson after spending $500 on DD's first. Let's face she remembers nothing about that day.
Kellie
Thanks you guys! I appreciate all the advice and support!
I feel good now, knowing that it is ok not to have a big party. Sometimes you just need to hear it from someone else's mouth to be secure in your decisions.
I love the breakfast idea, and also the dollar store scavenger hunt idea! Very fun! Also, I think we may do a small dinner with the grandparents (which will be mostly for their benefit!).
Once again, thanks for responding! Just a few more weeks to go and then my "baby" will be 5!!!! Freak me out!!!
I think it's perfectly okay not to have a great big birthday party. We have a rule around our house that every other year you get a friends party and on the opposite years you get a family party. I have taken my kids to some big parties of their friends and I think it is really obscene how many gifts some of the kids rake in. I don't think it neccessary to over indulge. Just make sure everything is fair between the kids, he may be a little upset if 3 months from now big brother gets a big birthday bash! A special day with his family and grandparents sounds like fun. A scavenger hunt for him and his brother would be cool too! My sisters and I use to make up ones when we were kids. You could do something like this, with his birthday card a little slip of paper that say's go look in the dryer, in the dryer there is another note that states go look under the bathroom sink, and then to the mail box ect, ect... keep him going and at the end he could find one of his gifts or maybe some small suprises along the way, and if he can't read yet let him take big brother along who could help! Good Luck and have fun!
-Darcy