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On a crisp, bright January day, in a field just outside Manchester, a dozen 12-year-olds celebrated their friend’s birthday with tractor rides, a zip line, a treasure hunt and marshmallows toasted over a bonfire.
The outdoor winter party has become a tradition for the McDonald family over the past three years, with mum Janine, 53, keen to give her children a unique birthday experience, away from their phones.
Not only is it fun, it is also very cheap, costing just over £30. Keeping the price down is increasingly important for parents who face continuing cost of living pressures.
“My daughter loves the outdoors and her friends, who she is able to invite more of due to the low cost. The most fun they have is when we attach a board to the back of the tractor and pull them around the field, seeing who can keep on the board the longest – we call it tractor surfing,” says Janine.
There are no venue hire costs, as the field belongs to Janine’s friend.
“Being in the field gives them freedom. They keep asking if they can go again and not just for her birthday – even though they’re not allowed their phones. I keep parents updated via a Whatsapp group, and some even stay and join in the fun.”
Not only do Janine’s daughter and her friends create ‘life-long memories and bonds’, but at a total cost of £31.29, it means the family can escape the children’s party price war.
As Sainsbury’s survey data has shown, the average cost of a child’s birthday party is now £279, with 80 per cent of parents saying they plan to spend even more this year.
But as the cost of living shows no sign of easing, with water, energy, food, housing and childcare prices all continuing to rise, cutting back on children’s birthday party expenses may become inevitable.
For Janine, who works as a professional home declutterer, spending hundreds of pounds on her children’s birthdays is just not an option.
“I feel that kids’ parties sometimes become a bit of a competition between parents, whilst putting pressure on those who may not be able to afford them. It’s ridiculous how expensive kids’ parties have become. There is absolutely no reason to be spending so much,” she says.
“I have felt the pressure of being asked if my daughters can do certain things for their birthdays, but I’ve had to say no due to the cost. I also rarely know what to buy their friends for presents, and if there are a few birthdays close together, it becomes expensive, in monetary terms and mentally.”
For her daughter’s January party, Janine shopped mainly at Aldi, buying 12 pizzas for £10.32, two bags of oven chips for £2.70, 12 bags of crisps for £1.60, sweets for £1.60, and fruit for £3.58.
She got the marshmallows from B&M for £1.50. The biggest expense was £9.99 for a birthday cake from Asda. Guests were asked to bring a water bottle.
The bonfire wood was scrap wood collected over the previous few months., whose oven she used to cook the pizza and chips.
It’s not just about money, Janine said. She is proud that the focus away from materialism and consumerism is rubbing off on her daughter.
“She also tells her friends that she doesn’t want presents, she just wants them to come and play. That’s her decision, which I’m proud of,” she says.
Party hacks to cut the budget
Don’t have a friend with a field? Here are three other ways you can be crafty with your children’s party budget.
Ditch the bags for books Once the sweets are eaten and plastic toys played with once, then promptly shoved in the back of a drawer alongside all the other party bag tat accumulated over the year, party bags are a waste of both money, and plastic. A longer lasting alternative is giving a book as a party favour instead. The Works does bundles of 10 books for £10 for younger children, with book box sets for older children ranging up to £15.
Ask for a friendly fiver Twenty children coming to your party means 20 presents – an exciting concept for your child, but less so when you’re still unwrapping presents a week later. That’s why “fiver parties” are becoming more acceptable, where, instead of a present, parents simply ask guests to put a £5 note in an envelope with a card. That’s then £100 for your child to do with as they wish – or for you to take a cut to reimburse yourself for part of the party cost.
Don’t bake it, fake it Not much of a baker, but keen to change it up from your usual Colin the Caterpillar? Why not try a £10 supermarket fake bake, as pioneered by gourmet baker Reshmi Bennett, whose creations at her London bakery Anges de Sucre can go for up to £1,500.
The rules are that you can spend a maximum of £10 on ready made components from one store, but you can not use an oven or a mixer. She then provides the instructions to craft your own show stopper for a steal. Her Aldi Kinder Swindler cake is adorned with chocolate mini muffins and a “Bueno-inspired” ganache, while her Morrison’s Posh High Tea cake, complete with heart print jam “sandwiches”, is too cute to eat.
Hopefully the children won’t agree and will dive straight in, but at least you can fool your Instagram followers into thinking you spent a fortune.
Look for “kids eat free” deals If you’re happy to swap the big class do for a more intimate family affair, finding a restaurant or pub that offers a free kids meal can make for a budget friendly birthday treat. TGI Fridays, for example, offers free kids meals to its loyalty club members, while kids can eat free every Sunday at The Real Greek for each adult that spends a minimum of £10. Even more venues get on the bandwagon during the school holidays, and be sure to check with your local favourite spots for deals you might not see online – and eat to your heart’s content.
Go halves with a birthday buddy Finding a friend the same age with a birthday around the same time is a great opportunity to split the bill. Just be sure to agree on how many guests each and an overall budget, plus who is in charge of what so there’s no confusion and you don’t accidentally show up to an empty church hall.
