How to Throw a Great yet Inexpensive Party for Your Birthday Girl!

"Happy Birthday" are two of the sweetest words in a young girl's world. Anticipating the festivities that coincide with birthdays generates excitement, and it's very difficult to try to tell a youngster that she can't have a birthday party due to budget constraints.

So don't.

As a mother of six on the world's tightest budget, there were many times that my four daughters' birthdays landed in the middle of a dry money stretch. But with a dash of determination and a pinch of persistence, we always found a way to throw a party.

Here are some time-tested techniques that offer ways to circumvent the typical birthday party expenses encountered when hosting parties for girls:

1. Start buying discounted party items when you see them. Designate a corner of a drawer or cupboard as your "future party" spot. Over the years, my children and I have purchased 12-packs of designer invitations, plates and party favors for less than a dollar on clearance, then stashed them away until they were needed. What a "cheap" thrill it is to have these items handy when you're ready to use them.

2. Nobody said you need to use "Happy Birthday" plates and napkins. They'll be there next year when they're easier to afford. You just saved how much by using your best dishes and regular napkins? If you really want to make it special, drag those cloth napkins out of hibernation and use them. Girls love the formality of real napkins.

3. Select a theme. Just because you're working in "inexpensive" mode doesn't mean you need to scrimp on the details. Here are some common party themes that will evoke glee from your special birthday girl:

Horses * Animated movie characters * Palm trees * Jungle * Girl Scouts

Music * Dogs and cats * Spooky * South of the border * Sea creatures * Hawaiian

By now you may be wondering if a themed party is an expensive prospect. It can be, but there are many thrifty ways to achieve this festive goal on half of a shoestring budget. First, spend time perusing thrift stores and yard sales. It's amazing how many top-notch, gently used items you can find revolving around Disney, Scouting, Horses, dogs & cats, Halloween, and just about anything else you can conjure up. Posters, clothing, knick-knacks, drinking glasses and even jewelry can be obtained at a sliver of the original price.

While you're at these sites shopping, also keep an eye out for rolls of crepe paper, packages of candles, hanging decorations and any other whatnots that might come in handy.

4. Do the "dollar" details. Next, after you've set the theme and collected your thrift store party components, head to your favorite dollar store. That's where you can purchase things that you still need and party favors/prizes for guests. My daughters and have made a second career out of finding miscellaneous dollar party gifts for all age levels.

Here are some ideas, although you'll surely find your own ideal party favors: Decks of cards, dolls, construction paper, coloring books, crayons, gloves, sunglasses, games, notepads, stationery, pens, photo frames, keyrings, and novelty toys.

You can also pick up inexpensive snacks like potato chips, pretzels and cheese puffs. If you're concerned about using a dollar store brand, simply put the snacks into bowls before the party starts. Nobody will be the wiser, and you'll maintain your reputation as a gracious hostess. Often inexpensive bottles of juice or soda pop can also be purchased at the dollar store, which keeps your spending down and your party on an upswing.

5. What's your game? Now that you are armed with decorations, snacks, and other assorted goodies, it's time to think about what games to play at the party. When my 30-year-old daughter was young, the internet had not yet been invented, so we had to either buy games or go to the library and do investigative research to learn how to create our own. Yikes.

Luckily, there are oodles of fun party games on the internet now, so fire up your favorite search engine and dig around. Many of the games you'll find don't require any sort of investment because they're activities you can set up with a little creative effort using things you probably already have around the house.

One year, we printed out a cackling witch face, taped it to the wall, and played "Pin the Nose on the Witch" at a Halloween-ish birthday party. The "pin" was a small sticky note with each guest's initials so we could tell who got closest. There is a plethora of games that you can devise with everyday items, just invest a little bit of time on the 'net instead of a few more bucks. If you don't have the internet, stop by your nearest library and use the free computers there. They work much faster than books did 30 years ago.

6. How inviting. Here are two inexpensive ways to get around buying costly invitations:

a. Customize them on your computer - It's always nice to make your own invitations because they can be made so much more personal. You can print one-sided full sheets, half sheets, or if you have any sort of home publishing or desktop publishing software, spend some time perusing the card shapes and designs available. Often home publishing offers quarter-page folded cards, which lend an extra dash of dimension to your event.

b. Buy them at the dollar store - Most discount stores or dollar stores offer packages of invitations and envelopes for a buck or two. These are perfectly fine to use because they will be hand-written, and that extra touch makes recipients feel valued and wanted.

7. What if you're seriously broke and can't afford anything? I casually mentioned to my 15-year-old daughter that this particular article was under construction. She immediately jumped up and said, "You need to tell people how to give a birthday party for free like you did for me."

Yes, it just so happened that when my daughter's 7^th birthday rolled around I was flat broke. At that age, trying to convey the concept that mommy doesn't have any money is futile. I couldn't easily accept the fact that my daughter was about to be present-less, cake-less and party-free.

I launched a last-ditch salvage effort and phoned family and friends, and invited everyone over to celebrate. I explained that due to budget constraints, how nice it would be if they could each bring a dish or cake to share. Everyone was very understanding, and happy for the chance to get together.

My daughter ended up with a stack of presents, a gallon of ice cream, and three birthday cakes. On top of that, we all consumed mass quantities of delicious home cooking.

Perhaps this is not the right approach to take every year, but once in a great while you might be able to pull it off. Your persuasive efforts can make a huge difference to a bubbly birthday girl.

8. Hit the road. One of my daughters is fortunate enough to have a June birthday, which means that we take our birthday show on the road. Where we live there are a decent number of places that feature public picnic tables, and we fully take advantage of this affordable arrangement.

Among the desirable places public picnic facilities may be found are:

1. Near the zoo
2. Near the beach
3. Near an amusement park
4. At a playground

Weather-permitting, take advantage of any free outdoor facilities you can find. The freedom to play and roam adds an extra outlet of fun for the youngsters, which results in less stress for parents because entertaining an overzealous group of young girls can be a tedious and tiring task.

The bottom line is this -- no matter how tight your budget is, it's okay to give a birthday party. Just approach it from outside of the proverbial box and you'll be amazed at the great party ideas you'll come up with to please your birthday girl.

And believe me, she'll never forget.