Of course, the birthday party was priceless. We invited seventeen of her pre-school classmates and thirteen were able to attend. Our daughter was excited and her friends had a lot of fun. The total cost was $306. Here's a breakdown of the cost elements:
| Party Cost Breakdown | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Per Child | Total | |
| Invitations | $0.42 | $7 | |
| Party Facility | $17 | $221 | |
| Goody Bags | $3 | $36 | |
| Adult Food | - | $37 | |
| Tip | - | $25 | |
| Coupon Savings | - | -$20 | |
Overall, we felt doing a party at this outside location was a good deal. The facility we used provided the invitations, gymnastic activities (90 minutes) and two party hosts for the two hour event. The cost also included pizza, cake and drinks for the kids. The hosts were very helpful in organizing the games and recording the gift information so that we could concentrate on taking pictures and talking with parents.
Our out of pocket cost to the facility was $263. If we had done the party at our house, I expect that we would have spent about $125 for food, paper goods and games. Therefore, the net additional cost was $138. It's about the cost of a nice dinner, which we feel in reasonable. Of course, we also avoided the additional effort for cleaning up after the party.
For more on Crossing Generations, check back every Thursday for a new segment.
This is not financial or parenting advice. Please consult a professional advisor.
Copyright © 2008 Achievement Catalyst, LLC
Subscribe to My Wealth Builder
1 comment:
The extra money involved in having a party at a children's center is worth the savings in time, stress, and cleanup, and most important of all, everyone will have a great time, even the parents.
Post a Comment