Good morning! This post is from my V.A. Clarisse.

A week before my daughter’s birthday, I made a list of what to buy and what to do. I also set a budget since Ididn’t want to spend too much, but I wanted her to have an unforgettable surprise birthday party. Honestly, she only asked me if I can buy her a balloon and a lechon manok, a “roasted whole chicken” because shedidn’t want me to spend money. I’m really proud of my understanding daughter. I planned carefully in orderto have a birthday party blast without spending too much! Check out my check list how to have an awesome party on a budget!

1. Invitations

Take advantage of social media! I just reached out to my friends and family through FB chat and text messages. So I definitely saved money on this part! You don’t need to buy invitation cards anymore.You can also make custom e-card online.

2. Create a guest list

If you’re on a tight budget, make sure that you estimate how many guest will come. You don’t want to ruin the party because of a shortage of food. Invite only people that you are comfortable to be with.

3. The Venue

I decided to have the party at our house but if you have an extra budget for that, you can rent a clubhouse or even in a restaurant.

4. Birthday Party Theme

Last year, my daughter had a frozen birthday cake, so this year I chose a Hello Kitty theme, I love Hello Kitty too!

5. Decorations

Now that you have picked your birthday party theme, you need to prepare for the decorations. Instead of paying someone to decorate, try to DIY! I love looking up photos on Pinterest and got some ideas on how to DIY the birthday decorations. One week before, I bought banners, balloon letters and inflatable balloons. Believe me, it’s very cheap compared to ordering helium balloons.

6. Music

Thank you internet connection! You don’t need to buy a tapes or Cds anymore to play good music. You can search for your favorite songs online and click the play button! Or you can prepare an album for a different kinds of music a day before the party.

7. Foods and cake

If you know how to bake a cake, then you can make your own cake! Unfortunately, I don’t have any talent in baking, so I just ordered a cake and some cupcakes. I thoroughly researched places where I could order affordable BUT delicious cake and cupcakes. On top of the cake, I decided to order four kinds of viands and of course we Filipinos love Lechon Baboy “Roasted Pig”! I contacted three sellers of lechon baboy and compared their prices, but it didn’t fit in my budget, so I decided to buy a live pig and paid someone to roast it. I can say that I also saved on this part. Oh, by the way, I cooked the spaghetti and made the fruit salad with the help of my family.

8. Family is Awesome!

I just mentioned above that my family helped me prepare all that stuff! From decorating, cooking, setting the table, preparing the utensils to even paying for part of the food, they were there to support me. My younger sister paid for snacks and juice for my daughter’s classmates. We chose to buy a buy 1 get one free burger instead of ordering foods from fast food chains just like what I did to her previous birthdays. My mom ordered a bunch of “budbud”, which is a rice cake snack or dessert wrapped in banana leaves.

My final budget? The cake and cupcaked were $23, the 30 kilo pig was $59, plus $12 for charcoal, spices and the person who roasted it (instead of $98 for buying it ready), the burgers were $8.8 for 32 burgers. I bought juice for $3.47, plastic cups and plates for $2, $2 worth of candy, and my sister paid for the snacks.

That’s it! I just want to say thank you to my family and friends who came to my daughter’s 9th birthday party. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to have a great party, all you need is to have a plan, make a checklist and enjoy the party!