Jay's 2nd Birthday| Party on a Budget

Saturday we threw Jay a pretty over the top birthday party that I'm sure he is never going to remember. It was pretty fun though, and I have to admit, this is the most pinteresty thing I've ever pulled together. I was pretty proud of myself! We wound up having 21 people (adults, children and infants), all gathered together in our apartment for a couple hours. Jay was a champ about sharing all of his toys, and even managed to snag himself an entire glazed donut that he downed in about 2 minutes flat. Note: if your goal is to deprive your kid of sugar, they will viciously consume it as fast as they can when they get their hands on it. 

When I had originally planned this party for Jay I was worried that it was going to completely break the bank. I wound up spending about $75 total on the entire party, and that included, food and decorations. I also split up buying things over 2 months so that it wasn't like one big blow to the wallet all at once. I think the biggest thing that helped keep the price down was using Joann's Coupons. Did you know if you have 4 different 50% off 1 regular priced item coupon, they'll let you use all 4 of them in one transaction? Blew my mind. I'll give a break down of everything I used for the party below, and where to purchase it!

Plates, cups, napkins, streamers, ribbon (on donut pops), 2 glass plates, and 2 glass candlesticks (for cake stands)- Dollar Tree ($9)

Mason Jar for Straws- Walmart (had)

DIY Cake Stands (Tutorial here)

e6000 glue (for cake stands), Straws and Balloons- Target ($9.50)

Cake Pop Stand, Lollipop Sticks, Muffin Liners- Joann's ($9) after 50% off coupons

Beverage Dispenser- Amazon (had)

Donuts and Donut Holes- Dunkin Donuts ($22)

Fruit, Water Bottles, Muffin Mix, Mini Cereal Boxes, Orange Juice- Grocery Store ($22)

Lace Table Cloth- NC Factory Outlet Sale $2

So there you have it. Maybe spending $75 on a birthday party for a two year old is a wee bit ridiculous, but it was fun! On the plus side, all the decor items that I bought/made I'll be able to use for future gatherings and birthday parties that maybe Jay will remember!

How much do you typically spend on throwing a birthday party for your children? Is $75 super obnoxious? This was my first go around, and I felt like I did pretty good, but I could be kidding myself...