How to Plan a Teenager's Birthday on a Budget

Teenagers love to get together with friends but often feel birthday parties are for younger children. Finding ways to celebrate a teenager's birthday on a budget can be even more challenging, but also rewarding when everyone has fun in a safe environment.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Choose a theme. A traditional birthday theme is okay, but also consider others such as a night at the movies or a fiesta theme. One way to make a teenager's party more grown up is to have a grown up theme.
2. Plan games to play and other activities to do during the party. For a fiesta theme, buy a piñata filled with candy. Play a Scene-It DVD game and watch a favorite DVD movie for a night at the movies theme.
3. Send invitations. On a budget, send email invites using Evite or make your own using construction paper or your computer.
4. Decorate depending on your theme. Replace family photos with DVDs for the night or buy colored balloons and streamers. Turn a corner into a concession stand. Throw sombreros around the room. Get creative while keeping the cost low.
5. Offer food such as pizza and popcorn or make-your-own-nachos. Buy or make an inexpensive cake and decorate it yourself using store-bought candles, sprinkles and icing.

Tips & Warnings

• Buy plain paper cups, plates and napkins or use your own to save money. Teens won't be looking at the color of plates as much as the food that sits on them.
• Be sure to be around for the party to supervise, but don't hover too closely over your teen.
• Limit the guests to the number you can afford.
• Make your own pizza or pick up pizzas to eliminate delivery charges.

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