Frugal Goodie Bags

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

23 Jun 2008 10:50 AM

Birthday parties for kids can be fun, although the cost of these parties can quickly add up. One of the costs that can quickly get out of hand are the goodie bags. Although some parents do get very elaborate with goodie bags (one family gave out $50 toy store gift cards and tickets to the circus), even filling the bags with traditional small toys and candy can can add up.

This coming Saturday, we are having a birthday party for my two boys, and we want to offer goody bags to the guests at the end of the party. We wanted to offer nice things, but at an affordable price. Here are some ways to save on goody bags.

Visit the local dollar store. There are all sorts of great little toys, books and party supplies to be had for not much money. When you are looking for items, look at bulk packages that can be split up, such as a set of six puzzles or a bag of bouncy balls. Our local dollar store even offered grab bags for a dollar that were already filled with toys.

While it is nice to have a theme for your goody bags, themes will probably be harder to fulfill on a budget. Without a theme, you can grab whatever looks good and is inexpensive, rather than trying to get only items that fit a theme. Plus, themes based on characters can be particularly expensive, because of all of that marketing that is involved. You can always separate the goody bags into those for boys and those for girls, if you like.

Stick with items that offer a lot of play value for the money. Classic goodie bags items include bubbles, play-doh, stickers, bouncy balls and pencils. Lollipops are relatively inexpensive, and kids love them as a treat.

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. Starting June 1st, don't miss her articles in the Baby Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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