my sons birthday

Owain_Moneysaver

You can stretch the present budget by googling for some pictures of his favourite cartoon etc characters and using the free jessops print offer for some pictures for his room.

Cheap party food:

Have some bread or sweet pastry dough, everyone makes their initial or funny shape, whack in the oven and they're cooked. Kids can decorate with coloured icing and take them home.

Use cookie cutters to cut large slices of potato into shapes, use your/his favourite oven chip or wedges recipe and cook in oven. Serve with luridly coloured dips.

If granny is providing the cake then the Old Style forum probably have lots of ideas for how you could cater for a party for 20 for about a fiver.

Inlclude contingency in the budget for a nice glass of wine because you'll probably deserve it.

Violetta_2

pinksuedeshoes wrote: »

well
popcorn i would have never though of that will definatley be getting a bag of popcorn what did you use sweet or savoury ? x

It was sweet popcorn. Massive bag, think it was 89p & the doritos tortilla chips were on offer too 59p, but I'm sure the supermarket value/basic ones are even cheaper.

Owain_Moneysaver

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

You can stretch the present budget by googling for some pictures of his favourite cartoon etc characters and using the free jessops print offer for some pictures for his room.

Just checked - you can also get 6 lunchboxes at £8 each in the school/office section, total £48, and use the voucher against them.

That's the party bags sorted out!

Sally_A

Much cheaper to buy popcorn loose if you have a "scoopers" store near you, the excitement for the kiddies is hearing it pop in the pan, or in a large casserole dish in the microwave (big knob of butter needed), not quite up there with the toffee coated stuff, but the fact they can see and hear it cooking is much more exciting for them. do you know any one with a popcorn duck machine? maybe you could borrow it?

Re pizzas, as kids are such picky wotsits, I bought enough bases for each child (or buy the small cheese and tomato ones), applied a tomato base, then left dishes of sliced mushrooms, peppers, onions, grated cheese, ham, sweetcorn, pepperoni, pineapple etc etc for them to make their own, guaranteed no waste as they only chose the topping they liked, or if they were unsure of a topping, they only put a small amount on - egged on by their friends they will probably discover another vegetable they actually like.

The only downside is it takes 3 oven shelves approx 12 minutes to cook each large pizza, unless you can buy the smaller bases and probably do 6 per cooking.

marywooyeah

I always do a big bowl of pasta as thats cheap to make and can be eaten hot or cold.
Something which always seems to get eaten up is a big plate with cut up peppers, cucumber, slices of cheese and carrot sticks - because together they're very colorful the kids tend to go for it and it means you get some healthy food down them too!
potato wedges are quite cheap and tend to be popular, if you get some tortilla chips too the dips can be for both and decrease the chance of sauce being left over.

hitatotatus

Don't buy ready made tzatziki. Get some smartprice yoghurt, add some cucumber (chopped really small, or grated) and some fresh mint (or mint sauce). Much cheaper and tastier.

redhead122

we did fruit kebabs which went down really well with the kiddy winks, just a cocktail stick, with a grape, strawberry and pineapple chunk, any leftovers i was planning on having for breakfast the next morning, but they all got ate.

hitatotatus

Another suggestion for cous cous.
Chop an onion and garlic clove and fry.
Add raisins and tsp cumin and warm through.
Drain and add tin of chick peas and leave in the pan to keep warm and for all the flavours to develop.
Add water to the cous cous (as per packet) and then stir into the above.
Add salt and pepper and a knob of butter/drizzle of olive oil. This will feed loads and is great the next day if there is any leftover.

pinksuedeshoes

thanks for the great ideas. OMG WE HAVE A POPCORN DUCK UNDER THE SINK. That i had forgot about will deffo get that out.
on my list
pizza
popcorn
tortilla
dips
cous cous
pasta salad
veggies for dipping
a hedgehog but instead of cheese fruit
potato chips/ wedges
lots of great ideas thanks keep em coming

cord123

Personally I wouldnt bother with sandwiches, asda have 4 pizzas for £3, 50 frozen sausage rolls £1.25, 36 cheese and onion rolls £1, frozen cocktail sausages £1, chicken nuggets £1, smart price maize crisps 59p x 2, ice lollies £1, 12 fairy cakes £1, mini rolls £1. 4 foil serving trays £2, part plates £1 and 24 squash cups (the ones that you stab the straw into) £2.... total under £18!!! I wouldnt worry about feeding the adults, i would never expect to be fed at a childs party... get some lemonade / coke for them but it about the kids!

He wont care what food he has there once his mates are there!!! FYI Argos have a fruit and veg stall half price for £17. Just got it for my sons birthday! xx