Guest post by Anannya Chaudhary
Remember when birthday celebrations used to be grand? Assorted colour balloons, a special themed cake, streamers, party poppers and a tiara for the special birthday girl?
Those were the days!
Birthday parties have turned into yet another occasion to keep up with the Pinterest-worthy Instagram photographs. Massive flower centrepieces, games, movie-themed parties, princess spa days, and arcades—sure, it’s gotten out of hand.
And when you’re attempting to arrange a birthday party on a budget, it’s easy to feel like there isn’t a way to do it without going overboard.
But, you can still enjoy yourself and celebrate the day! It doesn’t have to be expensive to celebrate your special day. Even if you don’t have much money, here are some helpful hints for organising a great birthday bash:
BYOB Party
Throw a BYOB and luncheon party in your student accommodation if you’re short on cash.
It’s time to start the party by creating a playlist of your favourite music and bringing out last year’s decorations.
We know you love jamming to the OG One Direction songs!
People will bring far more alcohol and food than is necessary, so you’ll be set for the entire evening.
You’ll have your buddies, free alcohol, and a night to remember with endless memories, talks and special moments!
Spa night
Invite a handful of your best pals over for a night of pampering and wine. Prepare some snacks from what you have on hand( popcorn is a great affordable option, pull out the famous collection of your favourite movies and series (hint: gossip girl :p), and prepare for a relaxing evening with your friends.
While you’re watching chick flicks, do each other’s hair or nails and sip your wine.
Pic taken from Pexels
Go on a scenic drive
Is there anything a long drive with your favourite people can’t fix?
Get in the car and drive around town, looking for a scenic view of a mountain, beach, lake, or skyscrapers if you live in a city or even a place where you can lay down a small picnic and stargaze.
Grab a Bluetooth speaker and listen to your favourite Taylor swift melodies, because who doesn’t love themselves some T-Swizzle?
Along with that, don’t forget your polaroid camera; you’ll wanna look back at the memories you made on your special day.
Cook a meal together
Friends who cook together, stay together
Invite your friends over to your student room for a cooking sesh or even a cook-off if you want to channel the inner Monica Geller in you!
You can cook some Pasta, Pizza, Lasagna, Chicken wings or whatever is your favourite dish.
Once done, enjoy your homemade meal with your friends along with some wine and put on a rom-com!
Pic taken from Pexels
Here’s a hack
We know birthday cakes can be expensive, especially if you are getting one customised. So, if you want to save some extra cash there, turn an instant box cake into a special one! 😉
Pic taken from Pexels
When baked as a layer cake, a simple boxed cake mix looks fantastic. We also have some top secret tips for you:
You can improve the basic boxed cake mix recipe by tweaking it. This is how:
● Add one extra egg to the recipe’s number of eggs.
● Substitute an equal amount of milk for the water.
● Switch the equal amount of melted butter for the oil.
These three modifications make a boxed cake mix more moist and rich, similar to a homemade or bakery-bought cake.
Letting the birthday person choose the type of cake they want can make a homemade cake even more meaningful.
