My son, Nick, just turned three years old. Nick absolutely LOVES tractors so of course, we (being my wife and I) threw him a John Deere Tractor Party. I must say, he was in heaven! It really does seem that kid's birthday parties are getting bigger and more expensive each year. The pressure that some parents feel when it comes time to throw their child a party is out of control! Well, people, I'm here to tell you that there is no need to keep up with the Jones'! After all, throwing a birthday party should be about celebrating life, cake and ice cream, and of course, spending quality time with friends and family. There is really no need to break the bank when it comes to birthday celebrations!

With that being said, let me tell you all about Nick's John Deere Tractor Party. I'm not going to lie, it wasn't free, however, there are several things that we did in order to save money! First of all, decorations! In my opinion balloons really make a party festive and fun! Simple latex balloons are inexpensive and help to create a wonderful party atmosphere!  The party store that is located down the street from my house will inflate any balloons that I bring to them (even if I didn't purchase them in their store). Of course, they charge me a small fee for the helium…but that is to be expected (nothing in this world is free!). The John Deere logo is green and yellow, so those were the colors used when it came time to pick out plates, utensils, tablecloths and other decorations.  

Before I continue, below is a list of party items that can really give you a big bang for your buck. Take notes people…you don't want to forget anything!

• Flowers – Go to your local grocery store! Many grocery stores now offer fresh flowers and they will cost much less than a professional florist (the store down the street from me sells three bunches of flowers for twelve dollars). Like balloons, flowers add color, as well as, fragrance!
• Balloons – Simple latex balloons are inexpensive and children love to take balloons home with them when the party comes to an end. They also add color and a festive atmosphere! You can tie balloons anywhere…on the back of chairs, on banisters, even on the mailbox (which by the way is a great way to let people know where the party is!). If you wish, buy mylar balloons at a discount store on-line and then take them to the closest party store to be inflated. This will save you money!
• Crepe Paper – An oldie but goodie party decoration that is down-right cheap and comes in just about every color imaginable!
• Banners – Create your own on your computer or buy one at the party store!
• Piñata- What child (or adult!) doesn't like breaking open a piñata and diving for candy! Piñatas have become quite popular over the years and come in just about any shape you can think of. They cost between $12 and $22 depending on which one you buy. As for candy, buy bulk from a discount store and save money!

Now, back to the John Deere Tractor Party! My wife loves to bake cupcakes. In fact, I think she is a cupcake fanatic. For this particular birthday party, she baked chocolate cupcakes with bright yellow icing. The cupcakes were made from a box mix (shhhh, don't tell) and the icing was made from scratch…butter cream anyone!? She piped the icing on each cupcake and topped them off with John Deere logo party picks (which cost approximately $1.39 for a package of six). Of course, we also had a birthday cake for the birthday boy. To save money, we ordered a basic yellow sheet cake from the local discount store (COSTCO) and had them ice it with plain chocolate icing. We added a small plastic tractor, some plastic trees and of course, a fence! It looked wonderful, and Nick LOVED it!  You may think it is going a bit over-board having both cupcakes and cake, however, the small children at the party LOVED the cupcakes and the adults didn't complain when they got to take some of the extra cupcakes home with them!

As for food, we made it simple and grilled hamburgers and hotdogs. We also had cole slaw, potato salad, chips, assorted dips, fresh fruit and chicken nuggets. A big hit at the party (and inexpensive to make I might add) was the green party punch! We simply purchased a green punch ring at the grocery store and added ginger ale. Perfect, a refreshing beverage that just so happened to match our party colors! As for little extras, we had John Deere lollipops, green and yellow M&Ms, John Deere party hats, plates and cups and for each family to take home, Johnny Pop popcorn!

As I mentioned before, throwing a birthday party should be fun and stress free! There really is no need to deplete your savings account in order to have a fun and festive celebration.  With a little imagination, I'm sure you too can come up with ways to save money. Dollar Stores (which by the way is where I found the tractor cake topper) and bulk warehouse stores such as COSTCO are wonderful and enable you to buy party supplies at rock bottom prices! Happy party planning!