My high maintenance brother in law and his wife easily exceed $2,000 their girls (3, 5yr old) birthday parties each year. They live way beyond their means and spend more than they make. Every year: They rent two bounce houses, hire a magician, inflatable bounce house water slide, rent ponies and reptiles for show and tell. Then lament to everybody and ask for money to donate to their girls' college fund, because "they can't afford it."

Why would you spend $300 for a three year old? Keep that up and on their sixteenth birthday you'll get 'em a $16000 car!

$300 isn't that bad... We do backyard pool parties for my kids every year, and with food (burgers & hotdogs) for our family, grandparents, aunts & uncles, 10 friends, plus their siblings and parents, salads, drinks for everyone, beer for the dads, decorations, a decent size cake, favors (last year it was $5 super soakers) I'd say we easily went over $300 for a 5yo's party... Glad that you were able to make some calls and get guests there, he might not remember it, but it sounds like you will!!

Just go to Facebook and create a public event. Say that there will be free cake and plenty of people will show up. Even if the cake is a lie...

Postpone it a few days...problem solved...

Missed an important step there

I'm sorry, but... Who the hell spends $300.00 on a three year old's birthday party? Most years, I didn't even get a party. I'd get one or two gifts from family and a small plate of homemade fudge. The fudge always kicked ass, but come on. I can tell you from experience that I'd much rather have college money, or A CAR than a birthday party. Sorry, but UDI.

I guess if you have the money to spend on a birthday party the kid is probably not going to remember much, this is okay. But otherwise, it's kind of overkill. My grad party cost a little bit more than that.

I'm sorry, but no 3 year old needs a $300 b-day, hell I'm 33 and never had even that much spent on me.

modern family moment