For those of us with children, there are few better joys than seeing a look on their faces when they open their presents on their birthday or get to enjoy a fun party with their classmates and friends to celebrate their big day.
An increasing number of Brits around the country are now seeing this as a fading picture, though, with more and more unable to afford to give their kid the sort of birthday treats they would love to, with some even falling into debt in order to avoid disappointing their little ones.
According to the latest survey conducted by Family Action, a charity aiming at allaying fears of childhood poverty, some 44 per cent of parents in the UK struggle with the cost of providing for their kids’ birthday, with the majority even worrying about the outcome of not being able to do it.
The report said: “So you’ve got to have one birthday at school, with the goodie bags, and you’ve got to do a separate one at home with their friends, and you’ve got to do another one for your family.”
“You can literally lose friends and create bullies through a birthday party.”
With this pressure in mind, some 27 per cent of parents surveyed said they felt that it was their duty to provide a party for their child when it is their birthday.
Somewhat shockingly, as many as 21 per cent would cut back on household essentials such as bills and other payments in order to leave themselves able to afford the expensive birthday treats and parties, which a third will spend up to £500 on this.
The effects of this for those on low incomes is obvious, though. Spending big on a bash for a child’s birthday at the expense of energy bills and the like could leave you with serious debts that build up and eventually cause you to think “I need to sell my home now.”
There are two simple pieces of advice then that can be very important with regards these special occasions for parents.
First of all, if you can’t afford to give the kids a big fancy party, then don’t. Explaining the reasons to your children can be easier than you might think, and most will understand that you simply are not able to spend a lot of cash on it.
If it is something you feel you have to do year in year out, though, it is advisable to start saving as soon as possible. Cut out something you don’t need expense wise and then put that money in your account each month to save the pennies and give yourself a fund for your child’s birthday.
For those who are left with sizeable debts as a result of overlooking such issues, though, there may be a need to offload the home in order to try to get back on a firmer financial footing. If this is the case for you, why not sell to Property Rescue? The company will give you a quick cash offer which allows you to clear your debts and start over.