Partying for Less in Parsippany

This Saturday my daughter turned 3. To celebrate, we had a big family barbecue in our backyard here in Parsippany.

Throwing a party for 40 people takes a fair bit of planning, especially since we like to decorate and make everything look fun for our guests and the birthday girl. This year, our party was designed around a luau theme.

In preparing for the event, I found super buys while shopping in and around our hometown.

For starters, there’s Synergy Gas, which is right next to Fuddrucker’s on Route 46 (3129 Route 46, 973-334-3800).  Synergy charges $20 to fill a standard propane tank (not an exchange, the staff refills your existing tank). There's more: You can get an extra $1 discount with this coupon. Still not enough? Fine. Synergy offers a loyalty card that you can pick up in the store, with no expiration date. After four refills, you get the propane refill for free.

Party City in Parsippany (1440 Route 46, 973-316-8000) was another key part of my birthday prep work. The store features a 50 cent sale on bin items inside. You’ll find assorted napkins, table coverings, some music, invitations and decorations. In addition, many of the summer items (plates, cups, napkins, etc.) are 50 percent off. Non-Mylar balloons are available for 89 cents each, and you can find a decent assortment of Mylar balloons sold individually for a mere 10 cents more. A box of leis for our luau party was around $5 for 50 necklaces.

My best tip for keeping an attractive look at outdoor gatherings is to buy a bolt of plastic table covering from Party City. You can cut the plastic to fit tables of any size, so even if you have tables in varying sizes, they all can share a consistent look.

The Christmas Tree Shop at Rockaway Townsquare (301 Mt. Hope Rd., 973-361-1502) is a great go-to place for party planning. I bought party favors for the kids there. Bucket and shovel sets run under $2, wooden art crafts are less than $1, fancy fish-shaped lollipops are just $2 and I found plastic ice cream cones containing bubbles at three for $1. The shop is having a summer sale as well. Hidden in the back is a 90-percent-off shelf where I bought some cute summer party decorations for 40 cents (a large metal sign that says “Beach” and a wooden mermaid decoration).

BJ’s Wholesale Club (110 State Route 23, Riverdale; 973-248-1116) was my final stop. (I wish there was one closer!) The discount retailer offered a great deal on 90 percent lean ground beef--only $2.69 per pound. The kids’ sale clothing rack (side aisle, right hand side of store) was irresistible, and so were the deals. I bought a few outfits for next summer, including an adorable girl’s bathing suit for just $4.50.

Now, let me make something clear. Getting a good deal is important, but sometimes the lowest price is not the best value. Take the case of my daughter's birthday cake. Price is always a concern, but I hate looking at grocery store cakes with long lists of ingredients that include fillers and unnatural additives.

Cakes, in my opinion, should have flour, butter, sugar and plant-based flavorings. My favorite Italian bakery has a wonderful artist on staff who drew a freehand version of Dora the Explorer that was much admired by our guests (and the guest of honor was enthralled). The cost: $58 for a half sheet cake, which included a $10 fee for custom design.

This purchase was neither super-expensive nor a bargain, but we found an excellent value in a wholesome and beautiful cake that made my little girl very happy on her special day.