Set your budget
We'll build a starting breakdown using typical party planning guideline percentages. You can move every slider afterwards to suit your own priorities.
As a rough guide, venue and catering is usually the biggest share of a birthday or anniversary budget, at around 40%. Entertainment (your DJ, host, photo booth or games) typically takes 10–15%. Decorations, cake, favours, stationery and transport make up most of the rest. Keep a small contingency for the extras every party throws up. These are only starting points. Move any slider below to match your own priorities, and the totals update live.
Your Party Budget Breakdown
Quick guide
How to use the party budget calculator
- Enter your total party budget in pounds and your number of guests.
- Press Build my breakdown to see the guideline split.
- Move any slider to match your priorities, or press Reset to guideline split.
- Use Copy my breakdown or Print / Save as PDF to keep the figures.
What it does
- Guideline split across nine categories
- Sliders to adjust every category
- Live totals and remaining balance
- Reset to guideline split
- Copy, print or save as PDF
Use it with
- Party Planning Timeline – enter your party date to get a booking timeline that works backwards. It shows when to sort the venue, DJ, catering, cake and more
- Venue Capacity Checker – enter room length, width, guest numbers and layout to see whether your guests will fit comfortably. Includes a recommended dancefloor size
- Party Guest List & RSVP Tracker – track party guests, RSVPs, plus-ones and dietary needs in one list with a live headcount. It saves automatically in your browser
- Party Theme & Costume Idea Generator – choose your milestone and a vibe to get a party theme idea. Includes a dress code, colour palette and decor tips
Tim’s tip
Keep the contingency line in your budget. There is nearly always something in the final week, such as extra chairs, a late guest list change or more food. It is easier when the money is already set aside.
Made by Tim Daymond (Tinsel Tim). Tim has been a DJ since 1976 and has run Mobile Disco Network since 2013. He plays weddings and parties across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire. He is a Norfolk County Council Trading Standards Trusted Trader (ID 0000457), a member of the NADJ and the winner of 23 independent awards.
Why choose Tim · Awards · Reviews
Your privacy: this tool runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to Mobile Disco Network or stored on a server. Nothing is saved once you close the page. Email buttons only open your own email app, and nothing is sent until you press send.
Free to use, no sign-up. Last reviewed 11 October 2026.
Budgeting for the music?
Check Tim’s party packages
Birthday and anniversary packages include sound, LED lighting and a microphone for the speeches as standard. Book Tinsel Tim across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire.
Rather talk it through? Call Tim on 07796 565918 or 01760 722283, or message him on WhatsApp.
Common questions
How much should I spend on a birthday or anniversary party?
There's no fixed rule. It depends on your guest numbers, venue and how big a celebration you want. This calculator doesn't tell you what to spend. Enter whatever total works for you, and it splits that amount across the usual categories using guideline percentages. Then adjust them to your own priorities.
How much of the budget should go on entertainment?
As a guideline, entertainment typically takes around 10–15% of a party budget. That covers your DJ, party host, photo booth and dancefloor extras. The calculator shows which of Tim's packages fits within your entertainment slider as you move it.
Can I change the split if my priorities are different?
Yes. Every category has its own slider, so you can move budget between them freely. The totals and remaining balance update live. Use "Reset to guideline split" at any point to go back to the starting percentages.
Party taking shape? Check Tinsel Tim is free on your date. Check your date → WhatsApp Tim