Birthdays on a Budget

Also by Iam2artc4u204

So your NBFF (Neopian Best Friend Forever) has a birthday coming up, and to your great surprise, you’re experiencing some negative Neopoint flow. What can ya say, that shiny morphing potion wasn’t going to buy itself, and you just couldn’t say no to it. Well, unfortunately, his or her birthday is rapidly approaching – we’re talking less than two days. It’s not that your Neofriend means nothing to you; it’s just that you were, well, careless and selfish with your sweet coins.

Oh, now cheer up! We’ve all been there – the awful, uncaring, downright no good friend – or, perhaps, simply unfortunately broke. It happens. But it’s not the end of Neopia! And you, like our lovely Sloth-terrorized planet, will prevail!

So, now here comes the crunch time, the time where every move matters: the gift purchase. Whatever happened to “it’s the thought that counts?!” Well, actually, nothing happened. In fact, you can be thoughtful on a budget, and you might even find that the relatively inexpensive gifts that you give are even more personal than a pricey one!

1. Happy Birthday Card – First and foremost: the birthday card. It has to be nice; it has to be classy; it has to say everything you want to say; it has to be... cheap! Okay, it doesn’t really. That is one of the biggest misconceptions about the birthday card. Sure, you can run over to the gift shop and pick up a birthday card that costs around 100 NP (and yes, we do recommend doing that, because it’s always nice to receive one – even if they are a bit, well, impersonal).

But there is so much more you can do than buy a simple Happy Birthday Card – and it takes 0 NP! That’s right; we’re not pulling your leg(s), here. It takes 0 NP! Write your own birthday card! How, you ask? Why, through a neomail, of course! The neomail version of the Happy Birthday Card is perhaps the best nonmaterial gift you could give a friend. It’s sweet, it’s personal, and it lets your friend know that you actually took the time to really think about them; you put thought into what you wanted to say, and you weren’t afraid of being a little mushy either! Anyone who makes a homemade birthday card (that is, a birthday card in the form of a neomail, or even a tribute to your friend on your lookup) will surely be letting their friend know how much they care.

2. Birthday Cake – Now we can only speak for ourselves, but the birthday cake is the pinnacle of the birthday. It’s the delicious, edible icing on the cake, if you will. What’s a birthday without cake, right? Hey, we’re just being honest here. Everybody likes cake; even people who hate cake love cake.

Now, with that being said, you have two primary choices. Of course, you have the occasional friend who truly cannot stand the sight of delicious, fluffy cake covered in decadent icing – and no, we don’t understand them either, but a friend is a friend. And for that friend with incredibly strange, possibly defective taste buds, the 10th Birthday Ice Cream Cone, which is basically a delicious ice cream cone with candles in it, is the perfect solution. For everyone else, however, the birthday cake is a must.

So, with that being said, the two primary options for cake are the Yellow and Blue Birthday Cake and the Super Fancy Birthday Cake. We know what you’re thinking... “Super Fancy Birthday Cake? No brainer!” Don’t be too hasty in choosing! What the Yellow and Blue Birthday Cake lacks in elegance, it makes up in size... and color... and taste! So when choosing the birthday cake, it is important to keep three things in mind: your friend’s favorite colors, the size of the party in which they are throwing (to determine whether the larger, Yellow and Blue Birthday Cake is the better choice), and the size of your wallet (because it costs more to be a little fancier!)

3. Happy Birthday Negg – Okay, so maybe it does tie in with the cake, but the Happy Birthday Negg really is a must for any birthday girl or boy. It is mildly pricey, generally ranging from 20,000 NP to 45,000 NP, but it is certainly worth saving for. The Happy Birthday Negg is versatile! It can be put in a gallery, fed to one’s Neopet, or even exchanged for Negg tokens! Not to mention, the description alone says it all “Hope you have a wonderful Birthday!” How awesome is that? Plus, (and we think this is the coolest part about the Happy Birthday Negg) it’s a Negg with a birthday hat on... can you really get more festive than that? No, we didn’t think so.

4. Balloons – Last but certainly not least: balloons. No birthday is truly complete without a little festive decorations hanging around! What’s that? You don’t think you can decorate for your NBFF? Nonsense! Just buy the Neopets 10th Birthday Balloon Bunch! “A birthday isn’t complete without some balloons.” Well, folks, descriptions don’t lie! And it’s very true – balloons really do tie things together. So when you find yourself wondering what else you can give your friend for his or her birthday, keep balloons in the back of your mind. They’re inexpensive and truly thoughtful!

So, there you have it! The four basic birthday gifts that are sure to bring a smile to your NBFF’s face. Now, you can certainly get your Neofriend something else in addition to or even instead of what we suggested. These four basic birthday gifts are simply that – suggestions. If your bank account isn’t as empty as, well, ours have been, you can always get a little ritzier and give your Neofriend gifts such as Nerkmids or Painted Petpets – maybe even the ever popular Best Friend Card, which usually costs around 45,000 Neopoints. Regardless of what you give or don’t give, remember this: the best gift you could ever give a Neofriend is your friendship. Well, you know, that and a hefty serving of cake!