Goody Bags for Party

Just get goody bags for those who did, RSVP.
No goody bags for those who did not RSVP.
If people come, who did not RSVP, you just say "Oh sorry, I didn't hear from you or your RSVP, I didn't know you were coming."

Just don't get more goody bags than you have to.
Then you won't have to shell out more money.
ONLY get goody bags for those that did RSVP, and who you know are attending.

It is the Mom's fault, if she did not respond or RSVP. Not the child's.
And just FYI: Some people do not RSVP... and that is usually taken as a "no, not attending" reply.

I can think of four possibilities:
1. No RSVP, no goody bag. (Sorry, didn't know you were coming!)
2. Buy extra bags and split up what you already have. Not everyone will get the same stuff, though.
3. Buy extra goody bag supplies but leave them in the packages and keep the receipt so you can return the stuff if you don't use it. The downside is you might have to throw a few together during the party.
4. Skip the pre-filled goody bags. Fill a piñata instead and the bags get filled with what they collect from the piñata.

I know how much this sucks for you! I had planned a party a few years ago, only had three parents RSVP (two were regrets), and had a whole three kids show up. But I still had to plan for 15. I was eating ice cream cake for weeks. No school directory for us, either. :(

You have to buy for all u invited n get stuck with left overs at her wise be prepared not to be prepared and have upset kids. If you can't afford it don't do gift bags all together your better safe than sorry

HATE goody bags. Why not just skip them?

Not all goody bags need to be the same. I'm sure you can have something on hand (box of crayons, bottle of bubbles, ball) that your kids would like/use if you didn't need it for a good bag.

I gave you some suggestions on the other post, but I also like the idea of a pinata that is shared by all. You could use candy but also small non-edible prizes. You could also turn the "goody bags" into prizes for games - we always had treasure hunts, sometimes random and sometimes with written clues. With a lot of kids, you can do teams. Then they split up what they find, and everyone shares. There's no real goody bag after that - just give them an empty bag to put their stuff in.

I also think it's important to give the parties we can afford. Guests shouldn't come to a party and expect $10 in goodies to take home (and I know some do), and people shouldn't invite 20 if they can only afford 10 kids. (I know, you hope that of the 20 kids invited, only 10 will come! But it's so hard to predict!)

I also know that it's hard to disappoint a child because the parent didn't RSVP, so you may not want to deprive the kid of a goody bag. However, if you do so, that parent will never fail to RSVP again. It's also okay to open the door with a real look of shock on your face when someone arrives whom you did not expect - that's harder if you don't know the kids or their parents, I realize - but there's nothing that has a greater impact than a blank look of surprise and a hesitant "Oh, um, I had no idea you were coming..." Then invite the kid in and say "Come on, we'll squeeze you in and find a cupcake for you!" Give the kid a big smile but take a minute to do that! It's okay to say to the parent, "I really would have appreciated hearing back from you."