My son is almost two. I am not sure what we will be doing for him yet. We are low on cash, so we won't be able to have a party. Any suggestions as to how we can still make it special?

I don't think parties should be terribly expensive: just a few family members (grandparents, uncles/aunts) can be special and you can get a few Costco pizzas to feed the masses.

That said, I think it is sweet to let the kid pick the meals for the day, and maybe a special movie night.

I think that letting the child pick out food is a good idea, it gives them some responsibility and they get to actually be a part of the planning process. I like the idea of a movie night, maybe decorate the room to be the same theme as the movie?

We didn't do anything special for my son's second birthday. I baked a cake and we had his favorite ice cream with it. His grandparents happened to be in town so they celebrated with us.
I figure when he turns 3 we will have an actual party and have some of his little friends over.