Save On Halloween Costumes And More!

Are you ready for Halloween? It will be here before you know it and for some people, that means extra spending, added costs, and scary budget breakers. All that extra food, decorations, costumes, and candy can really add up, but the good news is that it doesn’t have to!  You can still enjoy the holidays without breaking your budget, here are my tips.

Costumes

1. Get creative and have fun with costumes. With retail costumes averaging $30-$50 each, a majority of your monthly budget can vanish quickly. Look for items around the house and then check thrift or craft stores to inspire your creative spirit, as well as offer great low cost accessories for your new costume. Easy costume ideas include a cowboy, princess, rock star, dog, spider, firefighter, or pirate. Check Michaels.com for even more fun ideas.

2. Host an Exchange Party. Most costumes are only worn once or twice, so why not pass them on to others once you are done. Invite friends/family over and ask them to bring any used costumes (and accessories) that they don’t want. Everyone can walk away with something new and it doesn’t have to cost a penny! Plus, it is like having an early Halloween party as the season is starting – your kids will love that!

3. Don’t pay full price. If you do plan to buy a new costume this year, buy early or wait until the last minute for a great sale. The sales have already begun – so you can start watching now for your favorite costume or accessories to hit that rock bottom price. And don’t forget to check online for costumes (Amazon already has many sales to check out, too).

Decorations

4. Be Creative with Decorations. Stretch cotton balls or yarn to create spider webs or stuff trash bags with leaves to create pumpkins. Making your own scarecrow(s) is just as easy with old clothes, newspaper, and a foam pumpkin (found at craft stores), so that it will last several years.

Tip: Not feeling the creative flair? Check out Pinterest for some Halloween ideas, and I’m sure you’ll get your creative juices flowing!

5. Check Discount Stores. The $.99 Store, Big Lots, etc, have many Halloween decorations for less and many are the same (or similar) to decorations you would find at department stores.

Treats

6. Use coupons. Many manufacturers issue candy coupons that you can match with store sales to stock up for trick-or-treaters. If you don’t get the Sunday paper, check for printable coupons or digital coupons you can load directly to your shopper’s card.

7. Buy in Bulk. Another option is to split the cost of bulk candy bags from warehouse stores like Costco or Sam’s Club with friends or family. Check with neighbors to see if they are interested in splitting a larger bag with you.

8. Hand out the Candy Yourself. Instead of letting kids grab candy out of your bowl (and take half the bag!), hand out 1-2 pieces per child. This will cut down on the amount of candy that you need to supply, and really, kids will get plenty of candy anyhow.

In General

9. Stick to your budget. It is easy to want to go overboard with decorations and costumes at Halloween, but if you plan your budget for the family before shopping, you’ll know how much you can spend. This action plan will help keep you on target for the other holidays this year and will cut down on impulse buying.

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10. Save for next year. Shop after Halloween sales (usually starting November 1) to save 50-90% off Halloween merchandise for the following year. You can pick up costumes, accessories, decorations, plates, napkins, and other holiday related items that will last for years to come. Target, Walgreens, and CVS are my favorites for after-Halloween sales.

How else do you like to try to save on Halloween?