Halloween is just around the corner! Instead of spending a fortune on costumes, candy and decorations, try these tips for making sure you have a frugally frightful night.
1. If you have little ones, look for other parents interested in doing a costume swap. You can keep it simple and trade between two or three families or be more ambitious and invite the whole neighborhood!
2. For those with older kids who just “have” to have a certain costume, start shopping early for the best deals. Popular costumes sell out quickly and getting into a bidding war on eBay isn’t kind on the wallet. It’s perfectly fine to expect older children to pay for part of their costume if they insist on getting an expensive one. This will help them understand the price of following the trends in a concrete way.
3. Homemade costumes can be a good way to stretch a dollar but be aware of how quickly the price of materials can add up. Think about ways that you can incorporated recycled and re-purposed materials into your design such as using fabric from thrift store clothing.
4. If last year’s costumes are still in good condition and you don’t have anyone to swap with, try selling them on eBay or Craigslist and use your earnings towards this year’s celebration. Higher quality, deluxe costumes tend to keep their resale value much better, but you never know what people might be looking for!
5. A visit to the pumpkin patch is a time-honored tradition, but in many areas, supermarkets have the very best deals. If your budget is tight, consider buying one pumpkin from the patch and going to the grocery store for the rest.
6. Look online for ideas for making your own Halloween decorations on the cheap. If you prefer to buy ready made decorations, look at the dollar and discount stores instead of specialty boutiques and department stores. If you’re looking for higher quality decorations, try shopping after the holidays when they’ll be on clearance. It’s fun and frugal to build up your cache of holiday decorations this way.
7. Everything doesn’t need to be Halloween themed. There’s nothing wrong with using a plain bowl to pass out candy or wrapping goodies in plain wrap rather than wrap with a Halloween print. Don’t bust your budget buying holiday themed items if you have perfectly serviceable everyday versions that you can use.
8. Don’t make yourself crazy trying to do everything! It’s not only expensive to go to every event, it’s also stressful. Going to the haunted house, corn maze, pumpkin patch and multiple parties is overkill! Pick one or two things and leave the rest for next year.
9. There is no need to keep up with the Joneses when it comes to giving out Halloween goodies. Make a reasonable budget for Halloween candy and stick to it. The last thing you want to do is get caught up in a decades-long game of Halloween treats one-upsmanship with your neighbors!
10. Buying candy too far ahead often backfires unless you and your family don’t like candy and/or have excellent self-control. Stores run deals on candy right up until Halloween Day, so you usually won’t save too much buying a month or two in advance. Don’t wait until the very last minute though or you might find that stock has been picked over and all that is left is the less desirable choices.
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