On Wednesday I hosted The Centsible Show (new day and time Wednesday at 1pm EST). The topic was saving money for the holidays. I know, it’s barely October, but by planning ahead you will be able to save a ton of money. Here are the tips I shared on saving for Halloween.
How to Save Money on Halloween
- Take part in National Costume Swap day.
Locally we have a Costume Swap on October 2nd 7-10pm. It’s free, you just bring a costume for every one you want to trade for. Even better there will be local vendors, appetizers, and desserts provided and it’s BYOB and BYOK (bring your own kids), so it can be a fun outing for the whole family. For info on the Philadelphia area swap, check out Delaware County Moms post on Costume Swap Day. For info on how to start your own Costume Swap head to www.greenhalloween.com - Stock up treats now (if you dare).
If you can manage to hide it from your kids and yourself it’s a great time to stock up on candy. I can’t ignore the candy, so we shop the day before Halloween-worth the savings in pounds instead of dollars. You can also stock up on snack sized bags of pretzels, chips, and other non-edibles at the dollar store. I picked up $5 in glow bracelets for the treat bowl and the kids. - Make your own decor on the cheap.
My favorite is making cheap gravestones out of foam, wood or even slate. A black light and some white chalk can be pretty fun (think outline of a body), and you can download Halloween sounds for free on your iPhone, or cheaply on iTunes. You can also stock up on cool lights and creepy decor throughout November. Keep an eye on the seasonal aisles at your local big box store for 30-90% off as the weeks go by. - Make your own costume.
Instead of dressing the kids up as their favorite characters, why not get creative? Animals, fairies, princesses and pirates are all pretty easy to make from clothes the kids probably already have. If you can sew or are crafty the options are limitless, but if you’re like me stick to something easy like a cat. My favorite easy costume as I got older was a baby. Take pajamas, slippers and add pigtails, rosy cheeks and a pacifier and you’re all set. Face crayons come in really handy for all sorts of costumes. We really love these crayons-the kids would use them every day if I let them! - Host a potluck.
If you have wee ones, your kids are too old for Halloween, or you hang with adults on Halloween hosting a potluck can be a fun way to get together. You can get creative with the food (see Martha for ideas), and drinks, or you can keep it laid back and simple. Just make sure if you provide alcohol you also have a designated driver, or plenty of floor space for those who partake.
How do you make Halloween fun without spending a ton?
Kelly
Great tips, as always, Kelly. Thanks!