Spooky Savings! Frugal Halloween Treats and Party Planning

Halloween is a fun and exciting time for many people, but it can also be an expensive time of year. Between treats, decorations, costumes, and more, Halloween can be very costly, especially if you have kids or are planning to throw a spooky party. In fact, for a lot of people, Halloween is one of the most expensive holidays of the year!

To help you plan, and to save, here are eight frugal tips for Halloween planning and partying without having to spend a lot of cash:

You can make plenty of great Halloween decorations yourself. From cobwebs to ghastly ghouls, you can deck out your place and make it fun or chilling. Not only will making your own decorations save you money, but they will also give your home a unique appearance that will make your place stand out. Check out Pinterest, blogs, and many other sites for ideas. You will find a lot of affordable Halloween party décor ideas in those places.

Dollar stores and other discount stores often have decorations and costumes for sale at lower prices than many other retailers. Check out your local dollar store (Dollarama is an excellent choice) and see what you can find. Dollar stores often have limited stock, so you will need to get there before the rush. The good news is they often set up their Halloween displays in late summer so getting your stuff early should not be a problem.

These stores also sell arts and crafts supplies you can use if you are following Tip #1 and designing your own décor. With a bit of creativity, you will be able to decorate your home on the cheap.

Thrift stores (such as Goodwill and Value Village, for example) are wonderful places to find elements for costumes and potentially even some Halloween decorations. Look around for old clothes that you can repurpose into a costume – in fact, you might even find full costumes for sale.

A lot of people donate their old Halloween costumes when they no longer need them, and you could snap a cool costume up at a lower price than buying something brand new.

As with most special occasions, affordable Halloween decorations and costumes tend to sell out quite quickly. A lot of the good thrift store finds will sell out quickly as well. That is why it is a clever idea to start your Halloween shopping in advance so you can get what you are looking for without overpaying. I recommend late August or early September to obtain the things you want.

Shopping well in advance of the big night also gives you the ability to compare prices, take advantage of sales, and shop online without worrying about paying for expensive shipping.

Store-bought Halloween costumes often look great, but they are typically expensive, too. This is especially true when you consider that you are wearing them for only one night a year. Instead of going all in and buying an expensive costume, why not make your own? You will not only find that this is less costly, but you will also be able to be more creative and come up with a unique idea that is unlike anything sold in stores. Check out some of the creators on YouTube, Instagram, or Tick Tock for great Halloween costume ideas.

Before you head out to the store to buy anything for Halloween, look around your home and see what you already own. Search through your closets — there may be some pieces you could repurpose into a terrific Halloween costume. Clothing from decades ago can be used as a “period costume” that does not cost anything!

Even better, if you have old Halloween costumes stored in your storeroom, see if there are any parts of them that you can recycle into a new costume. You might not want to wear the exact same thing you wore last year or a few years ago (friends can have long memories!), but you can borrow some parts of an older costume to create a new one.

The same is true for decorations. You do not need brand new Halloween decorations every year. If you want to switch things up and have a distinctive look, think of innovative ideas, or even alter the decorations you have in a new way.

#7:      Share and Trade With Friends and Neighbors

Ask some friends or family members if they have any old costumes they would like to share and do the same with whatever you might have. This can be a fantastic way to save money. For instance, if you know someone who has a child that is a few years older than yours, you could get a great “hand me down” costume to wear for the night and return to them once the Treat or Treating is over.

Giving out candy and other treats on Halloween is a big part of the fun, but it can also be expensive. One method that can save some money is buying large packages of treats in bulk from discount or big box stores (Costco and Walmart are two stores that come to mind). These are often less expensive per treat than the smaller packages you can find at grocery stores. If you do not need all the treats that come in a larger box, share them with friends and neighbors and split the cost.

Saving money is always a smart thing to do. If you are watching your bank account closely and you are still struggling, do not let things get spooky – reach out to the professionals at Farber for help. We can review your financial situation and recommend some solutions. Just CLICK ON THE FREE CONSULTATION button, below, or give us a call today.