Guest Post by Yazmin Cruz
With elaborate
costumes and spooky decorations, many will be spending more money on Halloween
this year. According to the National
Retail Federation, celebrants are expected to spend an
average of almost $80 on decorations, costumes and candy. Total spending on the
holiday is expected to reach $8 billion. Yowza!
I’m sharing 19 tips to help you have a ghoulishly good time without spending lots of money on decorations, candy, and costumes.
Costumes
- It’s cheaper to make your own costume than to buy one. Need ideas? Try one of these 47 Halloween costumes to make at home.
- Bring costumes back from the dead by revamping last year’s number.
- Don’t want to be a witch this year? Swap your costume instead of buying a new one. It’s good for the planet and your wallet.
- Stick to classic costumes like witches and vampires to pass on to younger siblings.
- Want a brand spanking new costume? Wait till after Halloween to stock up on costumes for next year. You’ll find them on sale at more than 50% off.
- Don’t feel pressured to buy plastic Jack-O-Lanterns, and use a brown bag instead. You can have kids decorate them with markers.
Decorations
- Shop thrift stores, yard sales, and garage sales for inexpensive Halloween decorations.
- Get crafty and make your own Halloween decorations on the cheap.
- Skip Halloween decorations this year and stick to fall décor. You’ll be able to keep things out until after Thanksgiving.
- Buy your pumpkins the day before Halloween and you’ll save up to 50% off. The caveat: There won’t be a lot of pumpkins to choose from.
- Save even more money on pumpkins by growing your own for Halloween. Keep in mind that they take about 3 months to grow. Seeds will cost less than $2 and all you need is a few square feet of dirt and time to water them.
- Hit the dollar store for cheap decorations. Make sure to check for quality before purchasing items!
Candy
- Make your own candy, or treats to avoid paying for overpriced candy.
- Stock up on discounted candy on Nov. 1, if you dare. Good luck not eating it all before Halloween 2013!
- Stick to hard candy and skip the chocolate. Chocolate is more expensive than hard candy.
- There’s nothing worse than running out of candy on Halloween. Avoid greedy fingers and hand out the candy yourself.
- Buying generic candy brands are fine as long as they’re tasty. There’s no point in buying candy that will eventually end up in the trash because no one will eat it.
- Clip coupons for brand name candy. I know it takes time, but saving your newspaper inserts will really save you money!
- Don’t get the newspaper delivered? No problem. Search online for candy coupons.
How are you cutting down on Halloween costs this year?
Yazmin Cruz is a staff writer at the money and coupon blog, BargainBabe.com
