Q. How can I save money on Halloween decorations?
A. Let your children participate in the decorating. Buy craft paper in a variety of colors and help each child create their own decorations. Create leaves, pumpkins and other seasonal items in various appropriate colors. (Hint: You can keep these kinds of decorations around the house right the way through to Thanksgiving.)
Also let them make some more scary ones, ghosts, zombies, witches and so on.
Tape them into the windows or mount them on the fridge door our your outer door. You can cover the ones on the outer door with plastic film to protect them from the wind and rain. For example, using just plain white computer paper, your kid could make a huge life-sized skeleton for your door.
Go online to some homeschooling or teachers’ resources sites to download free coloring sheets and more. You don’t have to go the expensive route for excellent Halloween decorations. Let the kids use their imaginations, and keep the pumpkins and leaves for Thanksgiving. Save the more spooky items for next year and they can be keepsakes for years to come.
Q. How can I make cheap Halloween costumes?
A. Use what you already have in the house as much as you possibly can to avoid having to spend a lot on costumes every Halloween. Let’s face it, the children grow every year, but in most cases your budget doesn’t, so start with anything that your children might have used last year and pass along or freshen up the costumes as ‘hand-me-downs’.
In many cases you can easily add bits or take them away to modify or create a whole new look.. For instance, a pirate costume one year can be a three Musketeers costume the next. A black witch costume one year can be a black cat costume the next. You may still need to buy a few accessories, colored felt, fabric, face paint, headbands and the like, but this will still greatly reduce the costs of your Halloween costumes.
Also consider getting patterns online and using fabric remnants. A vampire, witch’s or magicians cape with appropriate clothing underneath (a white shirt and black pants or a dark colored dress) is simple and fun to make. Then all you need are fangs, a broom stick or a magic wand. You can keep the cloak for years for other costumes or hand-me-downs.
Q. How can I save money on the things I do need to buy for Halloween?
A. Avoid the fancy Halloween party stores and opt for other options instead. You can buy Halloween decorations through Goodwill and similar secondhand stores. Halloween decorations and certain costume elements can easily be purchased inexpensively secondhand and, when you are done using them, you can donate them back to these stores to pass the savings on to someone else. You can also get a receipt for your donation from the Salvation Army and take the deduction on your taxes next April. Check their website for the value they allow for each item you donate and be sure to get a receipt from them for everything you bring.
Another way to save big is to check out 99 cent stores. They often have cheap decorations, paper goods and coloring books and activity books with holiday themes that your kids can use for decorations, placements, costume ideas and patterns, and more.
Check Pier 1 as soon as the season is over and save up to 90% off on any leftovers of their holiday line. Then put them away until next year.
Q. How do I save money on candy at Halloween?
A. Candy prices go up during the last couple of weeks of October because everything adopts the Halloween packaging and is sold specifically for this purpose. Beat the price jump by buying your candy a couple of weeks before the big rush. Store your candy in a cool, dry place, so it’s fresh when it’s time to use it. To save big, shop the sales after the holidays and buy anything that is not specially packaged for Halloween. This candy will do just fine for the Christmas holidays and can be up to 90% off the list price. If it is orange and other fall colors, it will probably do just fine for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Halloween has become a huge holiday in the United States. If you want to get into the holiday spirit without spending a fortune, shop smart and try a bit of DIY and enjoy the sense of accomplishment that you and your children will experience in having a do it yourself Halloween.
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