Anyone who loves dressing up for Halloween, carving pumpkins and passing out candy to neighborhood kids knows that the cost of Halloween can add up. Between costumes, candy and decorations, the average American will spend $74 this year, according to the National Retail Federation. While dressing up your child like a ghost can be costly, it’s the grown-ups who end up spending more money on their own getups. NRF reports that Americans spend $1.2 billion on adult costumes while total spending on children’s costumes tops out at $950 million.
Luckily, there are ways to trim the costs without missing out on any of the fun. We consulted some of the smartest frugal spenders around to find out how they plan to get the most out of the holiday while staying on budget. Here are their best tricks:
1. Go retro with your games.
Rachel Jonat, founder of The Minimalist Mom blog, is hosting a Halloween party for her 5-year-old son that will feature old-fashioned games, including bobbing for apples and musical chairs. She’ll decorate with pumpkins and simple crafts that she can recycle. Instead of gift bags, she’s doing a science experiment that involves microwaving soap that the kids can take home with them. “It’s cheap, fun — and not candy,” she says.
2. Take advantage of your community.
Jonat plans to buy secondhand costumes for her three children from local stores, and her family also attends free Halloween events hosted by local businesses and organizations. When they go to the local pumpkin patch, they’ll only buy pumpkins and skip the pricier hay rides and other attractions. “We’ll still make a day of it and have a lot of fun without spending a lot,” she says.
3. Recycle candy.
Ashley Langston, founder of the Frugal Coupon Living website, suggests browsing Pinterest to get ideas for how you can turn leftover Halloween candy into Thanksgiving and even holiday deserts. That way, you won’t waste the candy bars that didn’t get passed out. She also suggests giving out pencils, erasers and stickers that are cheap and plentiful at party stores. If you have leftovers, they can be repurposed for school or art projects.
4. Get creative.
You might have the costumes you need around the house already, suggests Lauren Greutman, a contributor to the U.S. News Frugal Shopper blog and founder of iamthatlady.com. “We often find dress up toys very useful during Halloween,” she says. Old ballet costumes for girls can also come in handy — add some $5 fairy wings, and you’re ready to go trick-or-treating.
5. Prepare early.
If you start looking around yard sales and consignment shops as soon as Halloween ends, then you might nab some cheap costumes for next year. “Early November is the best time of year to get steeply marked-down costumes,” says Laura Harders, U.S. News Frugal Shopper contributor and founder of the Beltway Bargain Mom website. If your child changes his mind in the interim, no worries — Harders suggests adding the outfit to your dress-up box instead. She also suggests looking out for costume swaps in your area or even hosting one yourself among friends with similarly-aged children.
Harders says the same concept applies to candy and decor: Buying candy in bulk and on clearance in November is a great way to stock up on hard candy, which lasts. Likewise, spooky décor often goes for much less after Oct. 31, and you can stock up for next year.
6. Make decor last.
If you want your pumpkin to last longer, Regina Conway, consumer expert at the deals website Slickdeals.net, suggests cleaning the inside of pumpkins with bleach and water and then covering the inside with petroleum jelly. It will last longer and will help keep aggressive squirrels away. Carved pumpkins, after all, function as one of the most affordable decoration choices for Halloween night, and if you add candles, they can even pave the way to your front door.
7. Have fun in the kitchen.
On his blog, TheSimpleDollar.com, U.S. News My Money blog contributor Trent Hamm suggests making homemade pumpkin pie, which doesn’t take too much culinary skill. To be extra frugal, Hamm suggests scraping out the pumpkin flesh from the same pumpkin you carve for decor instead of buying ready-made canned pumpkin. He estimates an entire homemade pie costs just $5.
Hamm advocates a similar approach with homemade apple cider. His recipe calls for blending apples to make puree and then pressing the juice through a muslin sack or pillowcase. Then, you can add brown sugar, cloves, cinnamon and allspice to the mix, and simmer it for 20 minutes. The entire process will serve as cheap entertainment for the kids and result in a tasty drink. Hamm adds that it also makes your home smell appealingly autumnal.
More from U.S. News
10 Fun, Frugal Ways to Spend Your Free Time
The Best Money Moves for Fall 2015
10 Ways to Save on Your Wardrobe
The Best Frugal Halloween Tricks originally appeared on usnews.com
