As holidays go, Halloween doesn’t seem like it should hit your wallet too hard. After all, dressing up for a couple of hours and trick-or-treating (or handing out a few pieces of candy to neighborhood kids) doesn’t seem all that extravagant. But when you factor in costumes, sweets, parties and decorations, suddenly Fright Night’s price tag can send chills down your spine.
This year, Americans are projected to spend $7.4 billion on Halloween supplies, according to the National Retail Federation. That’s half a billion dollars more than last year, perhaps because this October 31 falls on a Friday, allowing more people to get in on the celebration. Whether you plan on dressing up, going out or just handing out candy, here’s how to enjoy the festivities without emptying your wallet.
Get creative with your costume: Prices on costumes will decrease as we get closer to Halloween, so you could wait it out. You might not get the coveted Elsa or Duck Dynasty costumes, but there’s bound to be something cool left! Or, make part of your costume. If you have a black catsuit or track suit, decorate it with colored duct tape stripes and you’re Katniss, ready for the Hunger Games arena. Got a red striped shirt? You’re halfway to finding Waldo. A pair of cowboy boots? Hold ‘on, partner. All you need is a plaid shirt, a hat and a cardboard painted pony, and you’re ready to ride.
Even if all you have is a cardboard box, you’re still good to go. Add a little paint, and you could be a Rubik’s Cube. To be a robot, paint the box gray and add some flexible ducts (available at your local hardware store for under $10) for arms and legs. Or throw a plastic tablecloth over the top, glue on some paper plates and utensils and pretend you’re serving your own ghoulish head (inserted through a hole in the center) on a platter.
Get cheap candy: First of all, if you’re low on willpower or you’re surrounded by sugar-hungry kids, wait to buy your candy until the day before or the day of Halloween, so it doesn’t suddenly disappear before the trick-or-treaters even get to you. Having to buy that jumbo bag of Snickers bars twice will only make the regret sink in deeper. If you live in a high-traffic neighborhood, consider getting your candy at a bulk warehouse store, like Costco. If not, try your local drugstore. (If you know what kind of candy you want, look online for manufacturer’s coupons.)
Also, always hand the candy out yourself. If you offer the bowl, allowing the kids to help themselves to big handfuls, you’ll likely run out early. Finally, once official trick-or-treating ends, no need to feel guilty about shutting off your porch light and calling it a night. And stay away from your kids’ spoils! Many parents might admit to eating their kids’ candy, but that doesn’t make it okay — especially if you do it after they go to sleep!
Shop late for decorations: Take a quick stroll through any drugstore, hardware or craft store and you’ll be surprised by just how much you could spend on Halloween decorations. After all, giant inflatable pumpkins don’t exactly come cheap. Just don’t let those price tags scare the Halloween spirit out of you. You can make tombstones from cardboard, spider webs from old pantyhose, ghosts from cheese cloth (draped over a white balloon for the head), lanterns from hole-punched soup or coffee cans or milk jugs with a string of LED lights dropped in. For more ideas, just take some time to scroll through Pinterest or DIY craft blogs, which are full of great, and frugal, ideas.
Halloween is the one holiday where people appreciate a slightly off-kilter homemade look. Especially by moonlight, it makes everything look a little creepier. Then, on Saturday, once the sun comes up again and the zombies return to their graves, you can hit the stores for next year’s decorations, if you still want them. They’ll be deeply discounted over the weekend, as retailers look ahead to Thanksgiving.
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How to Avoid the Scary Costs of Halloween originally appeared on usnews.com
