At first glance, the price tag on that Halloween costume that your son or daughter is requesting can be just as scary as the latest horror movie. It seems like there’s no way to give your kids the Halloween they want and deserve without forking over much more than you’re comfortable spending. But there are a handful of strategies you can apply to the holiday so you spend less, delight your trick-or-treaters and still have money left over for candy.
Swap costumes instead of scary stories:
Take inventory of last year’s costumes and get together with your neighbors and friends for a swap meet. You can start an email thread or a Facebook group to share photos and sizes with other parents to see what everyone has available, and you might luck out and find the perfect costume in the right size. This works well for parents of toddlers and children that are too young to have a specific preference for a type of costume.
You might even find bigger costume swaps happening in your community at a church or recreational center. Check your local event calendars or bulletin boards to find something in your area.
Take a DIY approach for trendy costumes:
Chances are that at one point in their childhood, your children will idolize a popular character from a movie or TV show — along with every other kid at school. You can bet there will be more than a few ice queens and snowmen ringing doorbells this year! Trendy costumes sell out quickly, and even if you can find them at the store, it will be hard to find them on sale because their popularity means people will be willing to pay a higher price.
Instead of embarking on a never-ending search or shelling out too much money, make your own version of a trendy costume. Print out a photo of the character and take note of each piece of the costume, then gather inventory of odds and ends at home you might already have. Once you figure out what you still need, shop at the dollar store, craft store and other value retailers to get the rest. Make sure you search and print coupons before heading to the store.
If the idea of making your own costume is intimidating, search on Pinterest and blogs for easy, inexpensive step-by-step guides. YouTube also has great tutorials on makeup and costumes in any genre.
Check out the thrift store:
Check out the thrift store to find barely worn costumes at a low cost. Whether you’re looking for a full costume or individual pieces to put together your own, you can find plenty of options at gently worn clothing shops if you just do a little digging. Involve the kids and have a fun scavenger hunt for the day: Challenge them to come up with ideas and search for pieces to make their own costumes. A few easy ideas: a scarecrow (flannel shirt, jeans and a straw hat), a cowboy or girl (checkered shirt, boots and a hat) or just collect items from any decade for an easy theme.
Take advantage of sales, coupon codes and cash back:
If you’re short on time, or your child won’t settle for anything but a specific costume, there are still ways to cut costs. Try on costumes in the store to make sure you know the right size and type (take note of the model number, too), and then head online to make your purchase. Comparison shop across different websites to find the lowest price, and search for coupon codes to get additional savings. You can also click through a cash back website first to earn a percentage back on your purchase.
Think ahead to next year:
While you’re preparing for this year’s Halloween costumes, think ahead to next year. What items can be used again? Fairy wings can be used across a number of costumes; the same goes with capes, tights or a superhero mask. The less specific the items, the more use you will get out of them year after year. Head out in November and take advantage of the serious discounts as stores quickly try to clear their shelves for holiday merchandise.
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How to Save on Halloween Costumes originally appeared on usnews.com
