As we watch our costumed youngsters float through the neighborhood every Halloween, we grownups can’t help but feel a tiny twinge of jealousy.
We lick our lips as our kids empty sacks of colorfully wrapped candies on the floor and shrewdly swipe a couple of fun-size Reese’s Pieces when their heads are turned.
Sure, we might not be able to squeeze into adorable bumblebee costumes anymore. We can’t scarf down more than a few handfuls of candy corn without getting a stomachache. But we old folk can celebrate Halloween in our own macabre manner.
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This year, celebrate the spookiest of holidays with a frighteningly fun and frugal party. Delight and excite your family and friends — without breaking the bank — with these eight tips.
1. Send devilish digital invites. Save trees, time and money by skipping paper in favor of digital party invitations. On sites, such as Evite.com and Minted.com, you can craft festive and free email invitations. Customize e-vites with professional Halloween designs, RSVP styles and other useful features.
2. Bring your own “boos.” Alcohol is often the mischievous culprit behind a depleted budget at any party. Plan on supplying some beer and wine, but encourage your friends to bring along their potions of choice.
[See: 10 Frugal Ways to Save This Fall.]
3. Party after darkness falls across the land. Throw your party late in the evening, when your guests won’t expect a full dinner. Invite your friends to bring along a favorite appetizer or dessert to share and simmer up some eats and treats of your own.
4. Get crafty in the kitchen. With a bit of craftiness in the kitchen, you can whip up snacks that are both enchanting and inexpensive. For inspiration, check out these cheap and easy Halloween recipes:
— Jack-o-Lantern Quesadillas. Melt your favorite cheese in a red or orange tortilla, then use a knife to cut out eyes and a ghoulish grin.
— Olive Spiders. Poke eight holes into an olive, then add rosemary leaf legs. Attach an itty-bitty caper head.
— Fingers in Bandages. Create these clever, creepy fingers by wrapping cocktail franks in strips of pastry-puff bandages.
— Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn. To craft this irresistibly salty and savory snack, toss popcorn with butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt.
— Pumpkin Deviled Eggs. Design miniature pumpkins by adding red peppers into the yolk mixture. Garnish the orange filling with mini chive stems.
5. Crawl to the dollar store. Eye-catching Halloween decorations and paper goods await just around the corner at your neighborhood dollar store. Shop early enough, and you might be able to dig up spider webs, glow-in-the-dark skeleton bones, caution tape and other ghastly goodies. While you’re shopping, stock up on orange and black plates, tablecloths, napkins and plasticware.
[See: 12 Habits of Phenomenally Frugal Families.]
6. Set up a mysterious movie room. In a separate room, lay out comfy cushions, blankets and bowls of popcorn. After having their fill of finger foods, your guests can cuddle up on the couch in front of Halloween thrillers. We suggest classics, such as “Beetlejuice,” “Young Frankenstein” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
7. Plan eerily affordable activities. You may not be able to score free candy from your neighbors but you can reawaken your inner child with these playful party games:
— Guess the movie villain. Stick a movie villain’s name onto your guests’ backs when they arrive at the party. Throughout the night, they can ask other party-goers questions to try and guess their evil identity.
— Don’t say a word. Before the party, inform your invitees that they cannot say certain buzzwords, such as “Halloween” and “costume” and “candy.” Whenever someone slips up, they must perform a playful penalty, such as drinking or singing a classic Halloween song.
— Costume contest. Toward the end of the night, hand out prizes for costume categories, such as scariest, funniest and most creative.
— Ghost stories. You’re never too old for a good ghost story. Invite guests to join in a circle and pass around a flashlight or candle while sharing childhood ghost stories.
8. Howl for help. Divide and conquer by co-hosting your Halloween festivity with a friend or two. Together, you can split the responsibility and expenses. You’ll save both money and a lot of stress. And you’ll be able to share the fun of throwing a spooktacular party with your pals.
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8 Tips for Throwing a Frighteningly Frugal Halloween Party originally appeared on usnews.com
