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The Money Mom: Halloween on the Cheap
I’m sure you’ve noticed that Halloween has become quite the expensive holiday – a pumpkin-printed garbage bag stuffed with leaves or a ghost fashioned out of a white sheet will no longer do.
And even beyond the costumes, you have the parities, decorations, and candy. All told, the average American is expected to spend $66 this year, according to the National Retail Federation.
Despite what economists say, I know that money is still tight, and that $66 could be put to better use. So here’s how to save rather than spend this year:
- Set your own rules. Halloween – and other major holidays – has become a competitive sport, complete with yard decorations and king size candy bars. Why not be the one in your neighborhood to put an end to it? Skeletons or other scary fixtures for your yard can cost hundreds, and by the time they get home, kids won’t remember who contributed the most to their haul. Your friends and neighbors will probably be happy to save a few dollars this year, and if they aren’t, you shouldn’t be trying to keep up with the Joneses anyway.
- Get crafty. Prepackaged costumes cost two and three times what you could make at home. A pretty, solid-color dress your daughter already owns can easily be turned into a Princess costume with a piece of toile attached to the end of a cone hat made out of cardboard and a wand of tin foil. Pull together a stripped shirt, a pair of black pants, a bandana and a fabric eye patch and your son is a pirate. For smaller kids, themed-pajamas – Spiderman, Superman – easily double as costumes.
- Pick and choose. So maybe your kid has his heart set on a complicated costume at the store, and you don’t have the time or skill to make it at home. Go ahead and buy it, but see if you can cut back elsewhere (your dog, for one, does not need a costume). Use last year’s leftover decorations instead of buying new, or invite a friend over to help meet trick-or-treaters and split the candy bill. Another great tip: Buy candy in bulk from a place like Sam’s Club or Costco and split it with a neighbor.
- Buy used. Second hand stores like Goodwill are a great place to find costumes. The prior owner likely spent $30 or $40 on it and only wore it once, so they’re generally in great shape (and many are still in style – the most popular costume trends tend to be timeless, or at least continue for a few years). These stores are also a great resource for accessories, like costume jewelry and shoes, as well as decorations.
