How to Save Money on Halloween Decorations & Costumes?
Halloween really is a magical night. You can be anyone - or anything - that you want to be. Maybe you are passionate about sports or a particular movie or show and use Halloween as a way to represent what (or who) you're passionate about. Maybe you're usually shy and use Halloween to dress sexy and get out of your shell. Or maybe you don't necessarily like to dress up and rather use Halloween to bring together your friends, showing off your cool Halloween decorations.
Whatever the case may be, the money can rack up fast. Because of this, it is a good idea to find a way to save money on Halloween decorations and costumes, if possible. Luckily it is possible, and I will share some of my personal tips with you.
Reasons to Save Money on Halloween
Do you ever really need an excuse to save money? It's just nice having some extra cash in the bank, right? Well, if you really need a good reason to save money on Halloween, here are a few:
Following your budget
If you have created a personal budget or a shared budget for couples, then you may have a goal to save money for something. Especially if you are trying to follow the 50/20/30 budget, which requires you to put 20% of your income every month into savings. If saving money is one of your goals, then you may want to find ways to save money on Halloween. After all, it is just one night (albeit a fun night), so it's not worth breaking the bank over.
Personal goals
Maybe you don't have a budget to follow (though you should, and it's actually easy if you make a budget in Excel). If you don't have a budget, that doesn't mean that you don't have goals. It doesn't matter if your goal is to go on a trip, afford your dream wedding, or build your dream home. All of these goals cost money, which means you need to find ways to save money any way you can -- you can even save money by using time management, and there's no better way than to save money on Halloween.
Christmas!
After Halloween, Christmas is right around the corner! Okay, maybe you're one of those people who doesn't want to prepare for Christmas and put up your Christmas tree until after Thanksgiving, or maybe you have a different denomination. Either way, the holidays will be fast-approaching after Halloween is over, so it is a good idea to not blow all of your money on Halloween. Instead, try to save money on Halloween so that you can spend it on presents for your loved ones for the holidays!
How To Save Money On Halloween
1. Do It Yourself (DIY)!
Doing it yourself is easier said than done, I know. I, myself, would personally not have the skills to sew a costume all by myself, but maybe that is one of your talents - or maybe one of your friends or family members has that particular talent. My boyfriend has always loved Star Wars, and when he was a small child, he wanted to be Yoda for Halloween. His grandma watched Star Wars scenes with Yoda very carefully, so she would know the exact style/cut of Yoda's robe, and she sewed a Yoda cloak all by herself, with the help only of her sewing machine.
I couldn't do that, but there are lots of simple alternatives to making costumes you love. They don't have to be exact. If you want to be Harry Potter, all you really need is a black bathrobe, a stick, and some black paint to paint a scar on your forehead.
If you want to be a frog, then dress all in green and hop around all night! This goes the same with Halloween decorations. You can find some fun, easy decorations to make online. Even Oprah has shared 70 fun and easy DIY Halloween decorations that you can make just using household items!
2. Thrift Shop
Sometimes shopping at a thrift shop is just fun to do, but if you shop at a thrift shop to find a Halloween costume. You may find an actual Halloween costume at a thrift shop, since many people only use a Halloween costume once and then get rid of it. Since these Halloween costumes have probably only been lightly worn, you may be lucky and find Halloween costumes in really good shape.
Even if you are not able to find an actual Halloween costume while thrift shopping, you can combine this thrift shop tip with the DIY tip. If you don't have everything at home to complete your DIY Halloween costume, then search at a thrift store first, before heading to a regular clothes store to buy the remaining clothing items you need.
Just make sure that you clean all of the clothes you buy before wearing them for Halloween; you never know what they could have on them, since they are used.
3. Dollar Store
If you really want cheap decorations, then you can't get much cheaper than the dollar store. They sell a variety of fun, cheap Halloween decorations, and you may even find some good accessories for your DIY Halloween costume.
Just be careful: Even though everything just costs a dollar, it can be really easy to walk out spending in the double or triple digits, since you think "It's just a dollar!"
Well, every dollar adds up, trust me. So maybe it's a good idea to set a limit for yourself before going in to the dollar store, just to be safe.
4. Your Kids
Do you have children? If you do have children, then this is the perfect opportunity to save money on Halloween decorations and costumes. Instead of going out and buying Halloween decorations, let your kids design the Halloween decorations on their own!
They will have a blast doing it, and they will be distracted, which will give you some peace and quiet to handle other Halloween preparations. Plus, no one will have the same Halloween decorations as you do. Yours will literally be one of a kind.
In the same way, let your kids plan and design their own Halloween costumes - with assistance from you as needed, of course. Maybe they have some great ideas for how to make a Halloween costume of their favorite superhero or TV character, by using just the items in their room. They will have fun designing their own Halloween costume, and when their friends compliment them on their Halloween costume, they can be proud and tell them how they did it all by themself.
5. Pumpkins
Using fake pumpkins can save you some money, and you won't have to deal with the disposal of rotting pumpkins later. However, if you really prefer real pumpkins, you can of course stick with them. They cost a little more than fake pumpkins, but they aren't so much more expensive that it will be the difference between being able to afford to pay your bills or not. Fake pumpkins are just a cheap alternative worth considering.
If you like to garden and live in an area with the correct climate, you could also consider growing your own pumpkins. You could grow enough for you and your family to carve and decorate, while also selling the remaining pumpkins, for a modest profit.
6. Recycle
Recycle last years' decorations and costumes. If your decorations are still in good shape and your costume still fits, then you don't really need a new one! And trust me, the kids who come to your house for candy will not notice.
The only thing they're focused on is if you have the candy they want! If you aren't giving out candy but are just chilling with friends, then don't worry either. They will probably be more concerned with their own costume to worry too much about yours. They'll probably like your costume anyway - they're your friends!
7. Go Green
Since we were just talking about recycling, I think it just makes sense to talk about "Going Green". You do not have to install solar panels on your home to Go Green; although if you are interested in solar panels and the huge savings you can get on electric bills when you have solar panels, you may want to consider a solar panel loan, which can get you over the initial hump of investing in installation.
There are many ways to live a green lifestyle, without necessarily changing what products you buy or what you eat.
You can still be environmentally-conscious in other ways. For instance, on Halloween, don't choose decorations that sit outside and require electricity all night long. Choose decorations that don't require electricity, if possible. This will not only save you lots of money on your electric bill, but it will also help the environment.
8. Shop Online
Don't just go to one store in person and buy the first thing you see and like. By shopping online, you will have the opportunity to see way more options than you would if you had to go to each store in person, and you have a better chance of finding more deals. There are many ways to save money shopping online. Here are just a few ways that shopping online can save you money:
price comparison of multiple retailers
coupon websites
cash-back websites
rewards programs
free trials
promo codes
9. Make a Payment with a Rewards Credit Card
I'm a huge fan of saving money on purchases I was going to make regardless. If you do not yet have a rewards credit card, then it may be worth getting one if there is one which offers rewards that are actually beneficial to you. (Be wary when looking for reward credit cards. Do not just get a rewards credit card because it looks like it has a lot of opportunities for rewards if the rewards aren't even very helpful to you.) For instance, if you enjoy traveling, then it may be a good idea to look into getting a travel credit card.
It is especially beneficial when reward credit cards allow you to rack up points towards rewards on all of your purchases. It would be nice if you could earn rewards by paying for Halloween decorations and costumes with a rewards credit card.
10. Coupons
If you take the time to search online for coupons, you could save money on Halloween decorations and costumes. If you are having a Halloween party and need to purchase things like food and entertainment, then there may be coupons out there for those things as well! Many grocery stores either have apps with coupons or print-out coupons. Never underestimate the savings you can get from coupons!
Keep Your Bills Safe. Be Smart About Your Money.
Visit the Billry Shop NOW.
11. Limit Yourself
Sure, it would be nice to buy every single Halloween decoration you like, as well as the most extravagant Halloween costume, but that just won't cut it if you really want to save money on Halloween. Set limits for yourself, and then don't spend past those limits. This is even easier to do if you have a budget. If you use zero-based budgeting, then you can make sure to allocate your income primarily to your necessities, and then you can see how much you have left to allocate to your wants. And the great thing about zero-based budgeting is that you have to allocate every penny towards something, whether it is necessities and bills, wants, or savings.
You can still have a great Halloween without filling up your home with Halloween decorations. So instead of overspending during Halloween, choose what decorations or costume is most important to you, and limit yourself on the less important items.
Additional Ways To Save Money On Halloween
Manage Your Bills
Personal bill management is important and will ultimately help you save money in every aspect of your life. This is partly due to the discipline it instills in you. By managing your bills responsibly, you will make better financial decisions. You may even take the initiative to save money by getting rid of your expensive habits.
It is important to practice personal bill management so that you do not, for instance, forget to pay your bills on time; you can also counteract this by setting up autopay. Being responsible and practicing personal bill management will save you money on extra fees, such as overdraft fees - money that would be better spent on Halloween!
Cheap Halloween Candy
You can't have Halloween without Halloween candy. However, that does not mean that you have to spend a fortune on Halloween candy. There are many ways to save money on cheap Halloween candy for trick-or-treating. Some ways that you can save money on Halloween candy are:
Plan ahead
Try to guesstimate how much Halloween candy you will need. Do children usually trick-or-treat in your neighborhood? How many? By planning ahead, you can be sure not to buy way more than you need - although it's totally fair game to "accidentally" buy a little more than you need for the children. You deserve some chocolate on Halloween too!
Follow the sales
There are often sales around Halloween-time (though most are usually right after Halloween). Shop around and take advantage when you see that sales are popping up. Some stores will have BOGO (buy one get one) sales, one-day doorbusters, or even just routine store price-drops. If possible, try to wait until the last second to buy the bulk of your Halloween candy, since the best sales typically happen the day before or the day of Halloween, since stores know that it's their last chance to unload all the sugary treats before demand drops again.
Stock up
After Halloween, take advantage of the great post-Halloween sales and stock up! And don't worry, the candy should not spoil within just one year, as long as you store the candy correctly. Also, make sure to check the expiration dates of the candy, just to be safe.
Buy in bulk
Stuff is typically cheaper if you buy in bulk, and the candy isn't any different. While there are always exceptions to rules - if small, single candies go on sale, you may want to compare prices to make sure you're still getting a better deal by buying in bulk - it is most likely going to be cheaper if you buy Halloween candy in bulk.
Conclusion
There are many ways to save money on Halloween, whether it is saving money on Halloween decorations and costumes or just on the day in general. If you are trying to save money, whatever your reason, it makes sense to try to save money on Halloween in order to meet your goals. Use any combination of my tips above, and you will see savings.
Saving money on Halloween does not have to ruin the night. There are so many ways to save on Halloween and still have an amazing time. Happy Halloween!