How to Afford Halloween {When you Can’t}

Halloween falls right smack after the summer and back to school expenses …….and right before the Christmas expenses.  

For as much as we try sometimes we just can’t swing $20 to $30 per child PLUS candy especially if we have more than one child at home.   I would assume that most people reuse costumes from child to child {who doesn’t?”} – and perhaps you shop the Halloween Clearance at Old Navy {which is amazing if you can catch it!} 

Here are a few additional ideas to enjoy the holiday, have fun, and not leave ghosts in your bank account.

Do It Yourself {DIY}

If your child is intent on going trick or treating, then one of your best options is to use what you have and do it yourself.  Have a overalls and a red cap?  Add a drawn mustache or find a cheap one and bam!  You are Mario!   

Do your kids play sports?  Sports uniform make great costumes too, hey make them a zombie taekwondo champion or zombie cheerleader, just add some face paint and your done!

There are literally thousands of ideas floating around the internet.  We rounded up a few cool ones for you to try out at home...

Thrift Store

I walked into Goodwill and thought I was walking into a costume shop.  Thrift stores have so many costumes there for a fraction of the price that it’s worth your time to stop by and check it out.

No costumes?  How about a party dress?  Add a Tiara and you have the makings of a princess or pageant winner…or did you find some scrubs?  Perfect if you want a nurse or doctor costume.  The key is to get creative and not only not have the same costume everyone else has but also spend a fraction of the money.

Don’t Dress Up

Staying home can be just fun!  Talk to your family and maybe buy some caution tape and outline bodies on the driveway and wait for the trick or treaters to show up! 

Last year our neighbors did a HUGE set up on their driveway… coffins with Mummies, an inflatable haunted house – it was fun, their kids stayed back to help, and I think they may have had just as good of a time scaring the living daylights out of MY kids {and probably everyone’s for that matter!} – so much in fact that they didn’t really miss the candy.

Take pics with the kids that show up for candy and have blast passing out candy that you’ve scored on sale.  Dress all in black and draw some bite marks on your neck for a low key but festive way to pass out candy.

Hold a Costume Swap

Do your friends all have kids around the same age?  Why not get together now?  Invite them over, pop in a Halloween movie and go through the costumes you have and piece together new ones.  

Go to the 99 Cent Store

You can totally make a complete costume for under $5 if you get creative.  We have found makeup kits, different hats, gloves, wings, capes, you name it  — you can find it there!  There isn’t really any reason to spend $30 – $50 or more on costumes because they quite honestly have LOTS of GREAT deals.

Check out this list of deals we mentioned HERE exclusively for Halloween, and here are just a few of the items we found just a few days ago (keep in mind they have MANY more!)

It also makes decorating your crypt cheap too!  The have signs, lights, kitchen accessories, and ghosts ready for you to grab and go!

Find Items that are Multi Use

If you are trying to save, one of the BEST ways is to look for items that can be used MULTIPLE times. When getting costumes for Halloween, most are one time wear, then put in the closet another year…

I know my boys love Transformers, so Hoodies like these pictured below are PERFECT ways to accommodate their infatuation with dressing up… but yet can be worn again and again ALL winter when the weather cools down to make them a nearly effortless choice.

I’m sure there may be several other ways to save on Halloween Costumes… we’d love to hear how you save!