It’s officially spooky season. But being eerie doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
We get it. It’s simple to fall into the trap of overspending for Halloween. (Who hasn’t been tempted by those yard skeletons?) With a bit of imagination, you can steer clear of the seasonal money drains.
5 Ways to Celebrate Halloween on a Budget
Keep your expenses in check this year with these wallet-friendly ideas.
1. Skip the Store-Bought Costume
Skip the trip to the party shop and rifle through your wardrobe for items you can repurpose into a last-minute Halloween outfit.
Put on a bright shirt with shorts, sandals, sunglasses and a dab of sunscreen on your nose for an instant tourist costume. Or assemble a modern witch look using flowing black layers, chunky dark jewelry and dramatic makeup.
When it comes to cosmetics, look to beauty aisles and pharmacies rather than party stores for better quality, wider choices and lower prices.
2. Shop at Dollar Stores for Decor
Those motion-activated props that startle guests are fun, but they can come with hefty price tags.
Discount retailers like Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Five Below offer seasonal decorations for just a few dollars. And remember, many decorations are easy to craft yourself.
3. Bring the Kids to a Free Event
Haunted hayrides, ghost tours and theme-park Halloween nights often come with steep admission costs. Instead, look for free family-friendly activities.
Community fall festivals, costume processions, trunk-or-treat gatherings and outdoor movie nights are excellent ways to celebrate without spending money. Check your town’s event listings or the community paper for complimentary Halloween happenings.
Or invite neighborhood kids over for pumpkin carving, Halloween arts and crafts, or an at-home spooky-film marathon.
4. Nix the Candy
You don’t have to be miserly and ignore trick-or-treaters on Oct. 31. But you also don’t need to blow money buying multiple bags of fun-size chocolates.
Consider handing out non-candy Halloween treats like stickers, plastic spider rings or glow bracelets. These items often cost about the same as candy, but the perk is you can save extras for next year.
We won’t pretend you couldn’t demolish half a bag of Reese’s, but why rack up the extra calories — or the dentist bill?
5. Make the Most Out of Your Pumpkin
Your pumpkin has uses beyond sitting on the porch as decoration.
Stir pumpkin puree into pasta sauces, roast the seeds for a snack, turn the shell into a planter or mix up a pumpkin face mask.
And if you’re a fan of pumpkin spice lattes, there are ways to enjoy them more affordably at home.
Michael Hart ( [email protected] ) is a senior staff writer at Savinly. He plans to take his kids trick-or-treating this year.
Alex Rivera, a former senior writer, contributed to this piece.
