Cheap Ways to Celebrate Halloween: Fright for Free
As a skinflint, I look at holidays as another source of draining my bank account. I do enjoy the celebration of these events. I just like to do it on the free or nearly free.
Why do I want to spend a ton of cash on candy only to hand my hard earned money out to unknown little monsters and ghouls- most of whom never haunt my house at other times? My own kids could use this money in a variety of ways and so could I. I’m not opening the door and tossing cash out, in the way of dental bills for other children, regardless of the cultural norms. That to me would truly be a frightful event.
Some suggestions for a budget conscious Halloween that won’t scare away your cash:
- Pick a dollar amount via looking at your budget. Don’t overspend, which is tempting as Halloween is for retailers a big holiday cash maker and a deadly blow to your money if you’re not careful.
- Throw a Halloween party with another parent instead of trick or treating the neighborhood. You’ll spend less and have more bang for your buck. Combine your decorations, pick a house and split the cost. Enlist children to help create ghastly effects.
- Shop the Dollar Tree (or similar store) for candy. You’ll be amazed at what $5.00 buys in the way of candy at these one dollar stores. I bought three bags of 100 pieces of off brand Jolly Ranchers and two bags of Hershey Kisses for $5.00.
- Yard sales. The nicest thing about Halloween, from a fiscal standpoint, is the more destroyed, tattered or old something is, the better it fits into the theme. Use an old yard sale table or destroyed rocking chair; toss a white sheet over it with spattered “blood” made of corn syrup and red food coloring. Fill large glass jars or bowls with brains (cauliflower) or bloody “eyeballs” (peeled green grapes soaked in red food coloring and water overnight. Rinse and put in the jar). Or fill a glass bowl with dirt, position a white latex glove filled with sand so it appears to be crawling out of the bowl. Toss some plastic spiders or “cobwebs” made from stretched out cotton balls. (DON’T buy fake cobwebs when these look remarkably realistic). You can either put this on your porch to welcome ghastly visitors or use it for your Halloween party indoors. (BTW-Picking up a destroyed piece of furniture could even be free if you haggle). Total cost? Nearly free for the whole thing. You can find jars, bowls and discarded furniture at yard sales. I spent three dollars for this decoration ensemble here at my home.
- Goodwill or Salvation Army Costumes: There’s no end to the possibilities at these stores in the way of costumes, from pirates to current events, you’ll find your pick. A few years ago, when the movie, Matrix was at its height of popularity, I found a long black plastic rain coat that was way too big at Goodwill. I stapled it inside to make form fitting, added cheap black sunglasses and my own knee high boots, a pair of skinny black pants and a huge plastic squirt gun, which I spray painted black. Tossing it off by slicking my hair back, I went to a costume party as Trinity, the female lead from Matrix- and won for best costume. Total cost $4.45. Go and peruse those two stores with an eye for the creative or take an innovative soul with you to help with ideas.
- Break out the sewing machine: Even the worst seamstress on the planet can sew items for Halloween. Unlike clothing, which needs great seams or finishing touches, Halloween is all about looking tattered. You can also sew some quick placemats or throw pillows on the cheap.
As soon as Halloween is over, go shopping for deals and store these away for next year. Most decorations drop down to 75% off, to make way for Christmas. If there is something you’d really like, and do want to spend money on, pick it up that way. You can even buy candy on clearance and store it in your freezer for next year. Little ghosts and ghouls won’t know or care the date you bought it.