(All treat no trick)
You don’t need to be a parent to know that celebrating Halloween is not cheap.
These days dressing up as a naughty nun and gorging on 100 Grand bars can really set you back, and not just spiritually. The cost of costumes, candy, decorations and fillings for cavities caused by giving into your Laffy Taffy addiction is scary expensive. And, if you have multiple kids to costume and provide school treats for, the total cost of the holiday can be even more frightening.
In 2011, Halloween surpassed Valentine’s Day as the second most expensive holiday celebrated by Americans, taking a backseat only to Christmas. According to the National Retail Federation, the average American spent $72.31 on Halloween last year. How spooky is that considering our nation’s economy is in the dumpster?
Personally, I don’t have an extra $73 to drop on a pagan holiday honoring the dead.
Do you?
Most moms and dads need that money to feed, clothe and educate their children. Still, no parent wants her kid to sit on the sidelines during the Halloween hoopla just because she’s pinching pennies. So, instead of sitting at home with the lights off this October 31st, consider these cost-cutting techniques that’ll allow your kids to enjoy the holiday without breaking the bank:
COSTUMES
When it comes to saving money on Halloween costumes, you have several options:
Make your own: Fortunately, you don’t have to possess Martha Stewart crafting skills to pull this off. Check out these blogs on how to create spectacular Halloween get-ups with a handful of cheap household items:
*Cheap and Easy Halloween Costumes
*Affordable Halloween Couples Costumes
*Homemade Halloween Costumes for Girls
*Make Your Own Halloween Costumes
Recycle: If you have multiple children, have a younger one reuse a costume an older sibling wore the year before. If you don’t have old costumes, consider swapping get-ups with friends or other family members.
Take advantage of sales: You can save big by purchasing costumes on the day after Halloween. Most retailers reduce prices on Halloween merchandise by at least 50 percent following the holiday. For children, buy a costume that is a size or two larger and save it for next year.
Buy used: Head to a thrift shop or consignment store to purchase used costumes. You could also browse sites such as eBay and Craigslist to get super deals on gently used Halloween gear.
CANDY
Don’t overbuy: Stores make it very tempting to purchase Halloween candy in large quantities. Resist the urge to buy in bulk if you have some knowledge of how many trick-or-treaters you will be feeding. What’s more, if you run out of candy you could hand out pennies or nickels to the late crowd.
Use coupons: Last Sunday’s newspaper was filled with coupons for Halloween candy. If you don’t get the paper, go online to popular candy company websites, such as Hershey, and print out copies using your home computer.
Ration: Rather than allowing little ghouls and goblins to stick their claws into your Halloween candy bowl themselves, hand out the amount of treats you deem appropriate. Allowing kids to determine how many chocolate bars they want to add to their bag will cost you dearly in more ways than one.
What are some ways you save money on Halloween celebrations?
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