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Halloween is a frightfully fun holiday…but it can be a real nightmare for your bank account. From over-priced costumes to expensive decorations to spendy treats, the costs associated with Halloween can be downright scary. Fear not! Celebrating a frugal Halloween just takes a little effort – and my wallet-friendly tips will help ensure you stay on budget.
Speaking of a budget – before you start planning your spooktacular celebration, it’s best to set a Halloween budget. If you already use a monthly budget (and anyone trying to save money should!), then it is fairly easy to establish your budget for Halloween. If you are new to budgeting, get started straight away with my Free Budget Printable (I promise, it’s not as terrifying as it may sound!).
FRUGAL HALLOWEEN IDEAS
With a frugal approach to Halloween, you can keep your expenses under control without eliminating any of the excitement! A little creativity can go a long way – both in terms of your funds and your fun. It’s best to tackle the holiday with an inspired imagination (without losing focus on your finance goals). I’m sharing a few of my top tips for frugal costumes, DIY decorations, cheap treats and budget parties.
Frugal Halloween Costumes
You don’t need to shell out hard-earned cash on a one-time-wear outfit from a costume shop. In fact, it is possible to create a stellar Halloween costume by spending very little or no money at all.
Thrifty Costumes
The thrift store is an excellent place to gain a little inspiration for an outstanding – but very cheap – Halloween costume. Going ghoulish? The cheapest clothes on the rack are likely already worn and torn. Dressing up from the previous decade? Second-hand shops are a great resource for out-of-date clothing and accessories that make fantastic costumes. Dressing up as your favorite character? You can likely assemble an outfit for cheap from a used clothing store.
Costume Swap
A great way to save money on Halloween costumes is to host a costume swap with your friends. Exchange the witch outfit that you wore last year for a friend’s mermaid costume that she donned two years ago. You will both have a new-to-me outfit for this year’s Halloween parties without spending a dime!
Frugal Halloween Tip: It can cost a bundle for kid’s Halloween costumes, too! Consider setting up a Halloween costume swap for kids with family or neighbors and save a bundle.
Creative Costumes
In my opinion, the more creative the costume the better! Not only are the unique ideas clever, but they can be really cheap, too. Assemble your own DIY costume using items you already have, like old clothes in your closet, cardboard boxes you’ve been hoarding in the basement or forgotten makeup tucked under the bathroom sink.
Struggling to come up with an idea? This list from Good Housekeeping can provide some inspiration!
Frugal Halloween Decorations for Outside
Halloween home decor helps to enhance the spooky spirit of the holiday, but the cost can be quite excessive (if not outright prohibitive). With these ideas, however, you can keep costs at a minimum.
DIY Halloween Decor for Cheap
Forget the high-dollar lawn ornaments and, instead, get innovative with DIY house decor for Halloween.
Stick to a classic and make ghosts from old sheets that you can hang in a tree or from your porch light. Find worn white sheets in the depths of your linen closet or pick up some for cheap from the local thrift store.
Create tombstones for your lawn using old styrofoam pieces or empty boxes and some spray paint.
For the night of Trick-or-Treat, create a festive porch with black and orange balloons. You could even purchase helium balloons (for cheap) from the dollar store.
Dollar Store Decorations for Halloween
The dollar store is a great resource for all kinds of cheap Halloween home decorations (both inside and out!). Door covers, window clings and yard signs are some of the fun and inexpensive Halloween items you can find at the local dollar store.
Carve Your Own Pumpkin
There is no better way to decorate your house for Halloween than with a carved pumpkin on your porch. You can buy your pumpkin from your local grocery store (instead of paying the upcharge at the pricey pumpkin patch) to keep the cost in check.
In an effort to eliminate waste, be sure to save your pumpkin seeds and roast them for a snack later – it’s a fantastic frugal food hack!
Of course, if you plan ahead, you can try your hand at growing your own pumpkins and gourds for decorations. (But keep in mind that growing a garden is one of the frugal habits that doesn’t always pay off!).
Cheap Halloween Treats
Trick-or-Treat is a Halloween tradition – but handing out candy to kids costs a pretty penny! However, I have a few ideas about how to keep the cost of Trick-or-Treat within reason.
No Chocolate
Chocolate candy bars – even the miniature sized ones – are expensive Halloween candies. Instead, grab the much cheaper (and still much loved) mixed bag of name-brand candies (like Laffy Taffy, Nerds and Twizzlers).
Buy Halloween Candy for Cheap in Bulk
Buying small bags of candy at the grocery store will likely cost a lot more than buying a larger quantity in bulk. Wholesale stores (like Costco and Sam’s Club) offer pretty good deals for bulk candy – but you can find excellent prices online, too.
Homemade Goods
Homemade cookies and treats will cost a lot less than store-bought candy. Making festive ‘Creepy Hand’ snack bags by filling plastic gloves with popcorn and cady corns is another cost-effective way to save on Trick-or-Treat.
However, we only recommend handing out homemade products to people that you know really well, as many parents will toss any unprofessionally packaged goods in the trash.
Non-Candy Trick-or-Treat
Stickers, spider rings and pencils are all inexpensive, non-candy treats that can be handed out at Trick-or-Treat. Buy them in bulk and they will be even cheaper!
Frugal Halloween Party Ideas
It can be fun to host Halloween parties, but your budget can spiral out of control if you don’t pay close attention. My tips will help keep your party costs to a minimum.
Spooky Party Snacks on a Budget
Keep your party food budget in check by making your own fun and festive treats and eats.
Bake cookies in the shape of ghosts, bats and pumpkins. Make a Freaky Fruit Platter, Grotesque Deviled Eggs or Pumpkin Hummus – all of which are budget snacks with a splash of food coloring and a bit of creativity! Find more ideas here.
Potluck Punch
If alcohol will be part of your party, ask your guests to provide the spirits rather than ponying up the cost on your own. You can whip up a tasty punch (or punches) with cheap ingredients – like fruit juices and sodas as a mixer – and let your guests bring their liquor of choice to complete the drink.
Party Activities on the Cheap
The activities for your party don’t have to cost a fortune. In fact, there are numerous free and cheap ways to keep your guests entertained.
Create a backyard scavenger hunt featuring a Halloween theme and scary clues. Play a game of Would You Rather based on eerie questions. Challenge your guests to a Halloween movie trivia game. Get game ideas here!
The party can even be enhanced with a DIY photo booth (complete with dollar store finds!) where your party guests can snap spooky pics.
Festive Halloween Activities that Won’t Break the Bank
In order to usher in the Halloween spirit without going over budget, seek out free and cheap activities to celebrate the holiday.
Contests with Friends, Family and Neighbors
Costume contests are always fun at Halloween. Add a category for Most Creative and it will be easy for everyone to participate in the fun.
Pumpkin carving contests are another great idea. What’s the prize? Bragging rights, of course!
Halloween Movie Nights
Hosing a movie night is a solid way to save money during Halloween. Select movies – from classic horror flicks to family-friendly films – and make sure to pop plenty of popcorn!
Cemetery Walk
Nothing beckons the spirit of Halloween better than a spooky cemetery. An evening walk through your local cemetery should be free. Just check the opening times beforehand and be respectful.
Fireside Ghost Stories
After dark, gather around the fireplace or get cozy under blankets surrounding an outdoor firepit and enjoy an evening of ghostly tales. Each attendee can share their own story. Alternatively, you can read from a book (or listen to an audio book) that you get from the local library.
More Cheap Halloween Tips
I have a few final tips on how to keep Halloween from becoming an expensive affair.
Plan Ahead
Planning ahead is a good frugal trait – and it bodes well for anyone celebrating a frugal Halloween, too. Set aside money for the holiday in advance by creating a Sinking Fund – and get the creative juices flowing long before October 31st so that you have time to create an epic (but inexpensive) costume.
Day After Halloween Sales
The best time to start planning for Halloween is November 1st! Day-After Halloween sales offer steep discounts on items that you can use for the following year. You can pick up decorations, costumes and party supplies at a fraction of the original price.
Re-Use Decorations
One of the best ways to save money on Halloween is to buy items that can be re-used from year to year. After the holiday, hang onto your front porch decor and costume accessories so that they can be used for next year’s celebration.
Creativity and Resourcefulness
There is no doubt that creativity and resourcefulness will go a long way for your cheap Halloween celebration. Embrace it fully and you will certainly be able to celebrate frugally this Halloween!
Interested in more of my Life and Entertainment Tips? I round them all up on the Frugal Lifestyle page!
