Don’t stop in your tracks when your favorite stores start to display the Halloween isle. This seemingly expensive holiday can really make your month spectacular if you guard your spending and learn how to create an extraordinary holiday without having to buy the holiday fun. There are numerous ways in which you can take this holiday and turn it into a way to show off your creativity while bringing joy to everyone in the household. With these simple tricks you may find that Halloween is one of the greatest holidays for bonding, bringing out new adventures and learning how to create amazing costumes that everyone will love. This Halloween let the holiday be a treat for your family, rather than a trick for your pocketbook.
1. No Chocolate
Usually there is a pretty good collection of assorted candy treats in the stores around this time of the year. Most grocery stores try to market the chocolate candies more than the rest as they are a bit pricier than the standard sugary treats. Stores put these candies at eye level so you’ll automatically start to crave them and grab a bag. This is one of the worst things you can do, especially if Halloween is still weeks away. Chocolates are, as stated, more expensive than other candies, so if you’re planning on giving out candy to trick or treaters then you might want to go on the cheaper side so you can accommodate more children. Buying chocolate too far from the actual holiday will mean it has to sit in your home until the actual date, which could be more impossible than you think. People crave chocolate, especially as the weather cools, so you might find your trick or treater stash has been depleted well before Halloween. So, you’ll have to go out and buy more candy which won’t do your budget or diet any favors.
2. Costumes
Our closets and storage areas are rich with costume ideas that we don’t even think about when we go costume searching. Many people can spend over a hundred dollars on costumes alone, so it might be wise to look and see what you already have prior to going shopping. Children costumes are especially easy to make with old clothes. For instance, an old white sheet can be draped over a child for a classic ghost costume, or you can take the sheep and rip into strips for an easy to use mummy wrap. An old pair of overalls is also a great way to create a farmer, scarecrow or other incredible costumes that will cost you nothing. You might also want to use ripped up jeans for a rockstar costume, or old military clothes to create a soldier for any age group. If you do decide to buy a costume try to pick something that will last more than just one Halloween. This will ensure you won’t have to spend money in the upcoming years. Children’s costumes can always be saved for younger siblings so you won’t have to buy the entire family a new costume each year.
3. Decorations
For some, decorating for Halloween is one of the best parts of the holiday. Numerous people go all out to the point their home turns into a haunted house. If you love to decorate you don’t have to waste a lot of money to do so. In fact, just like costumes, there are actually numerous things you can use to build your own fascinating and horrifying decorations. Scrap pieces of wood, for instance, can quickly transform into custom tombstones, building structures or spooky signs. Tissue paper or toilet paper can be used as streamers, or can be wrapped around styrofoam for cute little ghosties that will look great in your tree or hanging in the home. If you have some old clothes lying around then stuff them with leaves for a cool scarecrow that will keep your yard looking clean and scare off some trick or treaters. Of course, you can always enlist the kids to help make spooky pictures, cut out little pumpkins or create special homemade banners.
4. Party Snacks
One of the best things about Halloween is it is a time to create some treats that utilize your imagination more than anything else. There is absolutely no need to spend a fortune on your Halloween treats though! In fact, the more natural you go the better the treats will be. For cute little ghost and pumpkin treats that will satisfy anyone looking for a sweet treat all you have to bananas and oranges and garnish them to look like ghost and pumpkins. Kids will love these treats and you won’t have to worry about them having a sugar crash by bed time. For a great drink try mixing up some dark red fruit punch and adding peeled grapes for the finishing touch. The grapes will look like eyes and the punch blood, which will really freak out some guest. You can always go for some classic ideas like the caramel apple or baked pumpkin seeds too. You shouldn’t overlook spaghetti at this time of the year either, as it can easily be passed off as worms. If you really want to spend very little then have your guest bring a dish of their own for a fun potluck.
5. Corn Mazes
A lot of people tend to overlook the idea of visiting a corn maze during this holiday. This can be a huge mistake if you’re looking to do something memorable this holiday. Typically corn mazes have a very small entrance fee, so you won’t have to worry about this activity breaking the bank. The corn maze will allow you to bond as family as you go through the maze as you work together to find the exit. Corn mazes are perfect for Halloween though, especially if you’re looking for a low cost activity that is scary. Many people who run corn mazes will actually hire people to dress up as monsters on this day, so you’ll get a lot more out of the trip. There’s no doubting that your family will really make a lot of memories when you check out the corn maze this year.
6. Candy
Most people love to give out candy on Halloween. After all, it makes the kids happy and you get to see all of the cool costume ideas. However, you can really spend a lot on candy if you’re not careful so make sure to watch how much you spend. For starters, never buy candy that you and your household love as it will pretty much disappear before the trick or treaters can ring the doorbell. If you want to buy a lot of candy then you should look around for sales before deciding on a purchase. This will allow you to get more candy for the money, so you might actually end up with some candy for yourself after the holiday is over. Don’t be afraid to shop for candy at dollar stores either. They usually have amazing deals on candy and it is just as good as the stuff you’ll get from a department store. For candy givers looking to limit the amount of candy they give it you might consider putting up times in your yard so kids will know when you’re giving out candy. When the time is up turn off your porch light and put up the candy.
7. Trick or Treating
With little kids in the house it is hard to not take them out trick or treating. This task can be absolutely free if you can manage to stay within walking distance of the home. Usually you can get a good hour or two worth of trick or treating within your own neighborhood without having to drive. Avoiding the car is your ticket to saving money on this holiday as you won’t have to burn a lot of gas to get the kids to different neighbors. Walking is a great way to help make the holiday a bit more than just getting candy too. The time spent walking together will help you bond while also allowing kids to see their friends and their costumes. If the weather is bad or you’re already out then you might want to take the kids to a community center, mall or church for some amazing treats and games. These institutions usually provide you with free entrance so you won’t have to worry about spending so your kids can have fun.
8. Entertainment
There’s a lot of ways to have fun on Halloween without having to spend a lot of money. One of the best ways to bond with the family is to watch your favorite Halloween movies. If you have younger children then there will be plenty of cartoons on that the entire family can enjoy. Later on in the night you might want to upgrade to scary movies that you own or rent in order to appease the older members of the family. You can easily create movie theater inspired treats with a Halloween twist to help make the movie night special. If you’d rather be a bit more active with the holiday then try transforming some of your favorite games into holiday inspired versions of the classic. For instance, magical chairs is one of the easiest to use as you just switch out the music for Halloween songs. You can also do a scavenger hunt in the home that leads to special treats for the winner.
9. Alternatives
You don’t always have to follow the classic way of doing things on Halloween. For instance, if you don’t like giving out candy then you might want to look for little toys, pencils or alternative gifts for the kids. These usually cost about the same, or a little less, than spending money on candy. Try looking at the dollar store to find the perfect little prizes. You could also host a cake walk in the neighbor. Try to get people to donate cakes to help save you money, or whip up a few cheap and easy cakes the day before the cake walk. You might also considering hosting bobbing for apples, or a raffle game that will entertain the neighborhood without costing you a lot of money. One of the best ways to have some fun is to have a costume fashion show. You can make your prizes, like medals or certificates for those that win or participate.
10. Jack o Lantern
The Jack o Lantern is an iconic part of Halloween, but can cost you a lot if you decide to go all out on a design. One of the easiest ways to save money on this piece of Halloween is to shop for a pumpkin the day before the holiday. You should be able to get on at a discounted price, especially if you’re buying from a pumpkin patch. You don’t need to buy expensive carving kits from the store either. You can easily work out a design with a knife and spoon from your home. If you’re looking for patterns to make your pumpkin look cool then try an internet search. Usually you can download what you’re looking for without having to pay a sent. Simply print out the design, tape it to the pumpkin and you’re good to go. You might even win a few competitions if you’re lucky.
Halloween doesn’t have to be a stressor. In fact, this is one of the least expensive holidays that can provide you with a lot of fun. The key is to watch your spending and enjoy the smaller things that the holiday brings. This year may be an eye opener for you when it comes to saving some major money, which will certainly help with the more expensive holidays racing towards us.
