Halloween is just around the corner, which means it’s time to start shopping for costumes or planning your party! If you’re prepping for October 31, finding ways to save money will be helpful. After all, Halloween is just the beginning of the end-of-the-year holiday rush. Here are five easy-to-follow tricks and treats to help you save money this Halloween.
- Recycle last year’s decorations.
Recycle, recycle, recycle! This is a great trick to keep in your box of savings treats for every holiday, not just Halloween. If you have any tablecloths, candy bowls, lights or scary decorations from last year that are still in good condition, dust them off and reuse them.
Don’t feel pressure to buy all new decorations in fear that your returning party guests might notice. They’ll be too busy having fun. Besides, your new jointed skeleton decor is probably an exact replica of the one you used last year. Don’t spend money on duplicates, you can use that money on other things, like savings!
- Do it yourself (DIY) whenever possible.
For the items you can’t recycle, you might be able to make them yourself. This is especially true for simple items like your candy bowl. Do you have a salad bowl or mixing bowl in the kitchen? Decorate it with stickers or paint! You can turn your bowl into a jack-o-lantern or traditional pumpkin. All you’ll need is orange and green paint. You can also make it spooky using old lipstick and eyeliner. The possibilities are endless when you’re decorating on a budget.
You can also create fun signs for the door or make other festive decorations out of construction paper, glue, glitter and markers. Visit your local store to get cheap arts and craft supplies. You can turn Halloween into family fun even before October 31 by making your decorations together.
Don’t want to spend money on a Halloween mask that you know will only be worn once? You don’t have to! You can use face paint or good old-fashioned makeup to create a one-night-only mask. Once Halloween is all said and done, just wash it right off knowing you didn’t waste extra money.
- Buy discounted candy, and practice portion control.
Candy is the one inevitable expense of Halloween. Even if you don’t plan to participate by wearing a costume or throwing a party, you can expect to get a few knocks from your neighborhood trick-or-treaters.
Be sure to stock up on discounted candy beforehand. Visit your local grocery store to cash in on marked down candy. Assorted candies are usually the lowest price, and they also make it look like you tried really hard because you have all sorts of candy to give out. You might find candy on two-for-one sales or buy one get half off deals. Either way, discounted candy is a better use of your money than buying it full price.
If you really want to stretch your dollars on candy this year, allow each trick-or-treater just two or three pieces of candy. This way, you don’t have to worry about anyone taking a handful of your treats. Portioning your candy will make it last longer.
If you really don’t want to be bothered this year, feel free to create a cute sign that lets trick-or-treaters know that your house isn’t participating. You can make a sign that says “Sorry, no candy :)” or print a sign from the internet. Either way, they’ll get the message.
- Wear your own clothes.
One way to save money on costumes is by wearing modified versions of your own clothes! Dressing as a television show or cartoon character is really easy because they wear pretty generic clothes. Two easy to imitate characters are Steve Urkel and Pam Beesly.
You can also dress as a TV show family with your folks. For example, you and your family can dress as the Simpsons, Griffins, Winslows or Belchers from Bob’s Burgers. Since each character wears the same thing every day, most people will recognize your costume, even though it’s not a real one!
Another classic costume that you can make out of your own clothes is tourists! All you need is a floral shirt, khakis and a satchel. You can also be an employee of a store that has an easy to duplicate uniform, like Target or Walmart. You just need khakis and a red or blue shirt. Get creative, but don’t blow your budget!
- Avoid the extra.
So you’ve followed all of our savings tips and tricks for Halloween. Here’s one more all-encompassing secret. Avoid spending money on the extra! If your costume requires whiskers because you want to be a cat, don’t buy whiskers that you’ll throw away after one use, draw whiskers using makeup. If you want a spooky tablecloth but you know you’ll never use it again, use bleach and paint on an old bedsheet. Don’t spend money on one-hit-wonder items. You won’t regret cutting corners when the day is over and your finances are still intact.
Let Military Saves help you save money so you can feel confident about your finances. It all starts when you make a commitment to yourself to save. Take the first step today and take the Military Saves pledge to save money, reduce debt, and build wealth over time. And it doesn't stop there. Military Saves will keep you motivated with information, advice, tips and text message reminders to help you reach your goal. Think of us as your own personal support system.
It's that time to start prepping for #Halloween! Here are some Halloween savings tricks and treats that won't scare your pockets! v/ @MilitarySaves! http://bit.ly/2INPV5a
