Photography: Pumpkins [1] by St0rmz [2]
What is it about holidays that causes us to ignore our budgets, talk ourselves into buying “just one more item”, and refuse to add up our overall spending? Halloween spending can set the pace for the rest of the holiday season, so reign yourself in during October and your December self will thank you!
Save Money at Halloween
Here are tips for enjoying your Halloween festivities without burning holes in your pockets!
1. Discount Candy. Amazon is offering $15 off [3] orders of Nestle and Hershey products of $39 or more. Add in a cheap filler [4] to get the order to $25 and you’ll get free shipping. If having candy in the house is too much temptation for you to graze on the leftovers, buy a candy that you don’t like!
2. Decorations. Lots of leaves in your yard? Pick up pumpkin trash bags to make frugal pumpkin decorations [5]. Or paint your pumpkins with free stencils.
3. Dinner. Worried about fitting in dinner on a busy night with trick-or-treating? Make a big pot of award-winning steak chili for under $25 [6] the day before and you’ll be all set to squeeze in bites between answering the door.
4. Costumes. To cut down on the cost of a costume, you may want to share with a friend who will trick-or-treat on a different night, hit the thrift shops, or trade with a friend. Find more money saving tips for kids Halloween costumes [7].
5. Cheap Crafts. We spent hours decorating with window clings, creating spiders made from black pipe cleaners and gluing foam pumpkins… total cost: $4.50. The best crafts double as decorations and you’re set.
6. Party Planning. A potluck is always a fun, frugal way to have a party. Many people don’t mind bringing a dish to pass, and you’ll save yourself from having to make more than the main dish. Have guests bring their pumpkins to carve and you’ll have a free, entertaining activity.
7. Pumpkins. Many pumpkin patches charge per pound. To find lighter pumpkins, make a rule in the family that each person must be able to carry their own pumpkin. Better yet, create a game that rewards the person who comes closest to a number you choose. Next year, skip the pumpkin patch and grow your own!
8. Traditions. Holidays are all about the traditions. It really doesn’t matter what you do, but if you do the same thing every year, your kids will anticipate your traditions. Make a frugal tradition early on and you’ll be all set.
Check out more Halloween fun later this week at The Life Skills Network [8]. I’ll update the links as the articles are published.
- Monday: My Dollar Plan
- Tuesday: Make That Candy Last! [9] at The Wisdom Journal
- Wednesday: Frighteningly Frugal Homemade Halloween Costume Ideas [10] at Frugal Dad