6 Ways to Save Money this Halloween

If you live a frugal lifestyle, holidays can test your commitment to thriftiness. It feels silly to spend money on decor, tableware and lawn ornaments that only come out for a few weeks a year. But that’s the point of a holiday – spending time and energy to celebrate a fleeting moment, regardless of how pointless it might seem.

The good news is, tricking your place out for Halloween can be a cheap treat if you approach it the right way. Here are some of our best tips from the Nomad Money team.

1. Get Thrifty with Your Costume

The costumes that you buy at the Halloween store are expensive, and you could find the perfect costume only to find that six other people at the party thought it was perfect, too. You can create your own unique costume and save money for Halloween. Thrift stores are a great place to find inspiration. Men’s suits, prom dresses, and unique clothing choices might spark some inspiration.

2. Cheap Out on the Candy

Sure, you could go the homemade route and make inexpensive popcorn balls, but most kids will just use them for target practice on their younger siblings. Kids want candy! Most stores have sales on candy right before the holiday, but remember, you don’t have to be the house that gives out the good stuff. Buy what you can afford and save money. If you live in a high-traffic area, buy the cheaper candy, only what you want to spend, and be prepared to turn off your porch light when you run out. You’re not obligated to buy candy for the entire town. Also, give each child one or two pieces instead of having each take a handful. They’ll get plenty of candy while trick-or-treating elsewhere.

3. Buy in Bulk

If you and a friend are both struggling to find Halloween decorations on a budget, buy in bulk together and split the cost. This also works if you’re shopping at a warehouse club, where large packages of Halloween candy are much cheaper than the grocery store.

4. Repurpose Decorations

Instead of buying individual items for every holiday, why not make things easier for yourself? There are a handful of decorations that work for multiple holiday seasons. For instance, pumpkins and gourds are great for both Halloween and Thanksgiving. A string of white lights can work for any holiday. A plain wreath can be decorated with holiday-specific trinkets to use year-round. If you get creative, you’ll probably think of other ways your decorations can multi-task.

5. Keep It in the Family

Halloween may be a big part of autumn, but it’s not all there is. Carve pumpkins, paint faces on gourds, jump in a pile of leaves, or do some fall crafts using things that are plentiful in the fall, such as seeds, acorns, and leaves. Find a variety of brightly coloured leaves and press them between two pieces of wax paper using an iron (place a cloth between the iron and wax paper.)

6. Plan for Next Year

Prices for decorations drop significantly right after the holidays end. If you don’t end up finding enough decorations this year, you can stock up for 2021 the day after Halloween. Decorations will be significantly marked down, sometimes up to 80-90%. Store your decorations somewhere airtight and safe, not a leaky basement or creepy attic. You don’t want real spiders crawling over your fake ones. Remember not to buy more than you can comfortably keep.

Do it the #NomadMoney way

Autumn is the perfect time for family hikes among nature’s stunning annual displays of colour, so get out there and enjoy it while getting a little exercise too.

Halloween is fun for young and old, but you don’t have to spend a lot of money to enjoy it. With a little imagination and creativity topped off with some thriftiness, you can save money for Halloween.

Count me in. Eager to know more?

We want to hear your thoughts and feedback. You can get the latest update by subscribing to our newsletters, for more Nomad updates, you can follow us on on Twitter at Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and now LinkedIn.