Halloween costumes and decor can really add up every Fall if you’re not careful. Setting a budget ahead of time, knowing where to look, and starting early are a few things that can help you save money every Halloween. Read on for more.
Set a Budget and Stick to It
When it comes to costumes, they are often $20-$50 each. If you’re a family of 5 like us, that really adds up every year!! It’s important to set a Halloween costume budget ahead of time and stick to it.
You could also look through your closet of old clothes, old costumes, etc. and come up with something unique and DIY that will help you stick to your budget. A homemade Halloween costume can be really cool if you have the right inspiration and materials! These can often be a memorable Halloween costume compared to store bought costumes.
Buying Used
Just like you, most of us are buying new costumes for the kids, if not the whole family, every year. This means, there are a lot of costumes out there that have been used once and people don’t want anymore. Search your local Facebook Marketplace, Facebook swap groups, and thrift store to see what’s available.
You could even post an ISO / In Search Of post in these Facebook groups early on to get people thinking about posting their costumes from years before.
We purchased new costumes when our kids were younger for around $30 each and sell them for $5-10 each. It’s a huge savings for others! It’s typical to see costume prices that low when you are buying second-hand. As they’ve gotten older, we’ve started to typically buy used costumes through Facebook Marketplace.
It’s really a great deal if you think of it, since usually they’re only worn once!
Start Early
Starting early is one of the best things to do, especially if you are hoping to buy used to save money. The perfect time to get started is when the kids are back in school/early September. That’s when people tend to start posting costumes, though they’ll continue up until Halloween. With a little effort, you can even set an alert on Facebook Marketplace for certain costume types!
Starting early can also help you get good deals on new costumes. Some places will offer discounts for people searching early because they want to start moving their products earlier than later. These are often limited time offers that you’ll need to be on the lookout for.
Though the deals tend to start early, they can reappear before Halloween as well, so keep an eye out for them if you don’t shop early. Target tends to have their deals on Halloween costumes and decor 2-3 weeks before Halloween.
DIY Costume Ideas
Some great DIY costume ideas can include Peter Pan with an old white shirt, tattered, a hat made out of paper, and so on.
Last-minute Halloween costume ideas include a cereal killer where you have a knife through a box of cereal (you can eat the cereal first if you don’t want to waste it!) I’d also suggest a fake knife of some sort so no one gets hurt.
You can make fake blood out of corn syrup and food coloring, to either add to the cereal killer costume or any other creepy costume! Add some black gloves for extra spookiness!
Another great last-minute costume is the classic ghost, using a white sheet with holes cut out for the eyes! That was my costume when I was 5 years old in the historic blizzard of 1991 in Minnesota. The costume was fine…it was just difficult to see where I was walking and the difference between my ghost costume and the foot or so of snow that had fallen that day! As long as it’s not super snowy, it should be fine. Ha!
Things such as a white t-shirt, hot glue gun, fake blood, toilet paper for a mummy costume, etc. can all add to your last-minute Halloween costume ideas!
Halloween Decor
Halloween decor can also be purchased second-hand through Facebook Marketplace, a Facebook group, and a thrift store. Again, start early if you can to outfit the spooky season without breaking the budget!
You can even get creative with construction paper for decorations. You could use black paper to make a black cat or a classic monster with googly eyes if you have them!
Don’t forget about the Dollar Store when you’re thinking of Halloween decor and costumes! They always have some great things as well! Especially if you’re willing to get creative.
Shopping After Halloween
The best time to shop for Halloween costumes and decor if you want to buy new items is after Halloween! Stores just want to get rid of their Halloween stock and move on to Thanksgiving and Christmas displays. This is a great time to stock up on Halloween makeup, Halloween decorations, cheap Halloween costumes, and everything you need for your Halloween party next year!
Throughout my parenting journey with 3 kids on a single income, I have become an expert in living comfortably within our means without feeling restricted and I will help you do the same.
I'm a former school psychologist who left my career to stay home with my children, hence the one-income family and needing to adapt to that mentality while still living comfortably.