Hang onto your costume hats, friends. We’re about to set a record in the United States. Projections show that collectively Americans will spend a whopping $1.9 billion (with a capital B) on Halloween this year. According to the National Retail Federation, that amount will be spread out over 179 million consumers with an average of $86.10 per person. Obviously some shoppers will spend more and some will spend less, but the temptation to go overboard at Halloween hit a new record high.
Celebrating any holiday requires resolve and restraint for even the most disciplined of shoppers. Here’s how you can navigate the necessaries and actually enjoy late October without a terrifying bottom line.
Shop for Costumes . . . at Home
Press pause on visiting the pop up Halloween stores. Nix a drive through the aisles. Go old school this year and make your own costume instead. For kids, it’s a good idea to look through costumes of the past and dress up attire they already own. Even sports uniforms or mom and dad’s clothes make fabulous alternatives to dropping $30 on an outfit worn only once. We’ve added fairy wings to old Easter Dresses, donned pajamas, and created costumes from Christmas wrapping paper before. A quick Internet search can yield a host of creative ideas that require very little cash.
Still looking for a costume, check out Six Last Minute FREE Halloween Costumes!
Keep Decor Fall Themed
I LOVE decorating in the fall. If you’re a regular reader, you know I’ve mentioned as much before. But the best thing about purchasing reusable decor is that if you’re smart about what you buy, you can place those items in your yard or home from September 1st through November 30th. It’s difficult to find any other holidays with that kind of decorating longevity. Choose plain pumpkins over their jack-o-lantern cousins. Skip the ghosts and ghouls and opt for leaves and scarecrows. Simple solid autumnal colors like orange, red, brown, and yellow look fantastic all the way through Thanksgiving. So put the cobwebs back on the shelf and select something with more shelf life.
Pick Your Pumpkin . . . at the Grocery Store
While I love a good trip to visit the apple orchard or pumpkin patch for the family fun, it’s smarter to save your pumpkin purchase for the grocery store. You’ll still be buying local pumpkins but at half the price. This week, I saw pumpkins at ALDI for $2.49 and they’ve dropped to as low as $0.99 for large carving pumpkins. Skip the roadside stand and opt out of the pluck your own pumpkin from the vine. Toss one in your cart and get your carve on at home.
Print Your Pumpkin Stencils from the Internet
Leave the carving kits and stencil books in the aisles of your favorite big box retailer. Instead, print your stencils from the internet. On Queen of Free, I have hundreds of specialized pumpkin patterns rounded up for you! Choose from:
- Over 100 Disney Free Printable Pumpkin Stencils
- FREE Movie and Celebrity Pumpkin Carving Patterns
- FREE Sports Team and Video Game Pumpkin Carving Stencils
- Hundreds of FREE Pumpkin Carving Patterns
Focus on Giving Instead of Getting
Trick-or-treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat!
Halloween is a fun holiday but all of the extras add up and it’s easy for the best of kids to become grinch-like in their attitudes and behaviors. This year, consider trick-or-treating for canned goods instead of candy. Donate what you collect to a food pantry certain to be in need during the holiday season. Or you might choose to serve the families of your neighborhood by providing a walking cup of chili to parents corralling their kids. Hand out bottled water to weary travelers or choose to find somewhere to serve and skip the seasonal extras all together.
You can still have plenty of fun without overspending this Halloween. Keep your budget and expectations in check without going overboard.
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