As the Halloween season approaches, the thought of spending a fortune on creepy decorations and intricate costumes may frighten you to death. Fear not: There are plenty of ways that you can enjoy this spooky season without putting a scare into your family budget.
Store-bought Halloween costumes are a very frivolous expense. The detailed costume you crave may cost more than a $100, and you’ll only wear that costume once. Instead of purchasing your costumes from a brick-and-mortar store, consider buying online; online costume shops often sell costumes at a deep discount. Additionally, you can find many gently used costumes at thrift stores; many people sell or donate their costumes after using them once.
Make Your Own Costume
If you’re handy with a sewing needle, you can make costumes for your family. Although some costumes require expert skill, other costumes can be made by simply sewing patches onto old clothes. For example, an old white snowsuit can become an astronaut costume by sewing a hoop around the neck, an American flag patch to one shoulder, and a NASA emblem to the other shoulder. Some costumes don’t even need sewing. You can put together a farmer costume with a pair of overalls, a pair of work boots and a plaid shirt; complete the outfit by rubbing some dirt on your farmer’s clothes.
Cheap Family Activities
During the Halloween season, there are many spooky activities that you and your family can do without spending much.
- Take your family for an evening walk or an overnight camping trip; while out in the woods, build a fire and tell old ghost stories while eating s’mores and campfire popcorn.
- If there are farms near your home, take your family to a corn maze. You can spend hours together navigating through these mazes without spending a lot of money.
- Instead of going to the movie theater to see the latest scary movies, spend an evening at home with a marathon of classic horror movies.
There are many other low-cost activities that your family can enjoy during the Halloween season; look beyond commercial activities to find ways that your family can have fun without spending a lot of money.
Make Your Home a Spooky Wonderland On a Budget
Although many Halloween decorations may be expensive, you don’t have to throw away money to turn your home into a spooky destination for trick-or-treaters.
- Make cobwebs out of cotton batting. Simply tear off a chunk of batting and stretch it until you achieve the desired look; drape your spider webs around your home to create a spooky aura to draw the attention of Halloween visitors.
- Make some tombstones out of old cardboard boxes. Cut the boxes into tombstone shapes. Paint them a dark gray; after the paint dries, you can write appropriate epitaphs onto your tombstones. Attach the cardboard tombstones to a wooden lawn stake and plant them in your yard. To complete the illusion, bunch up some fake hay or dirt around the base of the tombstone.
- Carve your own pumpkins. You don’t have to be an expert carver to create some breathtaking jack-o’-lanterns. You can find plenty of free patterns online to help you create a stunning jack-o’-lantern. To save money on the pumpkin, visit a nearby u-pick pumpkin patch instead of buying your pumpkin from the grocery store.
You don’t have to spend a bloodcurdling amount of money to get into the spirit of Halloween. If you’re willing to put in the extra work and embrace low-cost solutions, you can have an excellent Halloween season and still have money left for the rest of the year.