Ball Out on a Budget Series 9- Spooky Season Saves!
Another Ball Out on a Budget comin at ya, and this time we are talking Halloween! In case the title isn’t indicative of what we’re about here, Ball Out on a Budget is a series where we teach you how to enjoy the finer things in life without breaking the bank.
Halloween: a spooky holiday known for eating your weight in candy, putting pumpkin into everything you eat and drink, and spending too much money on an outfit to become something else for an eve. According to the National Retail Federation (yes that’s a thing), consumers spent $10.14 BILLION on Halloween celebrations in 2021 (we’re talking parties, costumes, décor). Mind blowing! So, whether you are an all-out Halloweenie or are just in it for the candy and boos, we have some money saving tricks for you to get through the first holiday of holiday season.
DIY Costumes- Before you go straight to the store and start searching for a brand-new outfit, flex your creative muscles and dig through your closet. Adult costumes typically end up being $100 once you add in all the accessories, and spending money on a costume you only wear once is not the most financially savvy decision. Here are some creative costumes you can make for very little money:
Magic 8 Ball- Wear all black and print out an image of a Magic 8 Ball. Tie it to a string around your neck and tape an envelope to the back. Then the fun part: come up with a bunch of different witty answers to cut out and put inside the Magic 8 Ball. Not only is it a cheap costume, but it is a conversation starter! Someone will come up and ask a question, you shake the Magic 8 Ball, and give them their answer.
Tetris- Again, wear all black, and use multi-colored post-it notes to create your Tetris pieces.
Sriracha- With the Sriracha shortages we’ve seen this year, this costume will be in HOT demand…pun always intended. This costume is also easy! Red t-shirt, green construction paper to create the cone hat, done. You can go the extra mile by getting an actual sriracha design t-shirt, maybe adding “endangered” to it, or even sriracha earrings.
TV/Movie Character- Go as your favorite TV or movie character! Pull some photos as inspiration and dig through your closet to pull a costume together. The more pedestrian this character dresses, the better!
Thrift- Don’t just rely on new or things you own! Check out your local thrift store. It’s a great way to spend little money and get a great costume, especially if you are going for a vintage theme. Some places, like Goodwill, even have secondhand Halloween costumes and accessories.
Bulk Buy- The cost of candy rose 13.1% last year, the biggest year-to-year increase to date. The cost of both sugar AND cocoa are on the rise, so the cost of candy is going to continue to increase. With the average American consuming a whopping 3.4 pounds of candy on Halloween, those candy bills are going to rack up quickly! Our advice for saving money (other than the obvious advice to not consume that much candy which is great for your wallet, teeth, and tummy), is to bulk buy! You can definitely save on the per ounce cost by shopping at Costco vs. Amazon, but, and this is a big BUT, be careful to not over buy! Bulk buy is tempting for the exact reason we just mentioned, but make sure you are only buying the amount of candy you need. You could end up spending more overall by buying a big bag of candy that you don’t need instead of just buying the smaller bags at a higher per oz price.
Décor- Halloween décor is so fun! Especially for kiddos and party guests. That said, try to buy sturdy decorations that you can pack/store for next year, so that you aren’t buying new things every year. Check out Target’s Dollar Spot section! It is notorious for seasonal finds and cute décor, all for under $5. You can also plan ahead and buy for next year’s Halloween once things go on sale this year.
Night In- While this may not be fun for everyone, maybe consider doing a spooky night in! Going out on Halloween can be very expensive. Instead, opt for a fun spooky night in, watching scary movies, eating candy, making your own BOOzy cocktails, and having a fun fall menu.
While Halloween may just be one night and YOLO, be mindful of where you can save while still being able to celebrate the way you want to. We aren’t vampires trying to suck the fun out of everything, just providing tips and tricks to save a few bucks on what can become a very expensive holiday. So even if it is just $50 – $100, that money can go toward paying off debt, be put into a 401K, or go toward other holidays in the next two months. Whatever your Halloween looks like, go into it with a budget and a plan, and try not to get swept up by the pop culture broom of spooky season.
