171 million Americans are planning to celebrate Halloween 2016 and according to National Retail Federation’s annual survey, an average of $8.3 billion will be spent this year which is about $83 per person. This amount includes candies, decorations and costume. That’s a crazy amount for a spooky holiday.
Time reports that 41% of consumers start their Halloween shopping during the first two weeks of October while the rest will wait until the last couple of weeks before the 31st. If you are one of the early-shoppers, you might want to read these tips to make sure that you don’t overspend and even save up on Halloween expenses this year.
1. Sell or swap old costumes.
They say wearing the same costume from last year is bad luck. Just kidding. But seriously, if you are not the type who wants to repeat last year’s Halloween costume, then you can sell it to help pay for a new costume. Another option is to swap with your friends, cousins, and friends’ kids or check if there are costume swap events in your local neighborhood or school.
2. Make DIY costumes and decorations.
There are gazillions of blog posts, Pinterest boards and Youtube videos that showcase easy DIY costumes and decorations that you can follow. By doing this, you save a lot of money because most of the materials are cheap or are already inside your home.
3. Hit the dollar store or discount/surplus stores.
Get your basic arts and craft supplies at the dollar store or other discount stores and you’ll be surprised by the amazing cheap thrills that you can find.
4. Be creative with your Trick or Treat Baskets.
You don’t have to buy your little one those fancy plastic pumpkin containers. You can get creative by using decorated gift bags, sand buckets, baskets or even those reusable grocery bags.
5. Buy hard candies instead of chocolates.
If you want to save on treats, go for hard candies because they say that it’s cheaper than chocolates. Another tip is to shop last minute because prices can drop during this time than mid-October.
Remember, you don’t need to spend much to get into the Halloween spirit. All you need is some creativity and a fun personality!
