How to Save Money Shopping During Halloween Season

Halloween can get expensive in a hurry. Between stocking up on candy, buying multiple costumes and ensuring you have the spookiest house on the block, it’s easy to spend a scary amount of money. Luckily, these tips are here to help.

Buy Your Candy Right Before Halloween

No trick-or-treater is going to notice if the peanut butter cups you hand out aren’t shaped like pumpkins. To save money, stock up on Halloween candy in the off-season and store it in a cool, dry place. Look for sales after the Fourth of July and in late August when the first Halloween candy shipments arrive and stores put it on sale. Before you buy, make sure to check the expiration date. Most candies will stay fresh for about a year.

Visit Costume Discounters

Another cheap place to buy Halloween costumes online is at Costume Discounters.

You can find some great deals there, and there are tons of costumes to choose from, including horror characters and superheroes.

Plus, they have a price match guarantee in place, so you can ensure you always get the cheapest price when you shop there.

Set a Party Budget

Hosting a spooky gathering? Don’t spend a scary amount of money. It’s easy to get caught up in the fun of party planning and spend way more than you intended. To keep costs low, set a budget and look for sneaky ways to save. In lieu of paper party invitations, send out e-vites. You’ll save on both the cost of postage and the actual invitations. Plan the party menu around what’s on sale at your local grocery store, and use coupons to save even more. Set up a funny photo booth with props cut from craft paper. And finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Most guests are more than willing to bring a bag of candy or a dish to pass.

Purchase Halloween decorations at the dollar store

If you’ve caught the crafting bug this season, head to the dollar store or other discount stores in your area to round up basic supplies to make your own decorations. Be creative with ready-made treat bags and other Halloween decorations that you can repurpose to make wreaths, centerpieces and other festive decorations.

Make it Yourself

You’ll find plenty of tutorials and tips for making Halloween costumes with inexpensive materials online, so get inspired by perusing some Pinterest boards and posts from crafty bloggers. Even something as simple as a decorative mask or a cape embellished with Halloween motifs can be enough to get you in the Halloween spirit. Buy items you can reuse for next year’s Halloween events or even for a costume party this upcoming holiday season.

Check Out Secondhand Stores

Secondhand stores are definitely a great place to shop for decorations.

We mentioned thrift stores are good for finding costumes, but they’re also great places to source items that you could re-purpose into Halloween decorations.

Or you could purchase some candlesticks and candles and spray paint them black.

Or purchase some cheap figurines and transform them into creepy Halloween figures.

Along with dollar stores, secondhand stores are great places to shop for DIY supplies.