This post is from Kristin Louis a former advertising copywriter, Kristin recently created Parenting with Kris, where she puts her skills to work writing about the trials and tribulations of parenting.

Try These Money-Saving Tips to Create Halloween Frights and Fun for Less

Halloween is one holiday that truly embodies what it means to be a kid: dressing up, playing pretend, and of course, lots of treats! But for parents, stressing over the time and expense involved can put a damper on the fun. That’s why we’ve put together these tips to save both time and money on costumes, treats, decor and more.

Shop Sales and Deals, and Earn Cash Back The number one rule for staying cost-conscious on everything for Halloween is to avoid impulse buys! Instead, make a list of what you really need (candy, costumes, decor, etc.), and find deals on these items. The easiest way to find these deals is to shop online using coupons and cashback offers, which is much less time consuming than driving around to find the best price. For more details about deals and earning cashback, check here.

If you’re a last-minute shopper, many stores will start discounting Halloween items the day before or the day of. We don’t recommend doing this for costumes because the selection dwindles, but last-minute shopping can pay off for things like candy as long as you aren’t choosy. Even better - start planning ahead for next year and check out the major deals you can find the day after Halloween.

Shop Secondhand

The great thing about kids' clothes, especially costumes, is that they’re worn for only a short time. This means you can often find costumes at super low prices by shopping children’s consignment stores. Whether you search locally or online, you’ll find the best selection on consignment costumes if you shop early in the season.

Another way to shop second hand is to visit thrift stores, garage sales, and online resale sites to buy bits and pieces of clothing to pull a costume together yourself. We love creative family costume ideas, and many of them can be created with regular clothing and household items. Of course, pulling them from your own closet is cheapest, but buying them used is second best.

Stretch Your Dollar

For those things you need to buy new that you can’t find at a discount, the best strategy is to make every dollar count. One way to do this is by shopping at dollar stores for little things that don’t need to be high quality. You can find candy bowls, decorations, goodies to hand out, and costume accessories all at $1 apiece.

On the other end of the spectrum, if there are decorations that you anticipate using year after year, it may be worth going for quality. These are the things you should buy with coupons or at discount stores that carry quality brands. You can use the same approach for buying candy. If you aren’t concerned about being known as the house with the best candy, skip the brand names. However, if you want to get the good stuff, Today recommends buying in bulk at membership stores like Sam’s Club.

Another strategy for stretching your dollar is to pick items where a little goes a long way. For example, fake spider web is inexpensive and covers a large area, and black light bulbs are ideal for setting a spooky scene.

Make it Yourself

This tip may be last on the list, but it certainly shouldn’t be your choice of last resort. Whether it’s costumes or decorations, you can often DIY at a fraction of the cost to buy something pre-made. Browse the web for decorations you can make with craft supplies you already have. We’re especially fond of repurposing things you’d otherwise throw away (or recycle), like ghosts made out of old bottles and bats made from egg cartons. Sure, crafts take more time than shopping, but these projects are fun for kids and they get everyone in the Halloween spirit.

For busy parents, these memories are what Halloween is all about anyway. Halloween is only one night of the year, so it’s not worth blowing your budget on costumes and decor at scary high prices. Thankfully, these tips allow you to create all the fun and memories without the high price tag.

Photo credit: Pixabay