Halloween Smart Spending

[Iggy aka IG]

DH and I love Halloween!  He decorates the outside of our home, and I do the inside.  Last month he bought new decorations for this year, and I'm not sure how much he spent.  I always reuse Halloween decorations-I still have some from a dollar store from the early 90's!  For the many trick or treaters, I either buy treats with a coupon, or something non-chocolate such as pretzels, which tend to be less expensive.

We use clothing we already own for our costumes.  Not sure what we're going to be this year. 

Almost 7 billion spent on Halloween article:
money.msn.com/saving-money-tips/post--almost-dollar7-billion-spent-on-halloween-thats-scary




What are ghoulish ways you save money for Halloween? 

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

Keep lights off on Oct 31.
Buy clearance candy on Nov 01.
Don't share! (grin)

[marvholly]

I go to DD1's and help supervise the (now) 5 grands trick or treating. Do NOT wear a costume. Do NOT decorate. Do NOT buy candy(for at least 5 years). She makes a BIG pot of chilli and some pasta and/or potatoes. Veggie tray. Fruit tray. Some kind of dessert. I don't get home until after trick or treat time in my town is OVER.

I think last purchases of 'treats' was when CVS had the indvidual bags of pretzels in a BIG multi-pack for FREE or nearly free. Got 2 and ate over many months myself.

[Deleted]

gee, some people certainly are Debbie Downers regarding Halloween.

I buy chocolate the give out. My kids usually don't eat the pretzels that they get (well got, now they're too old) in their bag. Every year I buy a few new things to decorate. Definately need more for outside but can't decide what I want to put out. Only wear a costume if I have a party to go to (this year I do).

[Sharon]

I buy candy for the office and for home with coupons.  The owner of our company is really big on halloween.  There are cubicle decorating contests and best/scariest etc costume contests.  During the morning they shut the phones down so people can trick or treat at the cubicles.  People bring in there children to trick or treat.  I used to decorate the cube etc but haven't for the last several years.  After 30 plus years with the company it is just meh.  I do get candy for Trick or treat time.

At home I get between 30-40 trick or treaters each year so that isn't a great amount of candy.

My home decorations have slowly been amassed over the years adding one here and there type of thing.  When DD was little we used to get pumpkins and carve them but since has gone to college we don't do that any more.

[Sam_2.0]

We hardly ever get trick-or-treaters at our house. I've given up on handing out candy. I end up eating it all anyway

We will probably take DD over to my mom's this year and let her run around with her cousins and get some candy. I am looking for a costume for her that can become a dress-up costume later, so I am willing to spend a bit more to get a good one. No costumes for me though. And really no decorating at home. We will pick up some $3 pumpkins from Aldi and let DH carve them with DD and I will roast up the seeds.

[rubyslippers]

My decorating is mainly autumn ones but I do have a few Halloween things that I set out this time of year.  As far as frugal goes, I have a container in the freezer with about 85 chocolate candy bars that I got for free or very cheap using double coupons at Meijer and Kroger this summer.  We usually get between 30-40 trick-or-treaters a year and I have enough nieces and nephews that I can treat throughout the year.  I also add pizazz to my brownies by adding chopped up chocolate pieces to my mix. 

[raeoflyte]

We are still shopping for the kids costumes, but should be in the $20-30 range for both. 3-4 pumpkins to carve, and a contribution of beer or wine for the trick or treating. We go to friends who are in a perfect trick or treating neighborhood and get a big group of kids and bring a wagon of adult beverages for the parents. Best trick or treating ever.

[Tiny]

I'm not going to be home for Halloween this year I've got a project that's going live November 1st so the 31st will be a very busy work day

I did buy some bags of candy because I had a coupon for some $$ off back in September before I knew the 'go live' date of the project (I had put in for some vacation time for the 31st/1st) -

I also purchased 2 pumpkins for carving (and for the squirrels to than eat - stupid squirrels) so I've spent less than $20.00 so far this year and that will be all I'll spend. I usually buy more candy if I'm home to hand out candy.

Oh, I did buy a cute ghost candy dish for the office at the Second Hand Store (that benefits the local Animal Shelter) for $1.50... I'm still under $20.00 for the holiday.

I've got tons of decorations that I use from year to year... this year I put out a minimum since I won't be home when the tricker treaters are out. A really decorated house with the porch light on is an invitation for the Little Tricksters.

There's always next year.

[ohmomto2boys]

Well, so far, we have gotten the kids costumes - $65 dollars - total.
I will be buying candy to hand out (will use coupons) expect to spend about $20 total.
I would like to buy a few more decorations for outside - $20 total.
We are going to two Halloween parties that I will need to take a covered dish to.  Also, there is a community Halloween parade and then a party (with baked goods) before the actual trick or treating begins.  I will take cookies to that house.

I guess in total, we will spend approx. $115 - $125 on Halloween this year.  Our sons are 7 & 5, they are so much fun and these years are going way too fast.  We don't mind spending this amount. 

[Iggy aka IG]

We have a strand of orange lights in the front window.  I also have a cute orange and black cat table cloth I've had forever.  I also have a few orange candles, a vampire Snoopy doll, and a plastic caldron which I hang fake snakes, worms and insects off of.  I keep a scarecrow/pumpkin motif bow on the door until the Christmas decos go up after Thanksgiving.  On the foyer table are small plastic pumpkins and gourds from a gift basket I won years ago, and they also stay out until Christmas.  Years ago, my mom bought my sis and me each a cute porcelin ghost bowl and the trick or treating candy goes into it.

And, aw, still no Halloween emotes.    Oh, Virgilllllllllllll.....

[Sum Dum Gai]

For those of you looking for costumes that will last longer than a day and work as dress up clothes check out a company called Great Pretenders. All the costumes are made in Canada, and much higher quality than the cheap Chinese made crap you'll find at the national chains. They make dress up clothes for kids, but they'd obviously work as Halloween costumes too.

Sarah's Silks is another option. The silk is sourced from China and hemmed there, but the final sewing and steaming is done in the US.

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

Oct 8, 2013 1:35:30 GMT -5 ❤ mollymouser ❤ said:

Keep lights off on Oct 31.
Buy clearance candy on Nov 01.
Don't share! (grin)

LOL - sounds like you do Halloween like I do. I just turn the lights down, and throw a movie into the DVD. Then the next day, I hit the grocery store to buy up Halloween candy for me at 1/2 price.

When DH and I used to go to Halloween parties (either at friends' or the golf club annual party), I usually made our costumes since I sew.

If I wasn't up to sewing any year, we'd scour the Thrift Store for ideas & clothing items to make into a costume of some sort.

We did a lot of special face make-up/disguises too.

[princessleia]

We get alot of trick-treaters like 150 at least. I was planning to give out Black Forest Fruit Snacks which I got it at a bargain price like 10¢ a pack. But I changed my mind when I found a better bargain - Kit Kat (6¢ a piece) and keep the fruit snacks myself. 

[Iggy aka IG]

Still not sure what I am buying for the kiddos this year.  We also get a lot of trick o' treaters-I keep the lights on until we run out of candy/treats.  I mentioned in previous post we like to buy Halloween mini pretzel bags, but then a different poster mentioned her kids don't eat them.  Wonder if this is true for a lot of kids....?  So, I might buy the Halloween Chex Mix bags I've seen this year.  Depends on the price per unit.

[Chocolate Lover]

My kids rank their candy in generally this order

Their favorite candy bars
whatever other candy bars
Good non chocolate candy (smarties, etc)
Pretzels
Gum/mints/cheap dollar store stuff

The pretzels and the non chocolate candy are sort of evenly ranked, they do like pretzels but it doesn't fit their idea of what they should be getting  

DD is so sweet/evil/IDK that she will make her younger brother sort out both bags of candy with her and give their older brother stuff. Mostly what they don't like and some things they feel generous enough to share.  Luckily he does like some of their rejects. lol 

[Iggy aka IG]

Thank you, CL!  This really does help.  And LOL re: your DD's description! 

[Chocolate Lover]

Well, I'm not really sure what to call it, nice or mean or some of both. She is sharing with the older brother, that's good. She's making the younger participate also, so he's sharing which is good but it's by force (not that he's ever complained since she proposed the idea when he was young enough he was ok with it).  I go back and forth. 

[Iggy aka IG]

She might make an excellent Director of some corporation someday. 

[Chocolate Lover]

Oct 10, 2013 11:08:24 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

She might make an excellent Director of some corporation someday. 

Or some other kind of dictator.

[Iggy aka IG]

Oct 10, 2013 11:15:15 GMT -5 Chocolate Lover said:

Oct 10, 2013 11:08:24 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

She might make an excellent Director of some corporation someday. 

Or some other kind of dictator.

[Chocolate Lover]

When she's running the world, don't say I didn't warn you

[Deleted]

Oct 9, 2013 12:26:28 GMT -5 ohmomto2boys said:

Well, so far, we have gotten the kids costumes - $65 dollars - total.
I will be buying candy to hand out (will use coupons) expect to spend about $20 total.
I would like to buy a few more decorations for outside - $20 total.
We are going to two Halloween parties that I will need to take a covered dish to.  Also, there is a community Halloween parade and then a party (with baked goods) before the actual trick or treating begins.  I will take cookies to that house.

I guess in total, we will spend approx. $115 - $125 on Halloween this year.  Our sons are 7 & 5, they are so much fun and these years are going way too fast.  We don't mind spending this amount. 

 
only my kids are 8 & 7. 


I bought a pin that says "This IS My Costume" on clearance a couple of years ago and that has been DH's costume ever since. 

[Iggy aka IG]

Coupons.com has a BOGO Twix coupon right now!

[mrsdutt]

Things have changed for me since I no longer have kiddos at home.  When they were young (4 of them) I had a horrible time coming up with creative ideas for costumes.  The only thing available in the stores were the plastic ones with a plastic mask.  I'm not creative.  Right sided brain here.  It was traumatic for me.  I began to dislike the day in a big way.  DH took them out while I stayed home to pass out candy.

Now I leave a box I decorated in front of the house with candy bars and go to DD1s to be with the grands.  She and her friends also have a wagon o wine while the kids trick or treat.  Everyone has fun.  I pass out the candy with SIL1.  I didn't buy anything last year for the yard, but this year I got a 'stack o pumpkins' and lots of gourds.  As soon as it cools down, I will put them outside.
I spent about 50.00 at a local fruit stand and gift shop.  I had fun doing it.

[motherto2]

When the kids were young we used to decorate our front porch and yard big time!  Everyone loved to come to our house.  As the years went on, the kids got fewer and fewer.  I had to run to the store to buy more candy a couple of times back about 10 years ago.  I think a lot of them go to organized parties now.  So, now I have tubs of Halloween decorations I want to get rid of because I don't do the big decorating.  We had all kinds of ghosts on wires, smoke machine, music, headstones, strobe light, you name it.  I had to laugh because last year I was digging in the ivy and pachysandra out front and found a skull!   Sure wish some of you lived closer!  I was going to put them in the local yard sale last weekend, but wasn't able to make it.  Guess I'll just donate them.

I learned a lot of things about me and Halloween years ago.  First, don't buy candy too early.  I just have to go out and buy more before the big event.  Second, don't buy candy that I like.  Otherwise I have to go out and buy more candy before the big event!  I will usually buy some sort of sugar type candy vs. chocolate, because I will definitely eat it.  

I usually make a crockpot of chili for dinner that evening.  We used to watch scary movies, but since it's just me, I don't like to get spooked and then go to bed alone in the house!

My decorating pretty much consists of a couple of electric carved pumpkins, and a couple of little things for inside.  No more outside decorating 

I do have one question for you all:  Do you ever turn away the older kids that come looking for candy?  A lot of folks feel it's inappropriate for say, teens to trick or treat.  I think as long as they are willing to dress up and make the effort, I give them candy.  And hopefully that keeps my house from being egged or toilet papered 

[raeoflyte]

I can't imagine turning away teens. Except the year that one group of hit us up 3 times. Then we turned the light out. But otherwise people just need to get over themselves. You have to be a grown up for a long freaking time. Might as well enjoy being a kid as ling as you can.

[Happy prose]

I love Halloween. I always made my DD's costumes when she was little. I'm so excited to get to do it again this year. At work, her department is getting dressed up for the all-staff meeting as characters in Toy Story. She is Mrs. Potato head. I know I need to get a life because this is all I can think about! It's been many years since she asked me to make her costume!

[Iggy aka IG]

I don't turn the older kids away.  Usually the traffic that night is so heavy at our house, I don't have time to determine the age of everyone. 

Happy, LOL re: Mrs. Potato Head!

[Anne_in_VA]

We don't hand out the candy at our house since our church does a trunk or treat in their parking lot  and we go there now.  Some people bring in generators and decorate their trucks and SUV's with lights, smoke machines, spiders in webs and all kinds of decorations. 

I've probably spend $20 or so on candy (mostly on sale) since we'll be giving out so much.  I always put it in a big orange bowl decorated with bata and spiders I got at the dollar store a few years ago and we'll put some fake spider webs with spiders in them hanging from the trunk lid, but that's it.

There will be at least 100 kids at the church, but we love doing it.