Halloween is bigger than ever in the USA.
In fact, the National Retail Federation predicts that for Halloween 2016, Americans will spend $8.4 billion (including $3.1 billion on costumes and $2.5 billion on candy). This come out to $82 dollars per person!
And while it’s hard not to love a night where you can eat as many sweets as you want (while wearing fantastic costumes), here are some tips to embrace Halloween without breaking your bank account:
Create your own Halloween decorations
Instead of spending money on halloween decorations that remain unused most of the year (and take up valuable storage space), buy a pumpkin, carve it and paint it with your children and make some signs welcoming trick-or-treaters.
Once Halloween ends, you won’t have to worry about storage.
Buy bulk bags of assorted candy for trick-or-treaters
If you live in a neighborhood that gets lots of trick-or-treaters, head straight to your grocery store’s bulk candy section. Most kids already receive tremendous amounts of candy on Halloween, and you’ll save money buying bulk.
Check out thrift stores for costume ideas
Rather than heading to a costume store or Halloween store to purchase your costume, check out a local thrift store. You’ll likely find all kinds of groovy costume possibilities that you won’t see anywhere else—and you’ll save money on them.
Attend free Halloween events
If you live in a city, there will likely be some free Halloween events taking place at schools, community centers or churches. Learn about the free Halloween events taking place in your city and bring your family. You can also bring a picnic and quilt to fully embrace the beautiful autumn weather.
Start your own traditions
There’s no wrong way to celebrate Halloween. Whether you have a family or close friends, you can create an annual event to celebrate. This could include watching Halloween movies (or cartoons), creating Halloween-themed pizza or playing games.
As long as you’re with your family or friends, you’ll have a great time—even with a small budget.