Your Guide to a Happy Halloween on a Budget

Halloween is not generally thought of as the most expensive annual holiday. However, once you factor in costumes, decorations, and sweet treats it can quickly add up to a scarily substantial bill. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best ways to save money whilst still celebrating in style.

Creepy costumes

For many, the most important part of Halloween is dressing up as something spooky. However, buying new costumes each year can end up being very expensive. As an alternative, try making your costume and get inspired by the thousands of ideas available on websites such as Pinterest.

Likewise, have a look in charity or second-hand shops to buy everything you need to make your costume. This will save you money, is better for the environment and will ensure that your outfit is one-of-a-kind.

On the other hand, if you bought a costume last year and would rather not spend any money, ask your friends and family if they’d like to do a costume swap. After all, there’s no point in splashing out on an outfit that you’re only going to wear once the entire year.

Frightening food and scary sweets

The demand for sweets and chocolate soars around Halloween, along with the cost, so planning is essential to avoid the surge in prices. Don’t wait until a couple of days before to stock up. Instead, buy in bulk from discount shops or online and look around for the best deals or promotions. Also, keep an eye out for any useful coupons throughout the year and save them in preparation.

Don’t feel the need to buy branded confectionary because all that matters is that it tastes sweet and delicious. Alternatively, do a 3:1 ratio on non-branded: branded and nobody will even notice.

If you’ve got some spare time to prepare for Halloween, then why not try making your own Halloween party food? This can be healthier, cheaper and a fun activity to do with children or friends. There are plenty of great ideas on the internet such as pumpkin tangerines, banana ghosts, mummy dogs or jack-o’lantern cake. Simply adding some Halloween inspired names to the food you already have in the house is a great way to be festive and save money.

If you’re planning on hosting a Halloween party, don’t be afraid to ask everyone to contribute one dish of their own. You could even make this into a competition for the freakiest finger food.

Demonic decorations

For many, carving a pumpkin is an essential Halloween tradition and it makes an excellent decoration. To avoid overpaying for one be sure to shop around for the cheapest deal – your best bet is budget supermarkets like Lidl and Aldi.

If pumpkins aren’t your thing, there are many other cheap and easy Halloween decoration ideas online, such as using orange, red or black cellophane over lightbulbs to create an eerie atmosphere.

On the other hand, if you choose to buy new decorations from the shops, then be sure to invest in high quality ones and store them away carefully to use again next year.

Whatever you do, don’t lose control in the shops and spend more than you can afford on your credit or store cards. Otherwise, the scariest thing about Halloween will be checking your bank statement afterwards. If you’re struggling to keep up with credit card or payday loan debts, get in contact with Consolidation Express today to find out how they could help get your finances back on track with a consolidation loan.

Hair-raising Halloween entertainment

Celebrating Halloween does not mean you need to go to a ticketed event where the cost of being spooked can be scarier than the night itself. It can be equally fun to throw a frightening film night where each person contributes their best horror film suggestion.

If you choose to throw a Halloween party then be sure to get everyone involved in food, drink, and decorations, so you don’t put yourself under pressure to fund the whole thing. Often, people like to know they have contributed towards the night in some way.

If you simply cannot resist a night of screams at a Halloween horror attraction, then be sure to have a look at coupon websites online for the best ticket deal. Also, it is often cheaper to go as a big group to save money on ticket deals and by sharing the cost of travel.