Halloween Tips & Ideas

Halloween Tips & Ideas - Parties, Stocking Up & More

Our priority at MoneySmartFamily is to help readers improve their finances and we partner with companies that could help you. Some links on this page are from our partners. Read how we earn money here.

This Halloween Tips & Ideas Page contains a growing number of ideas such as frugal ways to buy costumes, activities for parties, and tricks for finding discounted Halloween decor.

We do celebrate Halloween, but not the ghoulish, horrifying aspects of the holiday. We encouraged our kids to plan their costumes months in advance. And also to be creative, fun and frugal in their dressing-up ideas.

Since we loved walking our neighborhood and talking with our neighbors, many would wait for us to get to their homes before turning out the lights and calling it a night. Halloween is a great time for building relationships and community . . . it was one of the first times our daughter Abbey spent with Collin (now her husband).


Build a Costume Collection

Two children dressed up for Halloween. Boy as a Pirate and girl as a Princess.

For many years, we’ve gathered costumes from various sources and stored them in a costume
box. The kids love to dig in and play dress-up. Because they have grown and now wear larger sizes, we’ve had to graduate to a larger box. It’s really fun to have goofy hats, glasses, and wigs for them to play with.   Bonnie Heng – Scottsdale, AZ

Editors’ Note: For many years we’ve done the same thing that Bonnie did – we stored costumes that the kids made and costumes that we picked up at Garage and Rummage Sales in a large Rubbermaid Plastic container that is about 4′ long and 2.5′ feet tall. We call it the costume trunk. Our kids called it fun. It was a ready resource for any dress-up occasion, party or just to shoot a funny video.

We keep our Cow attire in the costume trunk – ready for our annual trek for Chick Fil A’s Cow Appreciation Day!



RELATED ARTICLE:

Homemade Halloween Party Games, Crafts and Food for a Harvest Festival Party


Halloween Party Fun Year After Year

We use the same Halloween party decorations year after year, and only add to the collection with “after Halloween sales.” It’s so fun to see the costume collection grow. Many are acquired as purchases from “garage sales” and “estate sales”.  But recently, we have been purchasing our youngest son’s costumes about 6 weeks before Halloween, since we can find them on sale.

We check many thrift stores and seem to be able to find great deals. If we don’t wait until the last minute, there seems to be a great selection as well. He doesn’t trick or treat, he actually dresses up to help us give candy out–because there are soo many kids that come to our house.  My husband loves to do the fog machines, and all the decorations.

We also shop at Garage Sales and Estate Sales to replenish our costumes and Halloween decor.  Our son loves getting dressed up in costume to help us give candy out–because there are so many kids that come to our house.  My husband loves to set up a fog machine and put up all of the decorations.

But I do store away any gift cards I come across along with gift cards I win from contests at work, and use them to buy all of the candy I use for our party. Terri and Jim Romberger – Florida


Stock up on Costumes & Decorations After Halloween

We save on Halloween costumes, treats, and entertainment, immediately after Halloween. We head over to our local Wal-Mart and scoop up savings on all Halloween decorations and costumes and some candy that can be used for other autumn parties and activities. Marie Hilliard


Host a Halloween Pot Luck Party

Here’s how we save on Halloween Entertaining. We make our Halloween dinner a potluck and supply the bread, punch, salad, and tableware. We also supply the music and the mood. If the guests want alcoholic beverages they bring them.

We always invite a mix of people and personalities and have a costume party. So it doesn’t get out of hand we tell people to be creative but to limit what they spend on their costumes to between $10 and $20. Everyone who attends votes for best costume / best couple costume / most creative costume. We give out inexpensive prizes and candy to the winners. Gwen Humphries – California

There are some awesome (non-scary) books about Halloween and Fall in our book and movie review section. And if you’re interested in some great Halloween movies, click here. Get more Halloween ideas and see some of our costumes on the Today Show on this page

For more Halloween Tips & Ideas, please visit our Pinterest Page!

Leave a Reply