3 Tips to Save Your Budget This Halloween

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frugal pumpkinFall is my favorite time of year. I love the cooler temperatures, the brisk mornings, the smell of pumpkin, and (should I admit?) even holiday music! But as a self-proclaimed “frugalista”, I also know that it is a very stressful time of year for many people who are trying to enjoy the holidays, while stay within a budget. My goal is always to help people on their savings journey, so I’m happy to give you 3 tips today that I think can help you cut some costs this month, and hopefully the entire holiday season.

Top 3 Savings Tips for Halloween

1. Do-it-Yourself. Some people have a natural crafting ability (you know who you are), but for those of us that are a little more “craft-challenged”, there are still some good resources to help you make your own decorations or costumes.

For costumes – check your own home for some inspiration and then head to the nearest thrift store (Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc). You can find gently used costumes or accessories for only a few dollars. Some simple, but fun, do it yourself costume ideas include: a cowboy, princess, disco queen, rock star, dog, cat, spider, firefighter, or pirate.

For decorations – Stretch cotton balls or yarn to create spider webs, stuff trash bags with leaves to create pumpkins or ghosts, and paint cardboard to create tombstones. My son’s favorite is to make a scarecrow with old clothes, newspaper, and a foam pumpkin (found at craft stores), so that it will last several years. You can try to use a real pumpkin – but the weight can be hard to hold up.

Tip: Need more inspiration – check out Pinterest for an endless stream of creative content. On any subject!

2. Shop Online. Shopping online can actually save you because not only can you find good prices, but when you combine that with a coupon code and/or cash back from some of your favorite retailers, you can pay less. For me, having an item shipped to my door for less than what I would pay in store, after using gas to get to the store, shopping online makes much more sense.

If you are looking for used items online, check eBay or craigslist. Amazon is a great site to find about everything and they can have some really great prices (even better than Walmart!) on holiday items like costumes and decorations. Plus, on most items, when you spend $25, shipping is free. If you are looking for cash back on your purchases, I recommend you check out Ebates, where you’ll find cash back on over 1500 stores.

3. Maximize your savings. If you are shopping at grocery stores, Walmart, Target or the drugstores, don’t forget that you can use coupons to help you save on food items, decorations, and candy purchases. If you don’t get the Sunday paper, check for printable coupons or digital coupons you can load directly to your shopper’s card.

Don’t feel like using coupons? You can still save on retail prices by shopping discount stores like the $.99 store, Big Lots, Dollar Tree, etc. If you have a Costco or Sam’s Club membership, you might also want to look into buying candy in bulk and then splitting it with friends and family.

Overall, the most important is to know what your budget is and stick to it. You’ll feel better knowing you didn’t overspend or get yourself in debt for the New Year.

What are some of your Halloween savings tips?

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