No one wants to spend a fortune on Halloween costumes, especially when little ones grow so quickly.
So how can you stretch that bloodcurdling budget and ensure your child is hauntingly hip this All Hallow’s Eve? Read on...
Organize a costume swap. Round up friends and neighbours for a good old-fashioned clothing swap. Meet in person or plan it all online -- create a spreadsheet featuring costume type, size, optional picture and contact information, then email it around.
Borrow and lend. Hand-me-downs are a godsend. But if you didn’t get any costumes, ask around to see if anyone has a costume your child can borrow for an evening. Don’t forget to pass the kindness forward.
Make your own. You don’t have to be a seamstress to create a kid’s costume. There are plenty of great sites online that provide simple instructions for everything from pirate to princess to pumpkin. We love sister site Today’s Parent’s cutest cupcake and little flower. You can also raid your own closet for items that can be pulled together into a creative costume.
Hit the thrift stores. Goodwill and Value Village have racks upon racks of costumes in good condition and at inexpensive prices. The latter even has new items at reduced prices.
Clip coupons. Check group-buying sites like Groupon and promotional codes sites like CurrentCodes.com daily for the latest deals on costumes, candy, decor and more.
Go multipurpose. Sometimes a costume is more than a costume. A great example: The two-piece butterfly costume from Old Navy (above). The price is right at only $20 US, but those dollars are stretched even further as the fleece pants can be worn separately all season long.
Shop late. As Halloween creeps up, prices get marked down. At some stores, sale items may be found as much as a week before the big night, but for the most part they'll be only a day or two before. If you don’t mind the nail-biting wait and see, this may be for you.
Shop early. Missed the deals before Halloween? Shop the day after for spooktacular specials – for next year.
Do you have more ways to save? Log in and leave a comment below.
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