With consumers returning to their pre-pandemic behaviors, we could see pre-pandemic numbers of revelers and spending this year. It’s a spooktacular time of year! A survey of more than 8,200 people by Prosper Insights & Analytics and the National Retail Federation found that nearly seven in 10 consumers are planning to celebrate Halloween this year. The NRF predicts that consumers will spend $10.6 billion on Halloween candy, outdoor decorations, costumes, pumpkin carving, attending or hosting a party this year, and other Halloween items.

Halloween expenses like candy, costumes, and decorations can quickly add up but you can save big on Halloween without sacrificing the spooky fun for kids of all ages with these tips.

13 Ways You Can Save On Halloween

1. Buy arts and craft supplies at the dollar store.

Visit dollar or other discount stores for great savings on some basic supplies for making your own decorations. Ready-made treat bags, party favors, and Halloween decorations can be used to make wreaths, centerpieces, yard decor, and other festive decorations.

2. Buy your Halloween candy from a warehouse club.

Getting your Halloween candy in bulk from a warehouse club can help you save money. Get a few bags of mixed candy to give your trick-or-treaters lots of options. 

3. Shop at online party stores for Halloween decorations.

Whether you’re decorating for the season, a Halloween party, or your home for trick-or-treaters, check out the Halloween décor at online party stores for some great deals before spending your money at the big-box stores. Keep an eye out for coupons and online-only offers. Often party stores will offer discounts on bulk buys and run specials on Halloween items throughout the season.

4. Shop at bargain stores.

Stores, like Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, that carry overstock, surplus, and slightly damaged or irregular merchandise can be a  bargain hunter’s paradise as they often have a large selection of holiday-themed merchandise. Many carry discounted Halloween costumes and accessories.

Don’t forget the thrift and charity stores. Thrift stores are the perfect place to find Halloween decor — from creepy old dolls and beautifully aged jars for lanterns to dusty baskets and so much more — that you can repurpose to make your very own Haunted House.

Save On Halloween With DIY

5. Make your own Halloween costumes.

There are all kinds of tutorials and tips for making Halloween costumes with inexpensive materials online. Visit Pinterest boards and posts from crafty bloggers to get inspiration. Buy items you can reuse in your everyday life, for next year’s Halloween, or that you can repurpose. My daughter’s favorite costume was Pippi Longstocking. And it was so affordable! I just braided her hair into two pigtails, ran a wire coat hanger through them, painted some freckles on with my eyeliner, and dressed her in some fun stripes.

Bonus Tip: Swap costumes Most of us wear our Halloween costumes once, maybe twice. So consider swapping with some of your closest friends and family members.

6. Dress up the foods you have on hand.

Check your fridge, freezer, pantry, and cupboards to see what creative Halloween recipes you can come up with. Wrap some dough strips around a hot dog to make mummy dogs, use pumpkins as bowls, turn deviled eggs into eyeballs with an olive slice and by making blood streaks with red food coloring. For more ideas check out 13 Fun & Easy Halloween Food Ideas – Eat, Drink, and Be Scary.

7. Find free activities near you.

Many of us don’t have room in our budget to host a Halloween party or hand out holiday candy this year. There are events that you can attend for some free Halloween fun. Check with your local churches, community centers, schools, museums, parks, and local businesses for offerings. You can also find events in your local newspaper and on the Facebook pages of local organizations. Often there will be several low-cost ways to celebrate Halloween.

8. Shop on November 1st for next year.

Once Halloween is over, many stores will be clearing out anything that didn’t sell. Now is the time to stock up on all the clearance items for next year. You can get discounts of up to 90%!!

9. Ask for price adjustments & save receipts.

Keep your receipts and if the price drops within a month+- of your purchase, many stores will give you the lower price. Since some stores have special rules on holiday items, they may not offer this on some items. But, it never hurts to ask! Sometimes stores won’t do price adjustments but will have you return and repurchase the item at the lower price. You don’t have to wait until Black Friday to shop! Starting on Oct. 6 if you purchase an item in-store or online on or before Dec. 24 and the price drops any lower at Target, you can request a price adjustment on your purchase. For a list of stores with price match or price adjustment policies visit Real Sophisticated Consumer.

10. Check local deal sites.

Ghost tours, haunted houses, and corn mazes can be expensive so check your local deal websites such as Groupon for discounted tickets to local events.

11. Decorate with items you have on hand.

Just like making spooky food from items that you already have, you can many Halloween decorations quickly and cheaply with items that are lying around your home. Make a giant yard spider out of black garbage bags, cobwebs from cotton balls, and tombstones from cardboard. Simply lighting a candle can add a perfect eerie glow and pouring your seasonal orange and yellow packaged candies (or M&Ms, candy corn, or jelly beans) into glass containers will add a pop of Halloween color to your home.

12. Wait to purchase your pumpkin.

Many stores sell pumpkins at deep discounts right before Halloween to clear out excess inventory before the big post-Halloween demand drop. By holding off until Halloween or a few days before to buy pumpkins your pumpkins, you could save some money. By carving the pumpkins on Halloween instead of earlier in the season when the pumpkins are more prone to rot, your jack-o-lantern will look its best for partygoers and trick-or-treaters. You could also use uncarved pumpkins for Thanksgiving decorations.

13. Avoid Halloween Pop-Up Shops

Pop-up shops and Halloween-themed stores are only open a few months each year and tend to be pretty expensive. After all, these places need to make a year’s revenue in just a few short months.

I hope these simple, but effective tips help you keep your budget intact. You don’t have to sacrifice a lot to have a budget-friendly Halloween. You just need to be resourceful and creative. By making a few simple changes you can save on your fun-filled Halloween!