Don’t Scare Your Budget This Halloween

As we're nearing the end of October, many minds are on candy and costumes & Halloween is near! For anyone with children (or even those that just love this holiday and tend to go a bit overboard), all that Halloween entails can creep up on you quickly and scare your budget. Check out these five tips to keep your budget from trembling in fear!

• Make your own costumes! Costumes can easily be the most expensive item for this holiday with store-bought costumes, so it's time to get resourceful. Visit the thrift stores or even your own closet for items that can be repurposed into a costume.
• Wait until the last minute! We don't say this often, but for a few items this fall, it's best to wait. Pumpkins for carving or decorations are a prime example. While the best might be gone, the stock left at the patch will be price reduced the day before and day of Halloween. Make it a tradition to carve pumpkins the day of to decorate your front door!
• Get creative & you don't need to buy expensive decorations! A simple search on Pinterest can give you many DIY ideas for decorations. A few pieces of old cardboard can be cut and painted to make tombstones to go in your yard, an old sheet can become a ghost &' you get the idea. Use what you have.
• Candy costs don't have to make you go broke! First, don't overestimate the number of trick-or-treaters you'll have. Not only will this save you money, it'll possibly save your waistline from devouring all the leftovers yourself! Buy in bulk or stay away from the name brand candy to save a bit more cash.
• Think ahead! It may be a bit late for this year, but start planning now for next year. Halloween and fall decorations will be at steep discounts right after the holiday, so stock up now and any of those that you can't live without and store them away for next year's festivities.

Keep these money saving tips in mind for the next few days as you get ready for the costumes, trick-or-treaters, and parties! Have a safe and happy Halloween!