13 Tips to Slash Halloween Costs
Published October 14, 2009
SMART MONEY HALLOWEEN STORY
Deal of the Day by Kelli B. Grant
For many consumers, the scariest thing about Halloween this year is the economy. Nearly a third of consumers say economic woes have affected their Halloween plans, and of that group, 88% say they intend to spend less, according to the National Retail Federation. The industry group expects an average tab of $56 — 15% less than last year — for candy, decorations, greeting cards and a costume.
But there is good news for trick-or-treaters who would rather not advertise their cutbacks by dressing as a hobo or Bernie Madoff. Retailers are offering more sales and discounts this year to lure in consumers — and avoid an excess of holiday items to be marked down on Nov. 1, says Sok Verdery, the chief executive of deal site CouponShack.com.
In fact, some of the best deals can be found during the week of Oct. 14-20, says Dan de Grandpre, the chief executive of sale tracker Dealnews.com. Expect discounts of up to 65% on costumes, with ample choices available, he says.
Here’s how to save on all the trappings for a spooky Halloween:
Costumes
Purchase last year’s model. Designers reinvent classic costumes each year, offering new takes on princesses, clowns and other popular themes, says Verdery. But aside from the price, there’s rarely much difference. At BuyCostumes.com, a child’s pirate captain costume is on clearance for $18 — less than half the “New for 2009” version’s $40 price.
Scour for coupons. Sites like CouponShack.com, RetailMeNot.com and Savings.com offer codes for free shipping or additional discounts that can often be paired with retailer’s sales. For example, use code EERIE99 at CostumeExpress.com and save 15% on an order of $70 or more.
Search your closet. “Oftentimes, the better costumes are the ones people put their personal creativity into,” says Ben Armstrong, the president of the Haunted House Association, an industry group. Here’s how to turn the contents of your closet into a free costume:
Re-use. Unearthing duds from another era makes for an easy costume, whether you’re going for flower child or '80s flash dancer. But even run-of-the-mill pieces can become costume-worthy, says Cindy Chapman, a spokeswoman for MomsLikeMe.com, a social networking site. An Easter dress is the perfect start for a princess costume, while cargo pants and a T-shirt could work for either a soldier or a fisherman, with the right accessories.
Re-purpose. Folded and stuffed into other items, T-shirts and other garb can give the appearance of muscles, fat or lumps, Armstrong says.
Recycle. Use a trick from haunted house cast members: Mix a little bleach and water in a spray bottle and apply liberally to clothing you don’t want anymore. The result is a mottled, aged look that works well for zombies and other monsters, Armstrong says. Rips and tears add to the effect.
Decorations
Focus on lighting. “You can change the whole appearance of your home very cheaply with the right lighting,” says Armstrong. Move your existing outdoor lights to cast spooky shadows instead of brightly-lit areas. Can’t shift a light’s direction? Place a tree branch in the light’s path to project the shape on a larger scale. Candles and white holiday lights can also add to the mood.
Download creepy sounds. Hunt for free soundtracks online to download or stream from your computer. Halloween-Sounds.com offers free tracks for home entertainment. Or you might set up scary movies on your TV.
Think seasonal, not Halloween. Don’t fork over cash for a giant latex spider or an inflatable coffin ($26 and $53, respectively, at HalloweenExpress.com). Bales of straw, uncut pumpkins and gourds can decorate your doorstep through Thanksgiving, Verdery says. They’re cheap, too. A bale of straw goes for $3.85 at Family Home & Garden in Raleigh, N.C. After the holidays, recycle it as garden or flower bed mulch to cut garden costs next year.
Shop around for pumpkins. A wet spring has farmers across the country reporting smaller harvests and wimpier pumpkins than in previous years. Before you buy, call around to compare prices and ask about selection. In the Washington, D.C., area, for example, Homestead Farms charges 59 cents a pound, while Crooked Run Orchard charges 45 cents a pound. For a 15-pound pumpkin, that’s a $2.10 difference.
Candy
Buy in bulk. Get friends, neighbors or family members together to purchase big bags from a warehouse club or discount online distributor, Verdery says. A one-pound bag of Tootsie Rolls will set you back about $5 at drugstores; on Amazon.com (AMZN: 94.83, +1.23, +1.31%), a five-pound bag is $15. That’s like getting two pounds free.
Eliminate chocolate. On a per-piece basis, hard candy is usually cheaper. At CandyWarehouse.com, 100 fun-sized M&M packs cost $29.50, or roughly 30 cents apiece. In comparison, 300 Smarties candy rolls are $15, or five cents each.
Skip candy. Many kids appreciate other treats buyable in bulk, like temporary tattoos, decorated pencils or stickers, says Todd Mark, the vice president of education for Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Greater Dallas. OrientalTrading.com has 72-packs of Halloween tattoos for $2.99 to $4.99 each. You can also hang onto leftovers for next year without worrying about expiration dates.
Activities
Get scared on a weekday. Haunted houses and other attractions see fewer visitors during the week. “It’s incredibly creepy,” says Armstrong. “Sometimes you have the place to yourself.” Smaller crowds can yield price breaks, too. Fright Planet in Sacramento knocks $3 off its $20 price tag for weeknight visitors.
Seek out freebies. Churches, schools and local groups host plenty of free fall festivals, parades, haunted houses and costume contests, so check local news reports for what’s going on locally, Mark says.
Combine activities. Many farms with pumpkin patches and apple orchards also offer low-priced fall entertainment. Carleton Farm in Everett, Wash., offers free hayrides, a tube slide for kids and access to some of the farm’s animals. On the weekend, there’s a cannon that shoots pumpkins across the fields. They also have a four-acre corn maze, priced $6 for adults and $4 for kids.
SMART MONEY HALLOWEEN STORY
Deal of the Day by Kelli B. Grant
For many consumers, the scariest thing about Halloween this year is the economy. Nearly a third of consumers say economic woes have affected their Halloween plans, and of that group, 88% say they intend to spend less, according to the National Retail Federation. The industry group expects an average tab of $56 — 15% less than last year — for candy, decorations, greeting cards and a costume.
But there is good news for trick-or-treaters who would rather not advertise their cutbacks by dressing as a hobo or Bernie Madoff. Retailers are offering more sales and discounts this year to lure in consumers — and avoid an excess of holiday items to be marked down on Nov. 1, says Sok Verdery, the chief executive of deal site CouponShack.com.
In fact, some of the best deals can be found during the week of Oct. 14-20, says Dan de Grandpre, the chief executive of sale tracker Dealnews.com. Expect discounts of up to 65% on costumes, with ample choices available, he says.
Here’s how to save on all the trappings for a spooky Halloween:
Costumes
Purchase last year’s model. Designers reinvent classic costumes each year, offering new takes on princesses, clowns and other popular themes, says Verdery. But aside from the price, there’s rarely much difference. At BuyCostumes.com, a child’s pirate captain costume is on clearance for $18 — less than half the “New for 2009” version’s $40 price.
Scour for coupons. Sites like CouponShack.com, RetailMeNot.com and Savings.com offer codes for free shipping or additional discounts that can often be paired with retailer’s sales. For example, use code EERIE99 at CostumeExpress.com and save 15% on an order of $70 or more.
Search your closet. “Oftentimes, the better costumes are the ones people put their personal creativity into,” says Ben Armstrong, the president of the Haunted House Association, an industry group. Here’s how to turn the contents of your closet into a free costume:
Re-use. Unearthing duds from another era makes for an easy costume, whether you’re going for flower child or '80s flash dancer. But even run-of-the-mill pieces can become costume-worthy, says Cindy Chapman, a spokeswoman for MomsLikeMe.com, a social networking site. An Easter dress is the perfect start for a princess costume, while cargo pants and a T-shirt could work for either a soldier or a fisherman, with the right accessories.
Re-purpose. Folded and stuffed into other items, T-shirts and other garb can give the appearance of muscles, fat or lumps, Armstrong says.
Recycle. Use a trick from haunted house cast members: Mix a little bleach and water in a spray bottle and apply liberally to clothing you don’t want anymore. The result is a mottled, aged look that works well for zombies and other monsters, Armstrong says. Rips and tears add to the effect.
Decorations
Focus on lighting. “You can change the whole appearance of your home very cheaply with the right lighting,” says Armstrong. Move your existing outdoor lights to cast spooky shadows instead of brightly-lit areas. Can’t shift a light’s direction? Place a tree branch in the light’s path to project the shape on a larger scale. Candles and white holiday lights can also add to the mood.
Download creepy sounds. Hunt for free soundtracks online to download or stream from your computer. Halloween-Sounds.com offers free tracks for home entertainment. Or you might set up scary movies on your TV.
Think seasonal, not Halloween. Don’t fork over cash for a giant latex spider or an inflatable coffin ($26 and $53, respectively, at HalloweenExpress.com). Bales of straw, uncut pumpkins and gourds can decorate your doorstep through Thanksgiving, Verdery says. They’re cheap, too. A bale of straw goes for $3.85 at Family Home & Garden in Raleigh, N.C. After the holidays, recycle it as garden or flower bed mulch to cut garden costs next year.
Shop around for pumpkins. A wet spring has farmers across the country reporting smaller harvests and wimpier pumpkins than in previous years. Before you buy, call around to compare prices and ask about selection. In the Washington, D.C., area, for example, Homestead Farms charges 59 cents a pound, while Crooked Run Orchard charges 45 cents a pound. For a 15-pound pumpkin, that’s a $2.10 difference.
Candy
Buy in bulk. Get friends, neighbors or family members together to purchase big bags from a warehouse club or discount online distributor, Verdery says. A one-pound bag of Tootsie Rolls will set you back about $5 at drugstores; on Amazon.com (AMZN: 94.83, +1.23, +1.31%), a five-pound bag is $15. That’s like getting two pounds free.
Eliminate chocolate. On a per-piece basis, hard candy is usually cheaper. At CandyWarehouse.com, 100 fun-sized M&M packs cost $29.50, or roughly 30 cents apiece. In comparison, 300 Smarties candy rolls are $15, or five cents each.
Skip candy. Many kids appreciate other treats buyable in bulk, like temporary tattoos, decorated pencils or stickers, says Todd Mark, the vice president of education for Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Greater Dallas. OrientalTrading.com has 72-packs of Halloween tattoos for $2.99 to $4.99 each. You can also hang onto leftovers for next year without worrying about expiration dates.
Activities
Get scared on a weekday. Haunted houses and other attractions see fewer visitors during the week. “It’s incredibly creepy,” says Armstrong. “Sometimes you have the place to yourself.” Smaller crowds can yield price breaks, too. Fright Planet in Sacramento knocks $3 off its $20 price tag for weeknight visitors.
Seek out freebies. Churches, schools and local groups host plenty of free fall festivals, parades, haunted houses and costume contests, so check local news reports for what’s going on locally, Mark says.
Combine activities. Many farms with pumpkin patches and apple orchards also offer low-priced fall entertainment. Carleton Farm in Everett, Wash., offers free hayrides, a tube slide for kids and access to some of the farm’s animals. On the weekend, there’s a cannon that shoots pumpkins across the fields. They also have a four-acre corn maze, priced $6 for adults and $4 for kids.
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