All Treats with No Tricks: Best Halloween Shopping Tips

Halloween can be one of the most enjoyable times of the year, and if you’re the sort of parent who loves getting all dressed up and into the special event, then I’ve got a treat for you. There’s no doubt that Halloween can get expensive when you start adding everything together, and the harder you go, the more expensive the event tends to be.

That is unless you know the shopping tips that will help you save a ton of money, all while allowing you to have the best time still. In today’s guide, I’m going to detail the very best shopping tips you need to know to make this Halloween the best and most affordable holiday event yet.

Make Your Own Decorations

Of course, there’s no denying that making and setting up your own decorations is by far the best way to save money. Premade decorations cost a fortune compared to coloured paper and string, where you can cut out the lettering. Bonus feature, you can have your decorations; however, you want them when you make them yourself!

What’s more, my kids absolutely loved the process of making our decorations ourselves. If you’ve been looking for a bonding activity to bring your family together so you can spend quality time together, it really doesn’t get much better than this. Just do a quick online search for what decorations you want to make, and you can be sure you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Find Free Events

Every year, there are plenty of free Halloween events hosted in all towns and cities, and you’re not going to be able to go if you don’t know about them, so get researching in your local area! Every town or church or community centre should have something to offer.

The best places to look are local Facebook pages and council websites to see what events are listed and which you could potentially go to. While these events are free, if you can affordable supporting in any way, even if that’s offering a donation, then you should since it can help them put the event next year, therefore helping out even more families!

Use Coupon Shopping

If you have any coupons lying around, or you head over to websites like socialbean, you’ll be able to find a lot of discounts when it comes to buying sweets and candy. This tip is really a no-brainer. If you have money-off vouchers of any kind, then make sure you’re using them. Otherwise, you’re just missing out on free savings.

Create a Costume Library

It’s really a waste of money if you’re just getting yourself or your kids a new costume every single year. But then again, kids want to be someone new each year, so what can you do? Well, a great way to get away from this while saving money is to create a costume chest. This is where all the Halloween costumes from over the year go to live, then when it’s that special time of year again, you just pull out random bits and see what you can make.

If you can sell it to your kids properly, having a hybrid costume of lots of different scary characters is way more fun than a bog-standard costume from the grocery store.

Thrift Shop and Dollar Store Finds

You don’t need to go to an expensive shop to get costumes and treats. Thrift and dollar stores typically always run discounts around the Halloween time, usually giving you the best savings at the last minute when all stock needs to go, so get your timing right, and you could find an absolutely fantastic deal and discount.

Always Shop Online

While you may find some great deals in stores in your local area, there’s no denying that you’re probably always going to find a better deal if you’re shopping online. If you get organized and can make a list of everything you want to buy for your Halloween festivities, then shop online and see what kind of prices you can get.

It’s always worth doing your research to find the best price. Again, even if you see a great price online, that doesn’t mean you’re getting the best price, so look in both online and brick-and-mortar stores. If you look for the best price, you will find it.

Use Money-Saving Browser Extensions

Hand in hand with the tip above, these days, there are so many browser extensions that exist to help you save money when shopping online, so even if you’re already finding the best deal, you may able to save even more when using these extensions.

An excellent browser plugin to start with is honey, by far one of the most used and most popular money-saving extensions. The best part? It’s free to download and install, meaning you can literally start saving money in about three clicks!

Don’t Overspend

Easier said than done. It can be tempting to go all out on decorations and treats, and I don’t blame you. There’s nothing more satisfying than a full bowl of candy, and what happens if kids come to your door and you’ve run out. How embarrassing! 

However, overspending and buying more than you need is going to cost you dearly, so get organized and plan everything as much as you can. The more precisely you can spend, the more affordable it will. Also, remember to set a budget and stick to it. If you can’t afford something, it’s not worth buying it.

Spread the Cost

You don’t need to buy everything in one go when it comes to Halloween. If you can organize yourself, you can spread the cost throughout the year by buying a little bit of candy here and there on your budget, and then saving it for the big event!