Archives for October 2012

Here’s a picture of my little ones at a recent Halloween event!  The two costumes on the left were bought on clearance last year and both were under $3 each!  My youngest one is wearing and hand-me-down (twice over) which his two older brothers wore when they were younger.  They don’t remember and he was so happy to be a pirate!  Arrrggghhh!!

How to save on Halloween Costumes

You know one thing I loved about Halloween?  FREE candy!

Since Halloween is just around the corner, I’m sure that you have started looking for an outfit for yourself or your children.  Long gone are the days of the inexpensive costumes of my childhood.  Nowadays a child’s costumes can start around $15 and an adult costume can easily set you back $50 or more.  If you are buying multiple costumes, these costs can really start adding up.  Here are a few tricks on how to make Halloween costume shopping more of a treat.

Swap with friends:  Since it’s unlikely that most people will wear the same costume two years in a row get some friends together and swap outfits.  Whether you are swapping costumes with another adult or one for your child, just a few simple tweaks will make the outfit your own.  Hey, you can’t beat free!

Make your own:  Now I’m no Martha Stewart but thankfully you don’t have to be to make a Halloween costume.  First start off with your kids interests.  Does your daughter take ballet?  Is your son in Karate?  If so, see if they would like to build on the outfits they already have.  Even super hero pajamas can make a cute outfit for trick or treat.  If starting from scratch, search ideas on the internet. You’ll find an amazing amount of easy homemade ideas that take no time and very little money.  Best of all you can create fun memories with your little ones.

Check the consignment shops:  Want the best selection for the lowest cost?  The best time to shop the consignment shops is early September.  Kid’s resale shops such as Jelly Beans in Avon, Silly Sprouts in North Ridgeville, Classy Kids Closet in Amherst and Second Generation Kids in Elyria will have their costumes out ready for you to buy before most are even thinking about Halloween.  You may even be able to sell some of your own costumes.  One thing I love about consignment shops is that since the costumes are last year’s design or older, you will often find something that is not in the store.  Of course you will also save up to 50 percent or more off the cost of the costume.  It’s hard to decide what I love more.

Reuse:  Your younger children won’t be scarred for life for re-using an older sibling’s costume.  As a mom to three young boys I’ve been amazed how much we have been able to re-use our younger children’s costumes.  Not only are my kids excited to dive into a box of costumes to pick out their favorites but I’m also to get pictures of all my boys at the same age in the same costume.  And did I mention it’s free?

Clearance:   While this tip won’t help you this year, hopefully it will prepare you for next.  Over the past few years I’ve been able to snag unbelievable deals on costumes (see picture above) not only for my kids but also for my husband and myself.  Area stores including Target and Walmart will slash their prices up to 75 percent about a week after Halloween.  Since I can score such good deals, I’ll not only stash a few costumes away in my Halloween box but I also keep a few in the toy room to be played with all year.

Don’t let Halloween blow your budget.  Halloween costumes are meant to be fun so make them fun for your wallet too.