The average American intends to spend $162 on Halloween, according to a LendEDU 2019 survey. While we tend to think of most any holiday as costly, there are still plenty of ways to score money wins this Hallow’s Eve.
I’m definitely not here to tell you how to spend your money, but I do think that there are plenty of Halloween money wins to be had. Normally, money wins rely heavily on advance planning. It’s true that planning ahead can save you big on holidays, but there are plenty of ways to make even the most last-minute Halloween moves just a bit more frugal. Perhaps allows you to stash away cash to save and invest or maybe you just want to grow your chocolate stockpile, who am I to judge?
Here’s how some folks around the Internet are saving big and having fun, even if it means a last-minute costume or two.
Halloween Hand-Me-Downs with Maria at Handful of Thoughts
What is your money win?
A hand me down Halloween costume for my little one.
Why are you pumped?
Who doesn’t like saving money?! My sister saved a bunch of stuff when she had kids and eventually passed it all into me when I had my little one. She has 2 boys and they were both born in different seasons as my daughter. I was stoked to dig through the boxes and find a Halloween costume that will fit my little one this year for Halloween.
What can others learn from it?
Ask your friends and family who have kids if they have hand me down Halloween costumes. As a 1 year old, my daughter doesn’t care what she’s dressed up as so it’s perfect. If you have older kids, you can make it into a fun “who wore it better” picture event. This may help with buy-in on Halloween costumes when choice is limited.
If you’ve ever felt guilty or weird about accepting hand-me-downs, check out why you should think again here.
Poshmark Finds with MC
What is your money win?
This isn’t as much a win for me as a win for the person that bought an old Halloween costume of mine. I’ve always kept a costume drawer but haven’t used a lot of them in years. I put a few on Poshmark and sold one that cost me $60 for $11.
Why are you pumped?
I cleaned my closet and helped the environment and I’m sure the person that bought this is pretty happy to get a $60 Halloween costume for $11 + $5 shipping.
What can others learn from it?
Look on Poshmark! There isn’t a Halloween category, but you can search Halloween costume in the search box. Also, make sure you take into account how long it will take to ship.
Word Play Costume Wins with Lazy Man and Money
What is your money win?
I went as a “frayed knot” or “‘fraid not.” Wrapped a string around my neck (free). When people asked what my costume was, I had them guess. After the (predictably wrong) guess, I held up the string and said “frayed knot.”
Why are you pumped?
Halloween is fun!
What can others learn from it?
Cheap last minute costumes are everywhere.
Planning Ahead with Penny
What is your money win?
We snagged HP’s construction worker outfit last year at Target for $3. If I’m being entirely honest, this subhead shouldn’t be called planning ahead so much as getting really lucky. Tomato, tomahto? Truthfully, we stumbled across the find, expecting nothing but tumbleweeds and dust bunnies since it was so many days post-Halloween. Surprisingly, there were quite a few costume choices all marked down 90%!
Get the full scoop on Target markdowns here.
Why are you pumped?
He actually wore the costume! It wasn’t a waste of $3. I realize that buying a costume a year in advance can be a real gamble when kiddos’ interests change so quickly. However, since HP is still just a toddler, we realized that we could probably sway him into this construction worker garb with ease. If nothing else, the tool belt came with four different tools that we knew he’d play with. $3 seemed like an OK chance to take.
Fast forward to this year. Peppa Pig is his current obsession. When he saw his costume, he happily declared he is now Mr. Bull, the cartoon construction worker. Perfect!
What can others learn from it?
Take a chance on end-of-season clearance. Certainly know that it’s a possibility you won’t find the item you’re looking for. But it doesn’t hurt to try, especially since costume resale markets are generally booming on places like eBay, Poshmark, and even OfferUp!
My little pumpkin wearing a bit of his construction worker get up and saying “cheese” in the wrong direction.
Final Thoughts on Halloween Money Wins
There’s something downright delightful about this holiday in my book. However, I understand that spending $162 (or anywhere near it!) can be a big buzzkill unless this holiday happens to be your thing. These money wins prove that Halloween doesn’t have to be expensive.
Instead, it can be a great excuse for communities to come together to help kids have fun…and to remember how to be kids ourselves. Whether you’re donning the same Halloween shirt you’ve worn for years (guilty!) or you’re going all out with new gear, remember that a little creativity can go a long way–in terms of cutting cost and getting into the spooky spirit.
If you’d like to join the money win party, fill out this survey. Whether you are a blogger or a reader or both, you are welcome to party here!
Also, don’t miss any of our past money wins:
- Volume 1 – Kate, Revanche, Melody
- Volume 2 – Jody, Aitza, Little Miss Fire
- Volume 3 – Sarah, Kathy, Tara
- Volume 4 – Zero, Kat, Mystery Money Man
- Volume 5 – Anna, Debra, Claudia
- Volume 6 – Kate, Are We Adults Yet, Money Saved is Money Earned
- Volume 7 – Leigh, $76K Project, Josh
- Volume 8 – Jill, Verokina, Mr. Green
- Volume 9 – Budget Epicurean, Felicity, Erin
- Volume 10 – Kris, Revanche, Aaron
- Volume 11 – My Plutus Nod & Jo-Anne
- Volume 12 – Amanda, Kudy, Laura
- Volume 13 – Kate, Rich, Emily
- Volume 14 – Cait, Margot, Mr. Flexcents
- Volume 15 – Kate, Salty Old Lady, Dave
- Volume 16 – Saving4XtraRice, Perpetual Money Machine, Zandile
- Volume 17 – Rachel, Cashflow Cop, Kris
- Volume 18 – Gigi, One Frugal Girl, Barnaby King
- Volume 19 – Educator FI, Financial Pilgrimage, Alberto, Hailey
- Volume 20 – Daniella, Debt Ascent, Tawnya, Dollar Revolution
- Volume 21 – Brian, Matthew, Bettysonly
- Volume 22 – #FinCon19 Money Wins
- Volume 23 – Jim, Chris, Andrew
So Tell Me…How are you winning with money lately? Drop a comment or fill out this survey.
My old neighborhood got lots of kids trick or treating so it was worth it to spend a little money on candy. I moved and I don’t really do much on Halloween anymore, so this month’s spending on Halloween is basically zero. lol! You had some good wins there!
I was able to find shoes for my Marilyn Monroe outfit at the thrift store for $3.25 (yay half-price day!). They killed my feet, but so do all high heels so… Alas, the rest of my costume wasn’t quite as thrifty, costing me around $35. But compared to the $162 average, I guess I’m getting off light.
And I think the best part about grown-up costumes is that we can re-wear without worrying about growing out of them and they’re fairly easy to sell. 😀
I went on a costume-selling spree over the last six weeks, and I have only two costumes left here to get rid of. I’m hoping some last-minute person will take them off my hands.
It looks like it’s going to be a torrential downpour here on Halloween night, so Mr. FG and I may have to save our costumes for next year. Which will, I guess, seriously lower 2020’s Halloween spending!