How to Plan a Cheap Halloween Party

In just a few days, midnight will struck and your kids will be at it again. Don’t you just love Halloween but hate the days and weeks that come before it? And who can blame you? I think most moms will probably be pulling their hair right now in frustration because of costume problems and other party details. And with the economic crunch putting a sorry spell into the celebration, it will be harder this time of the year to organize a bigger and more elaborate party, what with the limited budget.

But you don’t have to spend big money in order to have a great Halloween party. You just need to use your head and take advantage of things that are already inside your house and look for bargains that will help you stay within your budget. Here are some things that you can do to make sure that you organize one of the best Halloween parties at really low low budget.

1. Recycle the old ones

Who says you cannot use the old costumes that your kids used the other year just because they are too small for you? If your kids are already too big to fit in any of those costumes, you can still use them as decorations inside the house or in the front yard. You can for instance, dress up a mannequin with the costumes and display them in the front yard. This can become a great Halloween mascot in your home.

Parts of the costumes can also serve other purposes. For instance, you can use the cape of the vampire as a table runner or use the witch’s hat as a place where kids can get their candies during trick or treat hours. You can reuse the masks and the baskets that are often with costumes and put them as centerpieces on the table. There are lots of other things that you can do.

2. Make your own

If your kids are only going to use it for the day and will not be going on a party, you won’t really need to buy an expensive costume. It is actually pretty easy to make your own costume. If you have no idea how and you are not so crafty, you can always download instructions from the internet or look at craft books that specialize on Halloween stuff.

You can even make your own Halloween trick or treat bags and Halloween place cards. There are a lot of things that you can make on your own. Make sure though that you compute the cost of all the materials and check if you really are going to spend less when you do the crafts. Sometimes, do it yourself projects can be much more expensive. So computer first.

3. Shop on sale

It will be already too late for this article as most sales have already come to pass. But you can still take advantage of the sales and promos after Halloween. Buy for next year if you have the extra money. If you don’t another option is to rent costumes. It will be vastly cheaper than buying one.

Halloween Preparation Made Easy

Here comes Halloween again and you are probably in pins and needles trying to prepare the house and the food and the trick and treat baskets and the costumes and the… Halloween can be a great event for kids but for their moms, it is a nightmare literally. Not only do they have to cut some things on the budget (which is now harder than before with the recession kicking in), they also have to make sure that everything is in order with the kids’ party get up and decorations at home. Below are some useful tips that moms and dads can check out to make their Halloween more fun and less stressful.

1. Recycle from last year

This is perhaps the secret of all moms who do not really stress out, come Halloween time. They reuse what they have used the last time and simply put them in other places or use the items differently. For instance, a costume that your kids cannot wear anywhere can become a scarecrow right outside the home or maybe a hanging vampire on your wall. A pair of baskets that will not really match the costumes of any of your kids this year can be filled with candies that you can display as a centerpiece. There are a lot of things that you can do with items that you have already used. It is not only less stressful to you but also to your budget.

2. Plan the whole year round

The wise parent will not wait the last minute for Halloween to come. He or she will be on the lookout for items for decorations and costumes for the next year months before. This is actually even better on your budget because you are able to take advantage of sales and discounts that will probably be coming right after the Halloween period. But don’t buy the chocolates in advance. They might get spoiled when Halloween comes.

You can also take advantage of the promos immediately after Halloween. This is the best time to shop as items that were not sold the week before will surely be sold on a discount now. Make sure though that you have somewhere to store the stuff that you bought. Otherwise, don’t buy. They might get destroyed. So weigh in all your options too.

3. Involve the whole family

Nothing beats having the whole family working with you. The job becomes small because it is divided into piecemeal sizes and you also get to hang with your kids and bond with them. Having these kind of activities will also help your kids realize just how hard it is to organize a Halloween party or to prepare their Halloween costumes.

Thus, they will be less demanding when it comes to changing costumes every year and less snooty when things do not go according to schedule. With them working with you, they will learn that it takes a lot of work and not just done with a swish of the mommy wand.

Halloween Party on a Budget

With the economic crunch, some people are seriously thinking of not participating in this year’s trick or treating celebration. But this is easier said than done if you have little kids who are looking forward to the event the whole year round. Explaining to these little kids that you don’t have the budget to buy new costumes and candies to give away will be harder to do.

But you don’t really need to have a big budget in order to organize a great Halloween party or to participate in a Halloween celebration. The most basic thing that you need is the costume and some candies. If you know how to properly budget and make use of your creativity, you can come up with both without really spending so much. Here are some ideas that might help you with your seemingly impossible task.

1. Rent a costume

Costumes need not be bought. You can always rent a costume for your kids. Make sure though that they are clean and disinfected before your kids wear them to avoid skin problems. There are numerous costume rental shops in the city. If you have a hard time looking for one, you can check out the directory or surf the internet for some listing.

2. Make your own costume

If your kids are only going to use the costume for a few hours of trick or treating and there is really no party that they need to attend, a simple costume can do. They don’t need anything elaborate. You can even make your own costume with the use of paper products. If you are not the crafty type, you can always look for patterns and easy to follow instructions on craft books and online.

3. Recycle old decors and costumes

If you have costumes in your attic that you will not be using, don’t let them rot inside there. You can reuse them by putting them in front of the yard as a scarecrow or a mascot. Costumes can also become a centerpiece on a table. Halloween baskets with Halloween costumes can also serve as casing for candies. There are lots of things that you can do for old costumes. Some can even be cut up and the fabric can be used to make new ones that your kids can wear. It’s all up to you. Let your imagination run wild and your creativity soar.

4. Check the online promos

Online shopping is actually not a hassle especially if you have lots of promos and discounts to avail. Some stores are promoting their online shops and are selling their products cheaper online. If you are on the lookout for a particular item, why not check out the online stores of the bigger chain stores and department stores like Target and Wal-mart. They offer lots of great deals for people. Make sure though that you check their delivery dates. The goods may be delivered to you too late if you do not look.