10 Affordable Halloween Ideas for Costumes & More

Leaves are turning golden and chill is creeping into the air – must be almost time for Halloween! As you begin to gear up for the holiday, you may start thinking about your budget. If you don’t have one, here’s how you can create a budget you’ll be able to stick to. Halloween enthusiasts enjoy having fun, but Halloween seems to get more expensive each year. This has been the recent reality due to our battle with inflation these past few years. Halloween doesn’t have to break the bank though. Who says you need to be flush with cash to conjure up some Halloween magic?

Here are 10 hauntingly affordable Halloween ideas to bring some fun to your family’s celebration all month long!

1. Make Cheap Halloween Costumes

Deciding what to dress up as for Halloween can be a tough decision. Sure, you can buy pre-made masks at Walmart or Spirit Halloween, or you can make a budget-friendly DIY Halloween mask! This way you don’t just save some money but get to engage in some fun DIY. Let the kids pick out their favorite Halloween fabric or use old clothes or sheets to turn this year’s mask into the most unexpected accessory. Plus, it could be family fun time!

2. Haunt Your House with DIY Halloween Decorations

Decorate your home and yard to your Halloween heart’s content! This activity can be a family exercise, or a surprise treat for the kids if you want to do the haunting yourself.

You can transform your house on a dime using materials you already have on hand, from leftover tin cans for ghostly windchimes to toilet paper roll glowing eyes. Besides, some new decor might be a welcome visual change after months of quarantine. Make sure to check out your local dollar store for other low-cost decorations.

3. Backyard Candy Hunt

There’s no rule that states Easter is the only holiday where kids can search the yard for treats. A Halloween candy hunt can be a great addition, or alternative to trick-or-treating (and gives you a bit more control over their sugar loot).

Have fun preparing ahead of time by giving those Easter eggs some Halloween flair with spooky stickers. You can add some DYI and paint the Easter eggs to look like ghosts or skulls. You could even take the search to a new level with a Halloween scavenger hunt.

4. Halloween Piñatas

Decorate your home and yard to your Halloween heart’s content! This activity can be a family exercise, or a surprise treat for the kids if you want to do the haunting yourself.

You can transform your house on a dime using materials you already have on hand, from leftover tin cans for ghostly windchimes to toilet paper roll glowing eyes. Besides, some new decor might be a welcome visual change after months of quarantine. Make sure to check out your local dollar store for other low-cost decorations.

5. Game Night with Halloween Costumes

Dressing up is the ultimate sign of Halloween spirit! So, whether you’re going scary or sweet, wear your costume and have a game night with the kids. There are all sorts of kid-friendly options online to get you started. Some ideas include Halloween-themed bingo and word search. Many families have a tradition of making their own costumes for a frugal Halloween.

6. Scary Movies Galore

Have a Halloween-themed movie night. Streaming and cable networks often add scary choices to their line-up throughout the month, giving you plenty of options. If the weather is nice, you can put up a projector and a large white sheet in the backyard and invite a few neighbors over for a viewing party.

7. Pumpkin Carving Ideas

Pumpkin carving contests are a great way to have fun with the family or the entire neighborhood this Halloween. Use your imagination or start from a template for more DIY fun. Participating neighbors can line up their jack-o’-lanterns in front of their houses, and everyone can easily vote for their favorites. Bonus points if the neighborhood starts a small pool for a winner’s prize!

8. Halloween Costumes & Decorations with Printables

Printable masks, decorations, games, and more – all it really takes is a printer. Not only is this a no-cost way to turn up the Halloween in your house, but it’s also another great excuse for some enjoyable do-it-yourself craft. If you have younger children, you can make a Halloween themed matching game with pictures of witches, ghosts, black cats, and more. Another easy idea for holiday fun is printing out some Halloween coloring pages. Print out Halloween themed jokes and add them to your child’s lunchbox for a spooky surprise. From all these ideas, your kids can pick their favorites, and you don’t have to worry about them choosing the most expensive item in the store.

Then there are ideas for all ages like printable Halloween cards and wall art. You can buy pricey Halloween decorations at a place like HomeGoods, or you can make them yourself. Your budget will thank you.

9. Visit an Apple Orchard or Cider Mill

Cider mills are a Halloween-time stable. Many include pumpkin patches where kids and adults can choose their own pumpkins. Some also have Halloween-themed corn mazes that are fun to navigate through and will give you a leisurely challenge. If you’re tired from walking through the maze, you can often enjoy a tractor-drawn hay ride afterward. Then there’s the best part, apple cider and fresh baked donuts. Cider from a cider mill is unmatched, but you can save some money by buying donuts at the grocery store.

10. Build and Decorate a Halloween House

Gingerbread houses aren’t just for Christmas! Start a new tradition this Halloween and decorate a Halloween cookie/gingerbread haunted house. There are kits available or you can build one from scratch. Picture this; a delectable Hershey path leading up to a candy corn decorated home with a chocolate roof, all surrounded by a chocolate pretzel fence. You might not get far though because those building materials might end up in your mouth, and there’s nothing wrong with that!

These fun and low-cost trick-or-treat additions (or alternatives) will help ensure families get the most budget-friendly excitement from the season.

If you want to go all out this Halloween, or need help with other expenses, apply for an installment loan today.