Halloween comes around once per year so it’s hard to think about shelling out money for a costume that will be worn once at best. When you have a houseful of kids, Halloween costumes can turn into big bucks! Despite this, we want our kids to have costumes they can be proud of. How do we mix the two? How do we give our kids what they want while still keeping the costs to a minimum?
It can be tough, but here are some tips on how to save on Halloween costumes for kids:
Shop the local thrift stores and Goodwill
- You will be amazed at the Halloween costume ideas that will spring up from the shelves in these places. If you look long enough, you eventually will come across virtually new store bought Halloween costumes for kids. You can also checkout Goodwill’s Pinterest page to get the creative (and frugal) juices flowing in your brain!
Dig out the old stuff
- Back the farthest reaches of your closet, you can most certainly find a great Halloween costume for your kid. Old hats, scarves and outfits can make some of the coolest Halloween costumes of all time. Be creative and see what you already have on hand. Kids love to dress up in mom and dad clothes anyway.
Work out a costume exchange
- Hook up with your friends and family and have everyone save their costumes each year. Then once per year when the Halloween season approaches, all of you can come together and share costumes. This is a great idea to save cash on kid’s Halloween costumes and will save you a ton of money in the long run.
Sell your used costumes annually
- Many of the Halloween places or even flea markets will purchase your old Halloween costumes if they are in good repair. This is particularly true of costumes that are generic in nature. You will have a tough time selling a Halloween costume of a movie that is popular for only one season, for example.
Be super simple
- If your children are young enough, be super simple. You don’t need to be extravagant to get the point across. For instance, this was my “Super Baby” last year in his Superman PJ’s! Didn’t cost me a dime!
Buy the year before
- This is a risky one but it is great if you are willing to roll the dice and get it right. Simply guess what size your kid will be the next year and buy some costumes on closeout. Again, if you are part of a group exchange, you can minimize your risks of it not fitting.
Shop for one online
- Halloween costumes for kids are much cheaper online than they are in the store. Enjoy the savings and shop the sites every so often to find the cheapest blowout deals. Savings events like the one at Zulily or online stores like eBay and Amazon often allow you to find the hottest costumes at seriously low prices if you are willing to put in the search time. Of course Walmart.com is the low-cost leader in just about everything, including Halloween Costumes.
Saving money on Halloween costumes for kids is really not that tough if you are willing to put in some effort. Teaming up with other parents, searching across all media and actually looking around your own home will no doubt get your kiddos ready for the season without breaking the budget!
Thanks for coming to Addicted to Saving! Here’s a little bit about me so you can know who’s behind all these posts!
My name is Liza and I began my money-saving journey in the Spring of 2009 as a way to stretch a limited household income. I had lost my job and my hubby was self-employed. I launched Addicted to Saving in November of 2009 and it has grown by leaps and bounds. Since then, my hubby and I have struggled with the ups and downs of two failed adoptions and are now LOVING being parents to our little man Asher who we brought home from Ethiopia in August of 2013. I feel incredibly blessed to be able to help you save money. My goal is that you will have FUN and become empowered to save more and more money each week..