Boo! It’s that time of year again to get your kids {and yourself!} dressed up for a night of fun!
Halloween costumes can cost a lot {especially if you are buying costumes for twins or multiple children}, but if you know some ways to save money on them, your Halloween budget does not have to be as scary. It is possible to dress up in what you want with very little to spend.
How to Save Money on Halloween Costumes
Hit up a thrift store for inspiration. You may not be able to get your entire costume there, but you will probably be able to get some good pieces that you can use. Plus, you will save money as well! Just make sure you shop early as many people use this way to save money on their Halloween costumes.
Look in your own closet. You probably have some basics like black t-shirts, sweats and so on that would be great for building a costume around. For instance, you can use a solid coloured black sweat suit as a base for an animal costume.
Consider hosting a costume exchange with friends and neighbours. Many people save costumes from year to year. You may be able to get some fun parts of a costume or if you are lucky, you could get a whole one.
Shop online for costumes or even costume pieces. For instance, if you have a child going as something that requires crutches or something else that may be hard to find (like a chef’s coat or hat) at a low price, look online. If you shop early enough, you can usually get things like this for fairly cheap.
Shop really early. Many times, when a store first starts stocking Halloween stuff, they offer an initial price at up to 50% off all costumes and accessories. This can happen as early as the beginning of September so make sure to keep an eye out. Also, shop for next year right after Halloween. Most of the time, you can save 50-75% off on the day after Halloween. Stock up for next year, even if all you get is face paint or a few accessories.
Look on Kijiji or eBay. people start to sell their costumes from last year starting in September on these websites. You can often get them in really good condition because they were usually only worn once.
Try not to buy licensed products or you’ll end up paying more. For instance, if you have a child that wants to go as a character in a new cartoon, look for other versions of the product aside from the licenced version. A generic blonde wig will be a much lower cost that the licensed version of it, for example.
Consider renting. Sometimes this is cheaper than purchasing, depending on what it is. You can often rent costumes or just costume pieces from local theatre companies or even consignment stores. This is often the best way to get expensive items that you may need for your costume but have no use for after the holiday is over. This is especially true for adult costumes, since they are generally a much high price than kids.
Any other money saving tips to share?
Robin says
I just spent a small fortune on my boys Halloween costumes. Maybe next year we can try to do some DIY ideas.
Kerri says
Don’t tell, I plan on raiding the dress up box for Halloween. Shhhhh!!
Karen says
These are all great ideas! We moms have to get pretty resourceful sometimes becaues heaven knows that Halloween’s crazy expensive!
Dawn says
I’m all about home made costumes. They’re fun to make, and they’re much cheaper that the store bought ones.
Ben @ Sweeptight says
We always make our own costumes, at least as much as we possibly can. Costumes are pricey, and most of the time they’re not better than our home made ones.
Courtney says
Thrift stores are a great source for Halloween costume supplies. There’s so much stuff there. All you need is a little creativity, and you can outfit the whole family.
Anne Taylor says
We still have all of our costumes from when we were kids (1960’s and 70’s) but my kids and I loved to go to all of the thrift shops around town looking for treasures we could transform into a costume!
Dominique says
We thrift store/DIY ours! Basics can be easily transformed with a little creativity! Thanks for the great tips!
kathy downey says
Hey thanks for all the ideas,maybe this year we will go homemade
AImee Smith says
My friends all have an exchange. Such a fun way to save money!
Athena says
what great tips. Thank you!
Lisa says
These are great tips. Resale shops and sharing among friends is a great way to save some money on Halloween.
Ann Bacciaglia says
Buying a new costume can be very expensive. Especially for large family’s. These are great tips.
Shauna says
we shop year round for costumes so that at Halloween we don’t have to… Ha! We love playing dress up so we always have costumes on hand… we also buy up tons the day after Halloween to give as christmas presents
Nolie says
Great tips. I am recycling my scrubs AKA nurse outfit from Blissdom a few years ago and we are hitting up Value Village tomorrow to put together a costume for my Tobei and find something for the 7 year old. 2 year old already picked out his costume.
Mama to 5 BLessings says
Our family does not celebrate halloween. Great tips for families that do – good way to save money.
Mama to 5 BLessings says
Our family does not celebrate halloween. Great tips for families that do – good way to save money.
Jennifer Williams says
I always go shopping right after Halloween. I stock up on several costumes for playtime and then some to hold back for the next year. It saves a lot when they are on clearance.
Christi says
Great tips! I personally think DIY costumes are cuter than store bought a lot of times – I love seeing creativity shine through!
Janel says
Costume exchange is a great idea!! We usually buy costumes the year before on clearance.
Marina @ Mommy Snippets says
It’s always nice to save money where you can. What adorable kids!
SueSueper says
Great tips. Looking online for a used one is my favorite tip.
nicolthepickle says
A costume exchange is a great idea. Because everyone’s kids grow and change.
angela m says
These are some great tips. Halloween can get expensive with having to buy candy and costumes.
JaimeeM says
Ive thought about making a costume for my son, but ive put it off for so long, i will probably just buy him one. lol… im a sucka
Teresa Claire says
My daughter, Sara at 26, still loves Halloween and spends a fair bit of time creating really great costumes. These are great ideas and tips. A few years ago, I had a friend help make Sara’s fairy costume. It turned out beautifully. I will have to post the picture on Facebook. I bought the wings from Value Village and I recall them being very inexpensive.
April says
Great tips. I always shop early and mostly online. Sometimes it is good to see the stuff in person as well.
Erika Belanger says
Great tips! I am going to check Kijiji and our local Buy and sell! I found my daughters on there last minute last year! Thanks so much for all the awesome tips, as saving money is crucial for our one income family!!
Lynda Cook says
I love going to the thrift stores and just let your imagination go wild, you can come up with some pretty cool costumes!!
Deanna Barkley says
Some of the most effective costumes I have seen have been made from materials you find around the house i.e. cardboard boxes. They make great robots, tv screens, cars and the list goes on.
Holly H says
What great ideas! After buying costumes for years I am trying to make them this year! Wish me luck 🙂
Rozlind Anderson-Pringle says
great tips
Amy Desrosiers says
Love these tips! Second hand stores are a must shop at for unique costumes!
Kat E. says
Seems like thrift stores are really popular with your readers! We always find great gently costumes at our local small charity store. They even have pet ones this year too! They save them until October to put out for sale, so there’s always a great selection 🙂
Amanda says
I really like the idea of a costume swap party! This year we are reusing costumes and my oldest picked something super easy that she can wear her own dance gear.
Judy Cowan says
Love thrift stores for Halloween costumes, as well as a little DIY you can throw together a costume for little money. I hate spending a ton on something that only gets wore for a couple hours at most. Dollar stores are always good for accessories.
Leslie says
Great tips! I like to save by making as much of the costume myself as I can
Stacy Scott says
WOW What great Tips and ideas =) Being a mom to 10 some of theses ideas are really going to come in handy =) Thank you sharing =) Now let the fun begin =) <3
Mandee Thomas says
Thank you for the tips! Very useful 🙂
Anna W says
I was just looking at all the Halloween costumes at the thrift store today. There were so many for $1-$2 each and some were even brand new! I will be bringing my kids back tomorrow to pick what they want to wear.
Susan says
Use the free sites on Facebook. Trade, trade, trade!
Angela Mitchell says
Great tips. I’ll have to remember them for next year!
Krista M says
Great ideas! This year I did a combination of shopping early, thrift store finds, handmaking items, with new pieces as accessories mixed in & they turned out great.
Isabelle Simard says
Each year we have a “hallowwen” market with a lot of used costumes from last year. I’m sewing so i buy bigger one and modernise them at really low cost
Denise E says
Thanks for the tips!
Jaye says
Another place to look may be a local Mom FB group for inexpensive or free kid costumes
sonia p says
Thrift store is the best store if you need a suit for a costum.