Halloween on a budget: Tips For a Cheap But Fun Halloween celebration

Halloween is upon us, and we’ve got some tips and tricks to help you enjoy it on a budget this year.

Whether you want to go big or small with your Halloween festivities, here are some ideas for how to save money while still having tons of fun.

Easy costume ideas:

You don’t need to spend a ton of money on a fancy costume if you don’t want to. You can find all sorts of ready-made options at pound shops, in charity shops, or even just by rummaging through your wardrobe. Here are some ideas to get creative!

Ghost – A bed sheet and some scissors are all you need to create this one, it doesn’t come much simpler than this. Just make sure you get permission to cut up that bedsheet before turning it into a costume.

Zombie – Some well-placed fake blood, white face paint with black around the eyes, a couple of rips in an old t shirt and you’ve got a perfect zombie costume! You can get a little creative with this one adding some dirt for that fresh-from-the-grave look, a fake hand, or even a BRAAAAAAIN!

Vampire – Turn that collar all the way up, slick that hair right back, and get some cheap vampire teeth and a cloak and you’ve got a perfect vampire outfit. The great thing about a vampire costume is that you can do as much or as little as you want. Want to go full count? You can bust out the suit and hairspray, go Twilight with some glitter. Cool Lost Boys vibes? A leather jacket and some shades will complete the look.

If you’re looking for something that’s a little more unique and personal, consider face paint and make up instead of buying an elaborate costume from a store. It’s fun to let loose with your kids and have them try out different looks together.

Decorate the pumpkin don’t carve it!

Instead of throwing away all those pumpkin guts after carving your jackolanterns, use them for meals! You can make delicious dishes like soup or casserole using leftover pumpkin from carving time.

You can make this easier by decorating the pumpkin instead of carving it, ensuring those precious pumpkin guts stay fresh once the spooky season is over!

Recipes for pumpkins include soups, pumpkin pie, muffins, hummus and a list of others, you can find a full list of pumpkin recipes here. There’s a bunch of tasty and creative options for those with the right culinary skills and some simpler options for those looking to get into cooking.

For a really savvy option, you could even save those pumpkin seeds and start your own pumpkin patch, ready for next Halloween, free Jack O Lanterns for life!

Stay in with the family

Horror movie night:

While it might seem like an obvious choice, drawing the curtains, lighting the lanterns, and getting a bowl of popcorn ready for a night of classic horror films, is one of the best ways to spend the night!

Some movie picks for a spooky Halloween night:

The Thing (1982)

The Exorcist (1973)

Trick R’ Treat (2008)

Halloween (1978)

The Conjuring (2011)

DIY decorations:

If you’re feeling crafty, there are also plenty of DIY projects to decorate your home and they don’t have to be expensive! You can make your own decorations out of things around the house like egg cartons and toilet paper rolls. There are also tons of great tutorials on sites like Pinterest to create some nifty and fun homemade decorations.

If you’re trying to decorate the house without dipping into your cursed gold, check out sites like Olio where people are often giving away their old decorations for free! (especially towards the end of October)

Costume party:

Rather than booking some themed haunted house or paying over the odds for an expensive Halloween event, a costume party is always a hit. Gathering a couple of familiar, (and not so familiar), faces together for fun costumes, drinks, and food, can sometimes be the best way to spend Halloween night.

Making sure the cheer is shared by asking everyone to bring their own drinks can ensure that the host isn’t the one paying a frightening price this Halloween night! A couple of bags of treats, a good playlist, and some juice for a spooky punch are all the parts needed for a spooky home Halloween celebration.

Using all of the above tips for easy costumes and DIY decorations, you can host a graveyard ball without selling your soul and keep that spooky cheer throughout the spooky season.

Finally, be sure to keep some sweets handy for all the trick or treaters out on the hunt for treats. Shops like Poundland sell grab bags for around £2, meaning that getting involved doesn’t have to be too much of a trick…