The best Halloween money-saving tricks, from DIY costumes to cheap treats

To Save Your Pennies This Halloween Without Sacrificing the Fun

As spooky season approaches, households are bracing themselves for what's expected to be another pricey Halloween. The cost of ingredients, production costs, and packaging has led to price hikes on popular sweet treats like Haribo Starmix and chocolate. However, with a little creativity and planning, families can enjoy all the thrills without breaking the bank.

For those eager to indulge in sweet goodies, experts recommend buying individually wrapped treats – they last longer, stay hygienic, and reduce waste if they're not all handed out. Buying sweets your household enjoys will also help you avoid wastage. By comparing prices per kilogram or considering the number of sweets in each bag for trick-or-treaters, families can find affordable alternatives.

DIY costumes are another money-saving trick that's gaining popularity. Instead of buying expensive store-bought costumes, raiding your wardrobe and repurposing clothes will save you a pretty penny. Make your own spooky ears using an old headband or black card cut into triangles to pair with a black top for a mysterious black cat look. You can also reuse props like fake blood stains on damaged clothes to create the illusion of zombies.

When it comes to decorations, British shoppers are buying an average of 10 Halloween items every year – most of which end up in landfill. To combat this, experts suggest using simple materials already available at home or buying reusable decorations that can be used for years to come. A spider doorstop from Cancer Research will do the trick, priced at £6.99.

Hosting a shared activity instead of heading out is also an effective way to save money. Games like apple bobbing and pinning the wart on the witch's nose are cheap or free, making them perfect for family gatherings. Use DIY decorations, create your own spooky ambiance with string lights, and make use of sound effects apps to recreate a haunted house experience at home.

Finally, pumpkins don't have to be thrown away after they're carved. Instead, roast the flesh to add it to soups or purees, making for a seasonal treat that won't leave you with an empty pumpkin patch.

idk why ppl need 2 spend so much on halloween treats tho like whats wrong w/ having candy at home? & btw, £6.99 4 a spider doorstop from Cancer Research? lol sounds like they're just trying 2 scam ppl out of their hard earned cash ugh

I think people are way too invested in buying all that fancy Halloween stuff. Like, do we really need all those individually wrapped sweets? Can't we just get a few bags of regular candies and be done with it? And what's up with DIY costumes? I mean, I've got old clothes lying around the house too, but why bother rummaging through them when you can just buy something that'll fit? Plus, have you seen some of those costumes they sell online? They're kinda ridiculous. Let's be real, it's not like we're gonna be wearing them every other day after Halloween anyway...

I mean come on , it's Halloween, let's not stress about breaking the bank . I love that people are getting creative and finding ways to save without sacrificing the fun! Buying individually wrapped treats is a genius idea - who needs to waste all those sweets just because they're individually wrapped? And DIY costumes are a total game-changer . It's like, get crafty with what you've got at home and you'll be rocking that spooky look in no time.

And have you seen the prices of pumpkin decorations lately?! £6.99 for a spider doorstop is like, totally reasonable . I mean, Cancer Research is doing some great work over there too. Plus, hosting your own Halloween party at home is basically free - just use what you've got and get creative with it .

And let's not forget about the pumpkin - people are so wasteful with those things . Roasting the flesh is a great way to use them up and reduce food waste. It's all about finding ways to make Halloween work for you, not against you .

omg u guys i cant believe ppl r still gettin ripped off by haribo starmix prices lol! i no its halloween and we all wanna have fun but dont u think its time to make some changes? like makin ur own costumes instead of buyin expensive ones, or buyin individually wrapped sweets so u dont waste them. and why do ppl gotta throw away pumpkins after they're carved? can't we reuse them?! i mean, a spider doorstop from cancer research is £6.99 tho thats still kinda pricey but hey at least its reusable. hosting games like apple bobbing at home sounds like so much fun tho! anyone try makin ur own spooky ambiance with string lights?

I'm loving this idea of being creative around Halloween! I mean, who says you have to break the bank to have fun? My family is already planning on making some DIY costumes and decorations – it's going to be so cool to reuse old clothes and make our own spooky accessories. And instead of buying individual treats, we're going to buy a big bag of sweets and just divvy them out ourselves. Saves us so much money in the long run! Plus, hosting a game night at home is such a great way to save on transportation costs and have everyone together for a fun night. I'm also loving the idea of using our pumpkins for soups and purees afterwards – reduces waste and gets us some yummy seasonal food!

I'm not sure I'd say most people are super on board with cutting back on Halloween spending this year . Like, don't get me wrong, being frugal is always a good idea... but there's something to be said for indulging in some sweet treats and spooky fun without breaking the bank . Plus, who doesn't love making their own DIY costumes from old clothes? It's like, totally doable! And I think people are starting to see that buying reusable decorations and hosting shared activities can be a great way to save money without sacrificing any of the Halloween vibe... but we'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out this year .

ugh i'm so over people always saying save money on halloween lol what's the point of halloween if u cant splurge on some decent treats like who needs to be thrifty when its oct 31st?! but idc, i guess if u wanna be all responsible about it, buyin individual wrapped sweets is a thing and stuff... DIY costumes r cool tho, my sis made this wicked black cat costume from an old top and some cardboard ears lol! and can we pls just use reusable decorations already?? those spider doorstops 4 £6.99 are actually kinda cute?

omg u guyz i am literally so excited for halloween this year!!! i've been counting down the days till october 31st and i just can't wait to dive into all things spooky and kooky my fave thing about halloween is decorating our house with DIY stuff - like using cardboard boxes to create tombstones or making paper bats out of old newspapers i also love planning fun games and activities with my fam, like bobbing for apples and playing pin the wart on the witch's nose what about u guys tho? how do u plan on celebrating halloween this year?

I'm so sick of these price hikes ! Can't we just trick-or-treat without our wallets crying? I mean, who needs a £6.99 spider doorstop anyway? Just use a plastic spider from your old Halloween stash, it'll do the trick... and save you a few quid! ️ DIY costumes are where it's at too, rummage through your wardrobe and get creative! If I had to choose between throwing away my old clothes or buying some fancy new ones for Halloween, I'd say go with the old ones – they're probably not that far off from being worn out anyway .

omg i'm all about saving those pennies this halloween and having fun at the same time! buying individual treats is a genius move, duh - who needs a whole bag of candy if they only eat one piece? and repurposing old clothes for DIY costumes is literally the most eco-friendly thing ever plus, you can get super creative with it! i remember making my own spider decorations using just black card and some glue, it was so easy peasy . hosting games at home instead of going out to haunted houses or theme parks is also a great idea - we always have a blast at our family gatherings playing apple bobbing and pinning the wart on the witch's nose

Umm... I feel like Halloween is getting super expensive . Like, yeah, we get it, it's supposed to be fun and all but $10 for a single bag of candy? That's just steep for me . And what's up with the packaging? It's like, why can't they make treats that are already wrapped individually?

But I do like the idea of making our own costumes . My sister and I used to love doing that when we were kids... we'd raid grandma's closet and come up with these crazy outfits . And for decorations, I'm all about using stuff I've got lying around at home... I mean, who needs to buy a whole bunch of new decorations just because it's Halloween?

And the pumpkin thing is genius . We always end up throwing those away, but now we can roast the flesh and use it in soups or something . So yeah, maybe this year I'll be able to afford some candy without breaking the bank... fingers crossed!

I'm so done with all these Halloween treats and decorations taking over our lives... I mean, who needs all that sugar and artificial stuff? Instead of buying into the hype, why not try having a movie marathon or game night at home with your loved ones? You can even make some delicious pumpkin soup using those leftover pumpkins! Plus, you won't have to deal with all the extra packaging and waste that comes with it. Let's be real, the most important thing is spending quality time together, not breaking the bank or filling up our landfills.

I'm low-key disappointed in how pricey Halloween treats are getting I mean, who wants to break the bank on sweets when there's so many other ways to have fun without spending a fortune?

One idea is to make your own costumes – just get creative and raid your closet! ️ You can turn an old t-shirt into a ghost or a pair of jeans into a skeleton. I drew a quick sketch of what that could look like

Or, try making some DIY decorations instead of buying them all at once ️ Use items you already have at home to create spooky ambiance. For example, you can make a spider web using just string and a few tape rolls.

I also love the idea of hosting a shared activity at home Games like bobbing for apples or playing spooky sound effects are so much fun without breaking the bank

Here's a simple diagram I drew to show how to repurpose old clothes into Halloween costumes

omg u can literally save so much money on halloween by getting creative like buying individual wrapped sweets and not wasting them on stupid trick-or-treaters who will probably just eat the whole bag in 2 secs anyway lol. i also love the idea of repurposing clothes to make diy costumes it's like, genius and using reusable decorations is a great way to reduce waste. but honestly, the most important thing is to not spend too much money on stupid stuff u don't need and just have fun with what u already have

Umm so I was thinking about what to get my little sis for Halloween and I saw this article about how much stuff can cost... like whoa I mean I knew it could be pricey but I didn't realize how much. So yeah making your own costumes is a good idea, I got an old hoodie that's still cool and I think it'll work with some paint or markers to make it look spooky . And using stuff we already have at home for decorations is pretty smart too... like my mom just made me use last year's Halloween lights again . Oh and did you know you can roast the pumpkin after you're done carving it? Like what a great way to not waste anything .

It's crazy how something as fun as Halloween can become super pricey . I think what's really cool is that people are getting creative and coming up with their own DIY solutions like repurposing old clothes for costumes or making your own spooky decorations. And using stuff you already have at home, like string lights to create a spooky ambiance, is such a great idea! Plus, reusing pumpkins after they're carved is genius... who knew it could be used in soups? That's the kind of resourceful thinking we need more of .

Ugh, Halloween is like the one time of year where we have to justify eating candy and stuff ... but I guess if you're gonna splurge, buying individually wrapped treats makes sense? And using old clothes for costumes is a win-win, less waste and saved cash . But, can we talk about how weird it is that Cancer Research sells spider doorstops for £6.99? Like, what's next?

I'm low-key loving this Halloween hack! Buying individually wrapped treats is a game-changer, and using household items to create DIY costumes is genius ! Who needs expensive store-bought stuff when you can repurpose old clothes and have fun with it? And, omg, using simple materials at home for decorations is so eco-friendly . I'm definitely trying out that spider doorstop idea – £6.99 is a steal! Hosting shared activities instead of going out sounds like an amazing way to save cash and still have a blast .

️ I'm so sick of people throwing away whole pumpkins after just one night! Roasting the flesh is such a genius idea...I mean, why waste food? And DIY costumes are actually really cool - my friends and I used to do that all the time when we were younger. We'd raid our mum's old clothes and make these crazy outfits that looked like they belonged on a catwalk! Now that I'm older, I think it's a great way to save money and be creative at the same time. And buying individually wrapped treats is also a good tip - no one likes getting a handful of candy when all you want is one or two pieces .