Freaky Frugal Halloween
Rachel Webb
Retailers love Halloween. Kids love Halloween, but what about parents? With
early preparation and frugal shopping, Halloween can be a relaxing holiday and
a wonderful opportunity for families to spend quality time together. An online
poll at Halloween Magazine shows that Moms are spending anywhere from $50 -
$250 yearly buying costumes and decorating the house. How can you enjoy a
freaky Halloween and still be frugal?
COSTUMES Be creative and involve the whole family. Start by looking at your
resources and work with what you have. Jan in Mapleton, Utah used her resources
by dressing her children in her husband's UPS uniforms from work. The parents
were the packages wearing big boxes with "handle with care" and "fragile"
stickers. They were the hit of the neighborhood!
Since I have small children I try to purchase or make costumes that can be used
for other purposes like Princess themed birthday parties or use storybook
characters for school dress-up days, etc.
Remember to check out online auctions and goodwill stores for costume ideas.
Clearance Sales are my favorite.
FRUGAL DECORATIONS Carve an Amazing "Graveside Manner" Pumpkin jack-o-lantern
using the FREE pattern found at: http://www.pumpkinmasters.com/pmfree.html
Try dressing up a scarecrow and have it up a few days prior to Halloween so the
whole neighborhood gets used to seeing him as a fixture, and then substitute a real
person dressed as a scarecrow Halloween night!
Another cheap trick - Dig up small shovels of grass, then remove and saves a
little of the dirt throughout the yard. Next fill the empty holes with grocery
bags and puts the sod back on top. When Trick or Treater's walk on it they feel
like the ground is moving!
TRICK-OR-TREAT BUCKET Save your 1-Gallon plastic ice-cream buckets, let the
kids decorate them with markers or with adult help paint on eyes with glow in
the dark paint!
The best way to enjoy a frugal and freaky holiday is to Plan Ahead, be Creative
and look for unusual resources as an alternative to spending money!
Rachel Webb is a SAHM of 4 and designs decorative large
Magnetic Fridge Calendars. Her calendars are made entirely out of heavy duty
magnet, guaranteed not to slide off when the kids slam the fridge door!
PERFECT Christmas Gift Idea! Visit her site: http://www.Note-Ables.com
