Is it Just Me or Is Halloween Like Crazy Expensive?

I absolutely love decorating and now that we've moved into this awesome house, I have felt the urge to decorate every square inch of it.  Then real life sets in and I walk around Target and see that every Pinterest-worthy item is easily $20 or more.  A couple items later and you've spent $100 and that's only the bathroom. Yikes!

It also certainly doesn't help that the other end of our street is stacked with houses that are decked to the nines with holiday decor.  There's a house that is overwhelmed with huge fake spiders and it looks totally and completely awesome.  Another family built this crate that when you walk by it, it shakes furiously.  The number of Halloween-style cemeteries on the end of my street is impressive.  For awhile there I tried to brainstorm how I could bring the dancing ghosts from Disney's Haunted House ride to my yard because I felt the strong urge to one-up those cemeteries.

 

 

Then I realized that might be impossible.  

 

However this is not the first holiday that Ryan and I have been married and on a limited budget.  Last year, when we lived at Vandenberg AFB, we had a roommate named Brittany.  Brittany and I have been good friends for a long time and definitely decked out the entire house in Halloween decor.  Her birthday is towards the end of the month and we held a Halloween party but everything that could be decorated had something Halloween related with it.

 

Here are my top tips for celebrating Halloween within in a budget:

 

 

 1. Look for sale items and utilize coupons.

Although this seems like a no-brainer, people have a tendency to pick up an item as soon as they think they might need it.  Michael's has Halloween decor on sale starting in late September and usually it's 40% off.  The problem with waiting for Halloween to be over with and looking for post-Halloween sales is that stuff either completely gone or picked over.  Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Joanne's, and Target all have apps and weekly coupons.  You could end up saving 40% with an app coupon and that smartphone is handy to have around.

 

2.  Choose decorations that can be used again.

Last year, Brittany and I invested in probably 20 spiderwebs.  We had the glow-in-the-dark webs and they covered everything from our outside decor to the vaulted ceilings in our rental house.  We threw them all away once Halloween passed and that's something I regret.  Last year, those stretchy spiderwebs were $1-$2, but this year they're $3.  That means by simply buying three spiderwebs for outdoor decor, you're investing $9 into something that will be thrown away.  By choosing quality decorations, you can use them year after year.  

Last year I also visited a Halloween party store...one of my favorite things.  Everything is really cheap, however, it's cheap because it really only lasts for that Halloween.  After Halloween had passed, only two of the five foam tombstones in our front yard made it.  I salvaged those two but even this year, they really can't handle Montana winds.

 

3.  If you can save it, save it.

One of my favorite decorations that we have are the black diecut bats from a Martha Stewart craft kit that I got on sale at Michael's last year.  They're made out of thick cardstock and the sticky tabs that they came with are obviously no longer good this year, but a $3 package of command poster tabs is a great replacement. 

 

4. Little things can work wonders.

Little items, such as Halloween-themed bathroom hand towels, bunting, or a small garland are the little details that add up to so much more.  If I see smaller ceramic pumpkins on sale, I usually buy them because they can go on any surface in your home or can be used for a greater collection.

 

5. Thrift!

If you didn't know, Target donates leftover stock items to local Goodwills.  So definitely stop by and see what you can find.  This year, I found Halloween items from last year that were only a couple bucks.  On that trip I spent $30 at Goodwill but got a ton of decorating items for places like my kitchen and the bathroom. 

6. Compare but be Realistic.

Instagram and Pinterest are great tools to stir your creative pot and get ideas flowing.  However, make sure to be realistic with your budget and time.  The house down the road may be in a better financial situation, or they have been collecting decorations for years.  Don't play "keeping up with the Smith's." It will become exhausting and takes the fun out of decorating.  Also remember that simplicity goes a long way.

What are your tips for Halloween decorating?

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Not-So-Scary Fun with the Neighbors: "You've been BOOed" DIY

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One of my favorite Halloween traditions and a great way to kick off October is "boo-ing" your neighbors.  It's a simple and fun activity that is a perfect excuse to spread some Halloween cheer throughout the neighborhood.  The past couple of days, neighbors have been going all out on their houses.  My personal favorite is a house that has huge spider scaling the exterior walls- it's pretty neat.  Another corner house has created a full on cemetery that goes around the block.  I've never had the experience of passing out candy to trick-or-treaters on base, and unfortunately that's happening again this year as I got scheduled for alert.  However, I love doing things like this to get into the spirit of the season.

So how does it work?

1. Essentially you pick two families or friends to create goodie bags or baskets for and that's your starting place.   The first family I chose has a one-year old and a brand new baby, both girls.  The second family I chose is a young couple who is around Ryan and my age and they don't have pets or children.  Definitely two different dynamics, and a lot of fun to shop for.

2. Choose a container to present your Halloween finds.  At only $1 at Target, pumpkin pails are a great choice to stash your goodies for your neighbors.  You can also find baskets on sale at Michael's and Hobby Lobby.  Another great place to check out are thrift stores like Goodwill where you can find quality baskets for only a few dollars.

3. Fill her up!  This isn't meant to be an expensive activity but it's easy to get wrapped up in picking up $2-$3 items.  My rule for myself was to choose items under $2, unless it was a bigger item and then I accounted for that.  For both families I shopped at Target and had a few items that I had from previous shopping trips.  A great place to look for items are dollar sections.  Michael's always has great stuff on sale and so does Target's dollar bins.  What I really like about Target, is that their Halloween section features costumes, decorations, and crafts.  I was able to find items in their dollar bins and Halloween section with affordable prices.

For family #1, I chose two crafting sets ($2/each), a set of stickers (99 cents), a Halloween Skittles container ($1), Creepy Gummy Worms ($1), and had a set of baby girl onesies from a gift I forgot to give awhile back (whoops).  For family #2, I chose a cotton candy cone that glows ($1), chocolates in bone shapes ($1), Halloween shot glasses ($1 from the dollar bins at Target), a ghost cookie cutter ($1), Stickers (99 cents) and Halloween Skittles container ($1).

Definitely think out of the box and try to come up with fun and unique ways to gift items.  If you shop at Bath and Body Works frequently, they usually have a buy three, get three deal and if you pick up extras of Halloween scents, consider throwing in a lotion or body wash.  They also have the 5 for $5 deal on antibacterial hand sanitizers.  You can always add additional candy or create little goodie bags ($1 at Target). 
 
4. Create a "you've been boo'd" sign to post.  I bought two large foam ghosts from Michael's (each $1).  I then took puffy paint and wrote "you've been boo'd" on each one.  These will be taped to the front doors of your neighbors house as you leave their baskets behind.  This signals to everyone else that the family has already been "haunted."

Download available below

5. Be sure to include two copies of instructions.  One set for each family.  After they receive their gifts, they'll pick two families who haven't been "boo"ed yet and make baskets for them.  You can download a set of instructions here.  

Is this a tradition with your family and neighborhood?

What is your favorite part about booing your neighbors?

If you liked this post, share it with others! If you feel particularly moved by it, leave a comment because I love feedback and discussion. Social media links are provided below and thanks for reading!