The price people pay to celebrate Halloween is getting scary. The total spent on Halloween is projected to reach $10.6 billion, up from $10.1 billion in 2021. But not everyone wants to spend that much on Halloween decorations, costumes and party food.
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Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to avoid scary bills this season -- but you'll need a game plan before you head out to the Halloween store. When you're putting together Halloween party ideas on a budget, don't overlook ways to snag cheap Halloween costumes, pare down Halloween food costs, and pick up other Halloween stuff that's already on sale. Here are 10 Halloween ideas for throwing a killer party for under $50.
1. Shop Online for Halloween Decorations
- Cost: $20 or less
Although big-box stores like Target and Walmart offer a large selection of Halloween costumes, decorations and party supplies, it can be tricky to stick to a budget of $50 when shopping the aisles at these stores. Shop online instead to pick up Halloween party supplies on the cheap from sites like Oriental Trading Company or even Amazon to stretch your dollars. You can also find tutorials on YouTube to make your own decorations, which will cost even less than buying them.
2. Head to the Dollar Store
- Cost: $10 or less
When your Halloween party supply list includes things like tablecloths, plasticware, streamers, and other basic supplies, make your way to a dollar store. You can take advantage of savings on Halloween candy, find cheap Halloween decorations, or pick up paper plates for as little as $1 for 8 plates at Dollar General.
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3. Borrow a Halloween Costume
- Cost: $0
Although you can find cheap Halloween costumes at stores like Party City and Target, your budget might be too tight to pay $20 or more for a Halloween ensemble this year. Consider borrowing a costume from a friend or family member to save money. You can customize the costume with some accessories to create your Halloween look for cheap or give an old idea a fresh new twist.
For example, you could borrow a friend's "Godfather" costume -- which retails for $43 at Party City -- and give it a new life. With some pale foundation, black lipstick and a black rose -- all available for $1 a piece at local dollar stores -- you've got yourself "The Goth-Father."
4. Save Money With In-Store Grocery Deals
- Cost: $10 or less
When you start putting together a Halloween food menu, make sure to shop smart at grocery stores. Check in-store sales and specials before you shop. Grocery stores like Publix, Wegmans and Vons put a wide range of items on sale with their "buy one, get one free" specials every week. Plan ahead to stock up on items like bottled water, baked goods and snacks.
5. Be Your Own DJ
- Cost: $0
Hiring a DJ or local musician to perform at your event is probably out of the question when you only have $50 to spend, but with Spotify, you can make a terrific playlist. You can even open it up to your guests so they can add songs throughout the night. This way, everyone's hearing the songs they want to, and you're not dropping hundreds of dollars on a band.
6. Host a Potluck
- Cost: $5 or less
The cost of food and drinks for a larger group can be the hardest expense to control when planning a party. Consider turning your event into a potluck so that everyone is responsible for bringing at least one dish to the party. You can create a suggested menu beforehand and assign attendees a dish to make sure you have a variety of foods available for guests. This way, you'll only be responsible for buying ingredients for a single dish or treat for the event.
An example of a fun treat that your guests -- and wallet -- will love are candy corn pudding pops. With the help of some vanilla and white chocolate pudding mix, yellow and orange food coloring and Popsicle sticks -- all of which many people have laying around in their cupboard -- you have yourself a chilly treat your guests will remember.
7. Buy Pumpkins Last
- Cost: $5 or less
Stores want to get rid of their pumpkins before Halloween is over, so prices are going to drop the closer you get to the holiday. Try to buy your pumpkin days before Halloween for the lowest price.
8. Charge Fees Without Charging a Cover
- Cost: $0
If you're afraid people won't show up to your party if you charge a cover to get in the door, consider charging a fee for a contest instead. "You could charge a costume entry fee to pool money for the best costume," said Brent Shelton, online shopping and consumer expert at FatWallet.
Charging a $5 fee to enter a costume contest, for example, means you could make $50 when just 20 people enter and split the entry fee 50-50 for the grand prize and to cover party costs. Many people will be happy to pay a fee to enter a competition because there's an incentive to win -- and cash doesn't have to be the only prize, either.
9. Let the Lightbulbs Do the Work
- Cost: Less than $1 per bulb
You don't have to spend a small fortune at a Halloween store just to create the right ambiance for your Halloween party. Trade all the light bulbs in lamps and ceiling light fixtures for red, orange, or purple light bulbs to create a creepy effect in every area of the home. You can buy a set of colored light bulbs on the cheap at stores like Walmart.
10. Postpone Your Halloween Celebration
- Cost: $0
Halloween falls on a Monday this year, so any weekend revelries would most likely take place on Saturday, Oct. 29, or the weekend before it. If you postpone the celebration until Saturday, Nov.5 -- you could pick up Halloween items at up to 90% off the price they were a week prior when stores put virtually everything Halloween-related on the clearance racks.
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Sam DiSalvo contributed to the reporting for this article.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Throw a Killer Halloween Party for Under $50
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