Hosting a Halloween Party on a Budget

By Courtney NagleOctober 16th, 2014Budgeting and Saving Money

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The National Retail Federation predicts that the average person is expected to spend $77.52 this Halloween, up almost $2.50 from last year. That means total spending on Halloween this year could hit $7.4 billion. With figures like these, who wouldn’t be frightened of how Halloween could affect your budget? The good news is that the fun doesn’t have to break your bank or scare the cash right out of your pocket. You can throw a huge Goblin Bash or Witch’s Cauldron Pot-luck party for little costs to you (and with minimal planning) using these easy ways to decorate and supply your party with yummy snacks. Follow these tips, and it will make Halloween the perfect excuse to have some fun whether you have little ones or not.

Make it a Pot-luck

If everyone brings a dish, the costs for food is distributed among all the attendees, leaving you from the burden of the expense. It also can be fun for others to bring something, and you can make it a Halloween themed potluck. There are tons of ideas on Pinterest for dishes made to look like witches fingers, bloody Band-Aids, or even animal bones. The more disgusting it appears, the better, just make sure they know it should still taste good.

Serve Blood Punch

An easy way to provide a drink at your party is to create a punch. You can use Hawaiian punch and Sprite to create a Bloody Punch to match your snacks. Put some fake vampire teeth on the ladle and this will be an easy way to decorate and add to the fun.

DIY Halloween Decorations

There are several easy ways to decorate your home for cheap. You can easily make ghosts to hang outside your home using trash bags, a sharpie, and a balloon. You can use tape or string to hang them up inside or out.

Another easy idea is to make glowing jars using glow sticks you can purchase from the dollar store. Just cut the glow stick open and pour the contents into a jar. Add a little water and draw faces on the jars and you have your own glowing luminaries for very cheap.

Make your own Costume

Making your own costume will be a fun activity and could end up making you money. Making your own costume also gives you the freedom to dress up as whatever you want without needing to find the costume in a traditional party store.

Have a Fun, Frighteningly Frugal Time!

With these ideas you can plan a fun get together with your friends and family without anyone having to dish out a huge chunk of cash. This gives everyone the opportunity to take part in the fun, no matter the size of each person’s budget. It also takes the pressure off of you and distributes the responsibilities evenly so you can have fun without too much stress.

So have some fun this Halloween. And remember, if you need more help with your budget and taking the spooks and scares out of your finances, contact us for a free credit counseling session.