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'Tis the Season...to Spend


A few years ago, I came across a cartoon created especially for this time of year. It showed a picture of an older couple walking by a store window full of what appeared to be mismatched decorations–Santa’s sleigh stuffed with a giant pumpkin and being pulled by a turkey, a snowman in a pilgrim’s hat holding a trick-or-treat bag, a Christmas wreath with ghosts, among other things. But what I found to be the funniest was the banner stretched across the store window that said, “Merry Thanksgivoween – Sept. 1 thru Jan. 1.”

Obviously, retailers are trying to overwhelm us with the “holiday season,” and there is a reason for it. When we are overwhelmed, we are less likely to stick to a plan and more likely to spend money we don’t have. Well, we are ON TO THAT nonsense, and we have some ideas of how to save money, starting with the Fall kickoff holiday, Halloween.

  • Costumes: trade with friends and family members, see what you can use around the house (as kids, my sisters and I once sent our mom to work as a bathroom, shower curtain and all–it was awesome), and go to second-hand stores…I once won a costume contest with something we found at Goodwill.
  • Decorations: check those second-hand stores for those, too. Be selective in the new decorations you buy–get some you can re-use. Buy one each year. Take good care of it and store it properly. Maybe even wait until it goes on clearance before buying it in the first place. If you decorate pumpkins, paint them and then use the pumpkin to make those yummy pies, bread, and cookies. Or make some decorations. Get creative! One of my favorites was a witch’s broom made from a large stick, strips of dark material and a paper bag spray-painted black.
  •  Candy for trick-or-treaters: Only buy as much as you think you will need. Get the cheap stuff–Dum Dums, Tootsie Rolls, Smarties, OR use some of the candy your kids have already received (and probably won’t eat) from other Halloween activities before the big night. Let’s be honest, no kid needs ALL that sugar. If you run out of candy during the night (not the end of the world), turn off your porch light. And speaking of pre-Halloween activities…
  • Activities: There are lots of FREE things to do all during October. Remember to check out the My Discovery Destination! in your community to get a list. Or check Facebook.
  •  Traditions: Halloween is a fun time to establish family traditions. Bake and decorate pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies together, make those decorations, and take a look at the Discovery Family program with My Discovery Destination! for more fun ideas.


With a little original or borrowed creativity, you don’t have to let Halloween be financially scary.

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