Save money on Halloween costumes!

Remember when Halloween meant going through your dress-up box, or throwing a sheet over your head and yelling “Boo” at your neighbours made you the scariest thing this side of Elm St?(Ok, maybe that was just eight-year-old me).

Now, as a parent, the really scary thing is the price of Halloween costumes.

Here are some ideas to help your ghoul or goblin get garbed up without scaring your wallet.

Compromise                                                               

So your five-year-old is obsessed with Disney Princesses. That doesn’t mean that you need to shell out $40 for the Belle costume displayed at your grocery store in the seasonal aisle.

How about just being a regular princess? Get a fancy dress (maybe you have something shiny from your prom many years ago lining the back of your closet) and accommodate it for the evening. Go to the dollar store and get some shiny shoes (they only need to last a night) and a tiara.

Depending on your colour scheme, yellow, blue or pink- that’s how you decide which princess you are (Belle, Cinderella or Ariel).

This, of course, can be applied to whatever character your child adores at the moment.

Sell your Child on the Unique

Halloween is a short window for creative self-expression that few kids really take advantage of. I’m that annoying neighbour that wants to chat to the kids with the cool costumes, holding up the candy line and taking delight in the hilarity of the creativity.

Parental Elbow Grease

Got a cardboard box, nylon stockings, some cotton balls, a glue gun and some basic craft supplies? Get busy and help you kid build something really cool.

Think robot, traffic light, skunk, road (got any toy cars lying around?), dice, Minecraft dude, washing machine or a Rubik’s Cube. Sky’s the limit!

Beg or Borrow

The same principle applies as it does for you looking for an outfit for an occasion.  Dive in to your friend/neighbour/family member’s stash and see if they have anything suitable.

Kids are reticent to wear the same costume two years in a row, but if the costume is new to them, well that’s a different story.