Are you looking for tips on saving money on Halloween costumes? Here are a few things that I have learned after having four kids! This post may contain affiliate links.
I’ve accomplished something this year that I have not been able to do in the past seven years since becoming a mom. It is not October yet, and I already have all four of my kids’ Halloween costumes washed, prepped, and ready to go! Normally, I’m the mom who is feverishly sewing at 11:59pm on October 30, but not this year! I’m still the same frazzled mom, but this year I’m having a small surgery next month in mid-October. This has heightened my need to be prepared. But during this period of early preparation, I learned several tricks on saving money when buying Halloween costumes for kids.
-Start early. If it is October 25 and you are reading this post, you’re going to be out of luck. Last minute typically means settling for whatever is left at whatever price the Halloween party store is asking. Start looking for Halloween costumes early!
-Cross your fingers that your kids pick a common character or costume idea. My kids wanted to be a variety of Marvel characters. These are fairly easy to find used, thus at a discounted rate. Anything “new” or “trendy” will be difficult to find used, and then your best bet to save money is to DIY the costume.
-Visit consignment sales. Many organizations, preschools, and churches host fall consignment sales. Most of these sales will have a dedicated Halloween costume rack or a dress-up clothing rack. You may be able to find used costumes (or even new ones) at a huge discount from store prices.
-Visit consignment stores. Does your area have a Once Upon a Child? This is a consignment store for kids’ items only. After searching 8 or 9 racks, I found 3 of my 4 kids’ Halloween costumes. Each costume was $4.50 A PIECE! I spent less on these three costumes than I did on one Spider-Man costume from a retail store. Try to find a similar store in your area and hit them up now! The hottest costumes sell out quickly!
-DIY a costume simply. Just because a costume is DIY doesn’t mean that it cost less than the store. For instance, this Merida costume that I made for my daughter a few years ago cost just as much (if not more) as a store bought costume. If you’re looking to save money with DIY, keep it simple. Sweatshirt and sweatpant costumes are easy (and often at least the pants can be re-worn throughout the winter). I made this DIY Infant Bear costume three years ago with a sweat shirt jacket. By switching up the colors and ears, you could make almost any animal that you can imagine for the cost of a sweat shirt jacket and some felt!
-Check out online sites like eBay, other selling apps, or Amazon. Even just purchasing a superhero cape can make a quick costume out of a shirt and tights. This set of four capes and masks equals to $6 per cape and mask combo!
-Ask friends. Do you have a lot of friends with small kids? I’ve noticed more mothers posting on Facebook, looking for specific Halloween costume items. Much to my surprise, they usually find the costume that they want. Swapping Halloween costumes or dress up items between mom friends is a good way to save money.
How have you saved money on Halloween costumes over the years?
