Bargaineering: 4 Ways to Save on Halloween

With the most frightful of holidays nearly here, we shouldn't let the cost of this ghoulish weekend be the source of our Halloween fears. (That should be left for the little goblins and ghosts sure to knock on our doors!) Here are some of my top Bargaineering ways for having fun on Halloween without breaking the bank:

CANDY
One of the biggest Halloween expenses is, of course, candy. There are plenty of ways to save on Halloween candy. With the economy as weak as it is, no one will take exception if you opt to buy cheaper candies this year (or take the day off altogether). Sugar-based candies are usually cheaper than chocolate ones, and you can often buy them in bulk from one of the big box stores. Try to have fun with the candy, too. Wrap cheap lollipops in tissue paper and draw eyes to make ghosts. Everyone loves ghosts!

COSTUMES
The second biggest Halloween expense is definitely costumes. Making your own costumes will always be cheaper than buying a store-bought costume, plus it gives you the opportunity to showcase your creativity. Check out these more than 20 DIY Halloween costume ideas from The Frugal Yankee for inspiration.

Not into DIY costumes? Consider a costume swap with a friend. If you don't have a costume to trade, ask to borrow one. If that isn't an option, check thrift stores to see if they have anything available on the cheap.

If you have children and they play sports, they can always go as an athlete without any added expense. If they don't, perhaps there's an adult job they like that they can pretend to do with the aid of some props, which you might find at the thrift store.

DECORATIONS
Halloween decorations can be as complicated or as simple as you want them to be, so go simpler and get creative this year if you want to same some cash. Cleverness wins the day when it comes to Halloween, we all remember sticking our hands in a box and touching "brains" right? Even if it was just spaghetti, it was fun!

You can make a lot of clever decorations with just a little arts and crafts savvy. Spiders can be made from black paper plates with glued-on streamers. Ghosts can be balls of newspaper wrapped in large tissue paper. Use your imagination!

SEASONAL SALES
Finally, don't forget that, as Halloween nears, many stores will be trying to unload Halloween-themed inventory through clearance sales and bargain prices on all of their Halloween products. They don't want to be holding on to all that out-of-season stuff come November 1st, but you can save big by stocking up for next year.

Story: Copyright 2010, Shoestring LLC & Bargaineering.com. Image: iStock.