Halloween is literally just around the corner and whether you are planning on hosting your own haunted house, or staying in for a spooky movie marathon, then chances are you'll need to get in some ghostly decorations to set the atmosphere.
Of course, with many of us still continuing to feel the pinch from the cost of living crisis, the mere thought of spending quite a bit of money on some decorations is enough to give our bank accounts a nightmare.
However, if you're looking to bring some hocus pocus vibes to your home for less, then there is one place that will always have your back - and that is Home Bargains. The popular budget retailer has become legendary for its vast variety of affordable items at lower prices, and it currently has a huge Halloween collection in stores for shoppers to check out.
Considering I am a huge fan of both spooky season and a trip to Home Bargains, I wanted to see if I could actually get in some cute, yet affordable, decorations for the home while sticking to a tight budget.
Armed with a budget of around £10 and a mission to find an affordable spooky Halloween haul, I headed to my local Home Bargains at the Beach Boulevard Retail Park in Aberdeen, and, let me tell you, I was surprised at what was on offer.
I arrived at the store with the intentions of purchasing some seasonal homeware items that could be used to give anyone's home those haunted vibes for less, and was stunned at how much I could choose from. I mainly aimed for their Haunted House and Hallow Scream branded items, as I found these to have the most affordable items, with prices as low as just 99p.
In true Home Bargains fashion, there was a full aisle dedicated to the spookiest holiday of the year. From costumes and accessories to candles and multipacks of sweets, there was something for everyone this Halloween. Of course, there were also two aisles dedicated to Christmas, but that's another shopping trip for another day.
Here is what I was able to buy from Home Bargains Halloween aisle and how much each item cost.
Like anyone at this time of year, I wanted to find a cute door decoration that would remind everyone in the street that I was ready for Halloween. The store actually had quite a few bargains for door displays that ranged from cute to very spooky, so there was something for everyone.
I ended up going for a super cute Happy Halloween Door Cover with a frightening pumpkin display that cost me just 99p. There were other options such as tinsel wreaths at £2.99, so you can't scoff at that.
Over to the items for a spooky display at home, I managed to find multiple options for anyone who is hosting a Halloween party at home this year. I'm talking table runners, bunting, ghost balloons and light-up Jack-O-lantern's.
Some of the highlights I found were the 12 pack Haunted House Spooky Balloons (£1.99), 40 pack of Halloween Spiders (99p) and a Hallow Scream Make Your Own Monster Bunting (99p).
These three gifts came to the total of just £3.97, making them perfect items for anyone looking to create their own haunted house while staying on a budget.
At this point, for four items, the total had only come to just £4.96, so I decided to see if there were any other items that would be great for anyone with families. If you have little ones, then you'll know this is a fun time of year for getting involved in fun activities with the kids, whether it be carving pumpkins, or heading out guising.
One of the stand-outs for me is the Scavenger Hunt Game for just £1.99, as well as a fun activity pack for just £1.49. Both of these items would work well for any families who are hosting a Halloween party for their kids. Both would be great little knickknacks to pop in a party bag - and there were a few monster bags on sale for as little as £1.99.
And, is it even Halloween if you don't pick up a large themed bowl to pop in all your sweets? No, it isn't. Which is exactly why I managed to snap up a cute plastic 'Trick or Treat' Halloween bowl for just £1.29 that can be filled with all your favourite chocolates and sweets to hand out to the guizers this year. Or for scoffing by yourself while you watch the latest scary movie on Netflix, I am not judging here.
Lastly, but absolutely not least, since it was Halloween, I know that we all need some super cute pumpkins in our lives. It's a fact that we all know, but I don't make the rules here. And Home Bargains has a lot. From their popular Pumpkin Casserole to pumpkin baubles for your mantlepiece, there is a lot on offer. And with prices between £16.99 and 99p, you can't complain.
For me, one of the cutest, and cheapest options for pumpkin fanatics, is the Glitter Pumpkin (£1.49) that will add that extra autumnal vibe to your home for the entire season.
The overall verdict
I managed to find a whole host of Halloween items that were priced incredibly low. Of course, there were some larger items such as hanging skeletons and haunted houses for £12.99, but there is a lot of cute items for anyone looking to get more than one item for less.
I ended up finding a lot of smaller items, and spooky knickknacks, that were perfect for anyone looking to bring the scary season to their home while sticking to a budget.
Overall, I managed to pick up seven items that were perfect for either adding the seasonal touch to the home, or for giving the little ones something fun to do - all for the total of just £11.22. That's less than what I would have paid for one larger item, which, I have to admit, I would rather buy seven items for less, than one that would cost more.
As you can tell, I was fairly impressed with what was on offer, and there is a lot of low-cost Halloween décor items that you can get for less at Home Bargains this year - meaning, you can serve up the scares at home, and not for your bank account.
