A savvy mum has shared how she saves nearly £100 on Halloween festivities, all while keeping the kids happy. With costumes, parties and trick-or-treating on the agenda for most parents in October, costs can quickly add up.
To help parents save money on all things ‘Halloween’, CashLady.com has partnered with influencer and mum-of-two Emma Stretton, who has revealed her tried and tested tips for the spooky season. Emma, who lives in Sale, claims her tips will help parents to save an estimated £87.85.
She said: “I really love Halloween but it can get expensive. It seems to become a bigger celebration every year. I start planning ahead of time so I’m prepared and can keep costs down as much as possible whilst making sure the kids have lots of fun.”
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Emma's advice includes crafting homemade decorations and waiting until last minute to grab your pumpkins. Here are the tips, which have been created in partnership with Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) authorised and regulated credit broker CashLady.com , in full....
Pre-loved or DIY costumes
Emma says that when it comes to costumes for her children, she always shops on second-hand websites or make her own. She explained: "One year we did Mike and Sully from ‘Monsters, Inc’ using costumes I bought on eBay. My favourite was using some old dungarees and face paint to turn my toddler into Chucky!”
“Another year we did homemade pumpkins using a sheet of felt; I folded it in half, cut a hole for the head, sewed either side down and then threaded some elastic around the bottom to create a pumpkin shape. Then I drew on eyes and a mouth; it was as easy as that!”
“This year, I’ve bought second-hand Ghostbusters costumes for £6 each off eBay, whereas the new version costs around £17. Try to second-hand-shop as early as possible before the demand starts to rise.”
Estimated savings: £22
Emma spent £6 each on second-hand costumes for her kids, whereas a new version of the costume is being sold at Sainsbury’s for £17 each.
Home made decorations
The mum-of-two reuses the same homemade 'Happy Halloween' banner that was made years ago from old cardboard boxes, paint and string. She also has spiders, ghosts and pumpkins that were made from A4 sheets of felt, complete with yarn to hang them with.
Emma said: "You can also use inexpensive black sheets to drape in the window or white sheets to create ghostly figures. Cotton wool is great for recreating spider webs and you can paint glass jars in red or orange and put tea lights in for a spooky effect. They definitely look handmade, but they’ve become something of a tradition now and the kids still love them!”
Estimated savings: £5.85
Cotton wool, card, paint and string cost £6.15 at Wilko , whereas a set of new decorations costs roughly £12 on Amazon .
Pumpkins
Pumpkin picking is a fun tradition that really gets families into the Halloween spirit. Emma advises haggling on your visit to the pumpkin patch.
She said: "My kids love pumpkin picking. One year we bought a supermarket pumpkin which was cheaper but it wasn’t quite as magical. So now, we go to the pumpkin patch as close to Halloween as possible, which is when they want to get rid of what’s left.
"It’s only getting carved up so I don’t see the point of being precious about it and you can still get some good ones even at the last minute. Don’t be afraid to haggle when you’re looking for a last minute pumpkin - it’s another bonus of opting for a pumpkin patch over a supermarket! Usually, they’ll cost around £5 during peak times, but last year I got one right before Halloween for just £2.”
Estimated savings: £3
Emma saved an estimated £3 by getting a last-minute pumpkin.
Stock up
While Emma recommends leaving your pumpkin picking to the last minute, she doesn't advise doing the same for sweets.. She said: “I try not to leave any shopping until the last minute, as that’s when things can get expensive.
"So when it comes to Halloween sweets for trick-or-treaters, I’ll buy whatever is on offer for about £1 each time I do the food shop. I don’t really notice £1 each time but if I do that from mid-September I’ll have enough sweets come Halloween without forking out for them all in one go.
"Our local school is right on our doorstep so trick-or-treating is a big deal near us. I could save myself money by not buying sweets at all but it’s a community thing for us and I like to join in.”
Estimated savings: N/A
Spooky activities
While there are usually plenty of organised Halloween events going on, they can be costly. Instead, Emma's family prefer to make their own fun at home.
Emma explained: "Every year, we make a night of carving up the pumpkin which the kids love helping with. We’ll also put some spooky songs on and make ‘Halloween Rocky Road', basically just white chocolate rocky road with green food colouring and dried ‘blood’ (or cherries) - all of which can be found in the food cupboard.
"An afternoon watching some classic Halloween films like Hocus Pocus is my absolute favourite, and my eldest likes telling his own ghost stories."
Estimated savings: £57
Emma’s local Halloween Festival costs £12 per adult and £16.50 per child; that’s £57 for her whole family.
Commenting on the tips, CashLady.com ’s Personal Finance Expert, Dan Whittaker, said: “We know that the cost-of-living crisis is making spending a lot more stressful for the majority of the UK at the moment. But this doesn’t mean that we have to put all celebrations to a halt; especially when it comes to festivities that the little ones love!”
“Emma’s tips are a great reminder that you can keep your kids happy during seasonal events like Halloween without breaking the bank. Not only will Emma’s tips help to save around £90, but they also encourage parents and kids alike to get crafty and think outside the box to make their own Halloween fun.”
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