Do you get excited about Halloween, only to get overwhelmed by the cost of Halloween costumes? I’ve been there! By the time you buy candy and decorations, there isn’t much money left to spend on costumes. Instead of spending hours trying to search for the perfect affordable Halloween costumes, check out my tips on where to get cheap Halloween costumes as well as some pretty easy & cheap Halloween costume ideas that you can DIY.
I’m a lover of all things fall
If you know me at all, you probably know that Halloween is my all time favorite holiday. I view it as the gateway to all other holidays since it officially kicks off holiday season in my mind. Even though we don’t get cool weather here in Southwest Florida, I still feel like Halloween is the start of fall. And to me fall is the most amazing season. I love everything about fall: the crisp air (that is still humid here in FL), the excuse to drink pumpkin beer, and all the comfort food like chili.
Related Post: How to Host a Pumpkin Beer Tasting Party
Like any good frugal person, I hate one thing about Halloween: the cost of Halloween costumes. Even cheap ones that are made from low quality materials start out at $20 for kids. As someone who has loved Halloween forever, and who has been a cheapskate for almost as long, I’ve discovered a few ways to save money on Halloween costumes. Here are my favorite cheap Halloween costume ideas that will help you save money this Halloween.
My favorite cheap Halloween costume ideas
Participate in a Halloween costume swap
Search on Facebook to see if there is a costume swap in your area. If not, start one with your friends or at your local church or school.
It’s pretty simple, for each costume you bring, you get to take home a different one. This works really well if you have a group of friends that are all the same size.
Buy Halloween costumes at the right time
In order to get the best deal on a new costume you have three choices on when to buy:
- Clearance sale the days after Halloween- costumes are up to 90% off but choices and sizes are limited
- The day before/ day of Halloween- costumes are up to 75% off but choices and sizes are limited
- Super early in August when the costumes first come out- the cheapest you’ll find at full price with the best selection of prices and sizes.
Where to buy cheap Halloween costumes
When you find cheap Halloween costumes for kids, go ahead and pick up a few extra to use as dress up if your kids are into it. Halloween is the best time to stock up on dress up clothes. Heck, if you are an adult you likes to dress up for themed parties, get some cheap Halloween costumes for yourself too! Here are my favorite places to get cheap Halloween costumes:
- Consignment stores– this is my favorite place to buy cheap Halloween costumes. Don’t wait too late thought. Consignment stores will put out their selection of Halloween costumes in August or September. Grab them while you can.
- Garage Sales– keep an eye out for costumes year round if you go to garage sales often
- Freecycle/ Craigslist/ Facebook Marketplace– these are all great options to search for cheap costumes
- ThredUp- check out the online consignment store for used Halloween costumes for kids and adult
- Big Box stores- places like Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s usually have the best prices on new costumes for kids, usually starting around $15
- Discount stores- Stores like TJ Maxx and Homegoods usually have amazing selections for brand new Halloween costumes from the previous year at great prices.
- Amazon- Amazon would have cheap Halloween costumesOf course, right? It’s worth a search there!
Be creative with what you already have
Do you already have some dress up clothes? Try to find new ways to incorporate them into a fun Halloween costume.
Go through all your costumes, lay them out and get an idea of what new costume you can make by mixing and matching what you already have.
Lots of costume ideas work with regular clothes too!
Wear themed pajamas as a Halloween costume
Themed pajamas are big these days! Buy your favorite themed pjs and make them do double duty as a Halloween costume.
Bonus- kids will already be dressed for bed after a long evening of trick or treating!
DIY a cheap Halloween costume
Depending on how you DIY, it can save you a ton of money or bankrupt you. I’m the person who tries to DIY things and ends up spending more than I would if I’d bought it already made. Definitely pay attention to what you are buying when you DIY. If you start to spend more on materials that you would have for a costume, it might be better to buy a cheap Halloween costume that is already made.
Still want to DIY? Check out these awesome DIY Halloween costumes that don’t cost a fortune:
Face paint for the win
Be cheesy and go with the classic face paint instead of a full fledged Halloween costume.
It’s easy to pick an animal, wear similar color clothes, paint your face, and wear a cheap head band with animal ears. Boom, you’re an animal!
Affordable Halloween costumes are the way to go!
No matter what route you choose for obtaining a cheap Halloween costume, it’s definitely the way to go. Don’t be tempted to spend too much money on an outfit that you or the kids will only wear for one night.
Keep searching and you’ll eventually find one that is the right price!
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