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It’s a weird, weird Halloween this year. No typical Halloween parties, no in-person school celebrations, hardly any trick-or-treating. But we still let our kids pick costumes, because my goodness we can use some fun.

But just because we gave them the go-ahead doesn’t mean we’re willing to let them go over-the-top with whatever costume they want. We still stick to a budget. It was fun to buy brand-new costumes when they were babies, but we’ve learned there are some easy, non-scary tricks for saving on Halloween costumes.

Thrift Stores

We’ve always scored big at Goodwill or Salvation Army for costumes. Starting early October, you’ll start to see racks of Halloween costumes all set to go. Last year we walked away with a Darth Vader costume, light sabers, and more all for under $10. This year our little vampire found her perfect dress and cape for $6. And if you’re getting more creative, all you have to do is peruse the normal racks of clothes to creatively make things work.

Reuse

Halloween costumes only get worn a handful of times, so it makes total sense to use them again or pass them on. We’ve had more than one witch in our crew, and cousins have generously made us crocodiles and Cinderellas for past Halloween. Two years ago we splurged on a new Batman costume from Costco for my son (the built-in muscles were so hilarious they made me weak). Luckily it was a bit baggy, and luckily he’s still a huge Batman fan. So when he asked to be him again, I was all for it.

Make it, Sew it

Making your own costume can sometimes add up, but if you’re careful it doesn’t have to be. I’m not an amazing seamstress. In fact, in the past I’ve been guilty of hot gluing fabric together for Halloween costumes. But my 10-year-old has gotten really into sewing, and she was really interested in making her own costume this year.

She’s reading the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan and has been getting Greek mythology books from the library. So she decided she wanted to be a Greek goddess, and she narrowed it down to Artemis (because she looks tough with a bow and arrow). First she made a bow using string and a stick from the yard. Then we headed to JoAnns with coupons in hand and got some inexpensive muslin and some gold Christmas ribbons that were 40% off. It all totaled $8. She and I sewed it with only some machine malfunctions. I see the imperfections in the finished project, but she is over-the-moon about it and so proud. That’s a total win.

Find Your Own Way

You can even take it a step farther and just stop buying costumes every year. A friend has four boys and only buys costumes for them every other year. On the off year, she tells them to raid the dress-up bin, ask a friend if they can borrow one, or figure something else out.

Hopefully you’re finding ways for saving on Halloween costumes. Whatever you’re up to this year, I hope this weekend is a fun break from reality. Happy Halloween!

Starting my November Challenge Early

by Hope

Grocery shopping complete. I got some fresh produce and a few special items for Halloween night snacks. But with this shopping trip complete, the last one of the month, I’ve spent a total of $389 on groceries this month. And that’s without really scrimping. I’m just buying for less people and those people eat less and less often.

That leaves $111 extra in our food budget. Score!

I’m going to be working on my 2021 budget next month since lots of things have changed around here since I published my last one in July.

November Challenge

I may have already posted this intention, but frankly, haven’t been getting enough sleep to keep everything straight. But..my November challenge is going to be another no spend challenge. I am setting aside $30 per week for fresh produce as that is a key ingredient in much of our daily food. But other than that my goal is to spend $0 this month.

Oh, one other caveat, I’m going to have to pay for parking for our trip at Thanksgiving, so there will be that. But otherwise, the goal is to eat at home, entertain ourselves at home and work a lot before the holidays. Which is mostly driven by financial goals, but also by the fact that I committed to an extra 10 hours of works per week through the end of the year for a long term client.

I am stretching myself pretty thin, but decided to buckle down and just do it. (That week between Christmas and New Years, though…I’m taking off and reading a ton of just fun books! My birthday/Christmas/made it through 2020 gift to myself.)

Did you Get Your Christmas Shopping Done?

My October challenge was to complete my Christmas shopping and I’m excited to say I did just that. And on top of that, as I wrapped the twins’ birthday presents, I began (and almost finished) wrapping them. Score. I’ve already put the Texas bound gifts in my suitcase so they are ready to go in a couple of weeks.

Now to be honest, I have a couple more things I will get for Christmas presents for the kiddos…but it was too soon to buy them, ie candy and food related gifts. But it truly is minimal and I don’t have to worry about shipping those.

Goals for November

To summarize, my personal finance goals for November are threefold:

Create a new budget to begin in January, 2021.
Work my butt off to hit my end of 2020 goal of paying off my smaller student loan.
No extra spending this month with the exception of $30 per week for fresh produce and paying for parking while we are out of town for Thanksgiving.

Hope

Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.

But life has a way of rewriting your plans.

A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.

Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.

Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.

She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.

Blogging Away Debt Blogging Away Debt follows real people on their journey to debt freedom — with tips on the debt snowball, budgeting, cutting expenses, and staying motivated.

Saving on Halloween Costumes