Weeks ago, my three year-old informed me that she wanted to be Snow White for Halloween. I found a great little Snow White costume in a catalog that I planned to order for her…then promptly forgot to. Turns out that was a good thing, as this week I found out that who she really wants to be on Saturday night is Cinderella.
When she told me that — and I realized I only had days to get a costume — my heart rate immediately began pounding. I remembered the stress of years past, rummaging through the “leftovers” at the party store the day before Halloween, wondering if one of my kids would mind being something like Bugs Bunny instead of Spiderman (no one would be able to see them inside the costume, anyway, I reasoned).
And so, I decided two days ago that I would “grin and bear it” and make the trek to the party store. I pictured a stress-filled day as we traveled to each location of this store in our area, trying to find a Cinderella costume that wasn’t four sizes too big or missing one glove (I’m thinking my three year-old is a little young to be doing a Michael Jackson tribute…).
Thankfully, I remembered before we left the house that I could try the local consignment shop. It was fairly new, but the old (and now closed) kids’ consignment store in the area always had costumes at this time of year. Long story short, I stopped by this new store (“The Treasure Box” in Maple Valley, WA, if you’re in the area), and was shown a “Belle” gown by the owner…but no Cinderella dress. The Belle gown was my daughter’s size and only $4.99, so I ended up buying it, anyway. Then the heavens parted: The store’s owner told me she might be able to sell her daughter’s Cinderella dress if she no longer wants it, and she would call me that night to let me know for sure.
I picked it up yesterday…for just $9.99. (The hem needs a little bit of repairing, but for something that will be worn to a few neighbors’ houses and then be tossed in the “dress up” bin, I’m not complaining.)
That, of course, is the perfect lead-in to my quick, frugal, and fun Halloween ideas…
Skip the big party stores when buying costumes for your kids. Consignment shops and thrift stores abound…you’re bound to find something that will work great as a costume, and you’ll be spending just a fraction of what you would have buying new. If you need a last-minute costume and want to make it yourself, Moolonomy.com has a list of 25 Frugal Halloween Costume ideas. I particularly like “gum on a shoe.”
In the weeks before Halloween (remember this for next year), start clipping coupons for candy, or buy it early when it’s on sale. Stores notoriously raise prices on candy right before Halloween. If you’re stuck buying candy at the last minute, buy an off-brand, as they’re usually cheaper.
Throwing a last minute party? Now I definitely recommend hitting the stores (party or otherwise). But go the day before Halloween, or on the day itself: This is when you’ll begin finding some, if not all, of their Halloween decorations and goodies on sale. If you don’t mind being unprepared until the day of the party, this is the way to go. For more money-saving party ideas, read Tawra Kellam’s list at Recipestoday.com.
To Keep the Rest of the Holiday Season a Frugal One, I Recommend:
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Frugal Luxuries by the Seasons: Celebrate the Holidays with Elegance and Simplicity–on Any Income, by Tracey McBride In these tough economic times, your holiday celebrations don’t have to suffer. Tracey, who was called “the Martha Stewart of the cheapskate set” by The Chicago Tribune, will show you how to have an elegant and fun holiday season anyway. |
©2009 Sally Dinius
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