Have a Fun, Frugal Halloween!
For children (and the young at heart!) Halloween seems
to be even more fun than Christmas. Maybe it's because they
get to dress up and pretend to be the character of their dreams--or maybe
it's just all the treats!
However, all those treats, decorations and costumes can
be a drain on the budget. So here are a few ideas to get
you started thinking creatively about ways to save this
Halloween season.
If you need a favor to take to the whole class at school,
here's a quick, easy idea that won't hurt your pocketbook
too much:
Take a round lollipop, such as a Tootsie Roll Pop, and
drape a white Kleenex over it. Tie it on with orange or
black yarn, ribbon, raffia, or if you like, use a twist tie.
Then dot 2 eyes with a black magic marker and you have
a ghost!
If you live in an area where you get lots of trick-or-
treaters, it's easy to go broke buying candy. The
stores really encourage us to buy the individually
wrapped sugary stuff, but why not do something
different this year?
A box of sandwich bags costs about $1.00 for 150 or so,
and these can be filled with all kinds of things. I like to
buy the foldover kind because they are cheaper and I tie
them closed with yarn.
Try filling the bags with peanuts in the shell; sugarless gum; small
rings, pencils or other toys you can buy at your local $ Store.
If you are making treats for children you know, homemade
treats are the best! Make rice krispies treats, using store
brand krispies, of course, and add a little orange food coloring.
Then decorate with candy corn, red hots, etc.
And don't forget those gummy worms! Put them in pudding, or
on top of frosted cupcakes--they're always a hit!
Are your kids begging for a costume every time you visit
the local discount store? While these costumes are pretty
cheap sometimes, why not make your own? Your daughter
can be a gypsy, just by wearing a full skirt and a frilly blouse with loads
of jewelry. Tie a scarf around her head and she's thrilled!
Girls love to have a chance to wear Mom's makeup and jewelry!
Or make her a cardboard crown, with gold paint and glitter, and she's
a fairy princess. Dress up your son in boots, jeans, cowboy hat and
bandanna and he's a Western cowhand! Sew some patches on those jeans,
hang some raffia out his shirt sleeves and pants legs, add a straw hat,
and he's a scarecrow!
One year I made a black cape, because my son wanted to be Dracula.
The next year, the same black cape was a witch's cape for my daughter.
Another year it was a cape for a magician, still another time it was Zorro's
cape.
You get the idea--use your imagination and you and your
family can have the best Halloween ever!
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