Have a budget friendly and safe Halloween

By: Brad Tripp

Ever find yourself broke on Halloween? Got a creeper across the street?  Well, here are some tips for a safe and budget friendly Halloween:

Candy

You may ask, “Where I can get my candy the cheapest and are there any problems with it?” Also, you may wonder, “Can I use old holiday candy?” In some cases, this may be okay, but it’s best to throw all that old candy away. This is because sometimes candy sits on the shelf even longer than the time you had it. The best thing to do when it comes to buying candy is to buy in bulk. Why is this? This is because not only is it cheaper, but it helps when you’re handing it out. Not only does it keep the children happy, but that leftover candy can be used for future instances with your own children. The cheapest local place to get candy is probably Dollar Tree; this is because everything is a dollar.

Costumes

One of the first things you think about when it comes to Halloween is the costume. The next thing you may think, with a thin pocket book, is, “Where can I get a quality yet budget friendly costume?”  The best places to go are department stores, such as Family Dollar or Wal-Mart. When you go to a Halloween store like Spirit Halloween, they tend to raise the prices. For example, a baby costume at Spirit Halloween can cost upwards of $30, whereas, at Family Dollar all small children’s costumes are $10 each.  Also, the best thing to do is try to shop online; it tends to be cheaper and/ or can help to compare prices. The best place for most costumes all in one place is probably Amazon.com/costumes. Not only are they all there, they tend to be cheaper due to possible free shipping and overstock. If you don’t care for Amazon, try Googling your favorite clothing/department store and seeing what the store has in stock for Halloween.

Build your own

What are some ideas to build your own costume and is it really cheaper? In most instances, it’s cheaper to build your own costume. For example, for a last minute costume, you can be a selfie. Yes, you read that right, you can be a selfie. This cost little to no money ($25, tops) and consists of things that you may have around the house. A selfie is probably the simplest costume ever. It literally consists of cardboard, markers and scissors, plus a little bit of time. Simply cut out a hole for your head at the top, plus 2 holes for your hands out of a large piece of square cardboard, then decorate the front to look like whatever phone you want. Pop your head and hands out and you’re a selfie!

What to watch for and why

Is trick or treating dangerous? This Halloween, you may wonder what you can do to have a safer and more delicious holiday. When trick or treating, try carrying around hand sanitizer. Why? Its best to keep away those germy hands those recent kids before may have had. Another thing to do is to have you candy x-rayed. Not only is it kind of cool, but it can help to prevent you or your children from the possible dangers that lie within the candy.  Most hospitals on Halloween are open to free x-rays for candy. Have a fun and delicious holiday!