Halloween Decorations Ain’t Cheap

This year, Americans are expected to drop $5.8 billion on Halloween, with most people spending $66.28 per person.  About 1/3 of that is candy.

The rest?  Costumes and decorations. $4,000,000,000 on costumes and decorations.  That’s a lot of freakin’ money.

Over the years, I have certainly spent more than my fair share on building that number.  We are the Halloween house in our neighborhood.  A few years ago, we were even featured on the evening news.    Filling a yard with decorations is expensive. When money’s tight, or you just want to save some money, how can you decorate on the cheap?

1.  Plan ahead. The best time to buy Halloween decorations is in the two weeks after Halloween.   After that, all of the seasonal stores are closed.   If you want the best selection, get up early on November 1st and hit all of the stores.  Prices drop to 50% or lower the morning after the big day, but won’t drop below that, even when the seasonal stores are closing for the year.   The goods will either be warehoused or bought back by the suppliers, so there’s no motivation to sell at cost.

2.  Buy used. You can find some screaming deals on Craigslist, but always check the prices.    I’ve seen cardboard and wooden coffins both going for $50.  One is a good deal, one is a ripoff.    Do some research and you can save a ton of money on some really neat pieces.    Last year, a local haunt decided to close shop after Halloween and posted a “going out of business” sale on Craigslist.  There were some excellent gory corpses for sale there.

3.  DIY. When department stores close, you can buy mannequins for little-to-nothing.  Throw some clothes and mask on that, and you’ve got a quick monster.    Grave stones can be made by gluing two sheets of insulation styrofoam together and using a Dremel to shape it and add the epitaph.  Make sure you brush paint it.  Spraypaint will eat the foam away. Finally, if you can run a drill, you can cobble together some truly intense props with the aid of some monster mud and discarded lumber.   Monster mud is made by mixing 1 gallon of latex paint with 5 gallons of sheetrock compound.    I get a gallon of paint from the “oops” bin at the hardware store, preferably in a dark color.    Dip some clothes in that, then put them on a a human-shaped frame built out of 2×2 lumber, and you have something not too disimilar from actual Hollywood props.

Over the years, I’ve managed to shrink my Halloween budget, while increasing the quality of my props.  It just takes some time and research.