133 Frugal Family Halloween Ideas: Candy, Treats, Costumes, Decor, Movies and Games

Halloween does not have to cost a fortune to feel like a big deal.

People celebrating this year plan to spend around $115 each on Halloween, according to the National Retail Federation’s yearly survey. Most of that goes to candy, costumes, and decorations that end up in a bin by November 2.

This guide is the opposite of that. It covers the candy people actually want, treats that cost pocket change, costumes hiding in your closet, and decorations that look like you spent way more than you did.

There are also family movies sorted by how scary they really are, old-school party games that cost nothing, and simple drawings the kids can copy (or carve).

Jump to whatever you came for:

1. The Most Popular Halloween Candy in Every State
2. 15 Easy Halloween Treats That Cost Under $1 Each
3. 12 90s Halloween Candies That Really Did Taste Different
4. 15 Halloween Things Your House Doesn’t Need
5. 12 Halloween Decorations We Stopped Buying (and the $1 DIY Swaps)
6. 12 Outdoor Halloween Decorations That Look Expensive for Under $20
7. 15 Last-Minute Halloween Costumes From Your Closet
8. 20 Family Halloween Movies Ranked by Scare Level
9. 10 Old-School 80s Halloween Party Games
10. 12 Easy Halloween Drawings That Double as Pumpkin Stencils

Everything below counts down, so the best idea in each section sits at #1.

If you want to keep the whole season under control, plug your Halloween spending into a simple monthly budget before you shop. It takes five minutes and saves a lot of impulse buys.

The Most Popular Halloween Candy in Every State

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are America’s top Halloween candy for the third year running, according to DoorDash’s 2026 Halloween report.

Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars came in second nationally. M&M’s took third.

The state map is where it gets fun. One quick heads-up before you argue with your group chat: DoorDash ranked each state by the candy it orders at a higher rate than the rest of the country, not by total volume.

So if your state shows something unexpected, that doesn’t mean nobody there buys chocolate. It means your neighbors buy that one candy more than everyone else does.

Find your state below. They’re grouped five at a time in alphabetical order.

Alabama to California

State	Standout Halloween Candy
Alabama	Sweet Smiles
Alaska	Lindt
Arizona	Red Vines
Arkansas	Sweet Smiles
California	Red Vines

Not a single chocolate bar in this group. Alabama and Arkansas both went with the budget candy mix, and Arizona and California lined up behind Red Vines.

Alaska is the odd one out with imported chocolate. Keep an eye on that, because it gets a partner later.

Colorado to Georgia

State	Standout Halloween Candy
Colorado	Haribo
Connecticut	Sour Patch Kids
Delaware	Reese’s
Florida	Airheads
Georgia	Sweet Smiles

Five states, five different winners. Colorado is the only state in the country where gummy bears came out on top.

Delaware gives Reese’s its first appearance. It won’t be the last.

Hawaii to Iowa

State	Standout Halloween Candy
Hawaii	Lindt
Idaho	SweeTarts
Illinois	Sour Patch Kids
Indiana	Reese’s
Iowa	Laffy Taffy

Hawaii matches Alaska on Lindt, so the two states farthest from the mainland picked the same fancy chocolate.

Iowa kicks off a Laffy Taffy streak across the Midwest. Idaho starts the SweeTarts run out West.

Kansas to Maryland

State	Standout Halloween Candy
Kansas	SweeTarts
Kentucky	Reese’s
Louisiana	Sweet Smiles
Maine	Reese’s
Maryland	Snickers

Reese’s picks up two more here. Louisiana adds another Southern vote for the value mix.

Maryland is one of only two states where Snickers won. Its partner is more than 2,000 miles away.

Massachusetts to Missouri

State	Standout Halloween Candy
Massachusetts	Kinder Bueno
Michigan	Reese’s
Minnesota	Mike and Ike
Mississippi	Sweet Smiles
Missouri	Twizzlers

Minnesota is the only Mike and Ike state in America. Massachusetts starts a small Northeast trend toward European chocolate.

Missouri brings Twizzlers onto the board, which sets up the licorice fight you’ll see in the countdown below.

Montana to New Jersey

State	Standout Halloween Candy
Montana	Reese’s
Nebraska	Laffy Taffy
Nevada	Snickers
New Hampshire	Reese’s
New Jersey	Reese’s

Reese’s takes three of these five. Nevada turns out to be Maryland’s Snickers partner.

Nebraska keeps the Laffy Taffy streak alive in the middle of the country.

New Mexico to Ohio

State	Standout Halloween Candy
New Mexico	SweeTarts
New York	Kinder Bueno
North Carolina	Hershey’s Bar
North Dakota	Laffy Taffy
Ohio	Reese’s

North Carolina is the only state where a plain milk chocolate bar won. Sometimes the classic is enough.

New York joins Massachusetts on Kinder Bueno. North Dakota adds a third Laffy Taffy state.

Oklahoma to South Carolina

State	Standout Halloween Candy
Oklahoma	SweeTarts
Oregon	SweeTarts
Pennsylvania	Reese’s
Rhode Island	Kinder Bueno
South Carolina	Sweet Smiles

Pennsylvania picking Reese’s is no surprise. The peanut butter cup was invented there.

Oklahoma and Oregon wrap up the SweeTarts group. Rhode Island completes the Kinder Bueno trio in the Northeast.

South Dakota to Vermont

State	Standout Halloween Candy
South Dakota	Twizzlers
Tennessee	Sweet Smiles
Texas	Airheads
Utah	Reese’s
Vermont	Reese’s

Tennessee is the seventh and final Sweet Smiles state. Texas joins Florida on Airheads, so two of the biggest Sun Belt states agree on taffy.

Utah and Vermont are about as different as two states get, and both still picked Reese’s.

Virginia to Wyoming

State	Standout Halloween Candy
Virginia	Reese’s
Washington	Reese’s
West Virginia	Reese’s
Wisconsin	Laffy Taffy
Wyoming	Twizzlers

Reese’s closes out the list with three states in a row. Wisconsin makes it four for Laffy Taffy.

Wyoming gives Twizzlers its third state and settles nothing in the licorice debate.

State list via Mental Floss’s map of the DoorDash data, based on orders from October 1 to 31, 2025. DoorDash’s own summary counts a few states slightly differently, so treat close calls as close calls.

Step back and look at all 50 states together, and a few patterns jump out.

Fourteen different candies won at least one state. Chocolate took 23 states, mostly thanks to Reese’s. Fruity, sour, and chewy candy took 20. The budget mix claimed the other 7.

The map also splits by region more than you’d expect. The Northeast leans toward chocolate, the upper Midwest toward taffy, the Southwest toward sour, and the Deep South toward whatever lets you give out the most candy for the money.

Here’s how the winners stack up, counted down by how many states each one claimed.

10. Snickers

Maryland and Nevada are the only two states where Snickers came out on top.

That’s a strange pair. One is crab cakes and Old Bay, the other is desert and neon.

Maybe the common thread is practical. Snickers is the candy bar that actually fills you up, which matters when you’re walking a long trick-or-treat route.

9. Sour Patch Kids

Connecticut and Illinois both lean sour.

Sour Patch Kids started life in the 1970s under a space-themed name before getting renamed in the mid-80s. The new name rode the Cabbage Patch Kids craze.

They also sit near the top of a bigger trend. Sour candy jumped into DoorDash’s national top 10 this year, which says a lot about what kids actually want in the bucket now.

8. Airheads

Florida and Texas, two of the most populous states in the country, both picked Airheads.

Airheads also climbed from 10th to 7th on DoorDash’s national list. That’s a big jump for a taffy stick that usually costs a fraction of a chocolate bar.

If you live in either state and want to be the popular house without spending much, a bulk box of these is an easy win.

7. The Solo Winners

Three states went their own way completely.

Colorado picked Haribo gummies. North Carolina picked a plain Hershey’s bar. Minnesota picked Mike and Ike.

Haribo is the one to watch. It cracked DoorDash’s national top 10 for the first time this year and knocked Twix out to do it.

6. Laffy Taffy

Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wisconsin all went for Laffy Taffy.

That’s a solid Midwest block, and it makes some sense. Taffy survives cold hands, cold porches, and getting sat on in a pillowcase.

It’s also one of the cheapest candies you can buy in bulk. Just check the per-piece price before you assume the big box is the deal, since plenty of warehouse club buys aren’t worth the membership.

5. SweeTarts

Idaho, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Oregon went with SweeTarts.

DoorDash calls this the “sour corner” of the country. Most of it is out West and in the Southwest.

SweeTarts are also an easy pick for mixed-allergy neighborhoods, since they don’t contain chocolate. Always check the current package label, though, since recipes and facilities can change.

4. The Imported Chocolate States

Alaska and Hawaii both picked Lindt. Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island picked Kinder Bueno.

That’s five states reaching for European chocolate on a holiday built around fun-size bars.

Truth is, this one probably says more about who orders candy through a delivery app than about what trick-or-treaters want. Adults buying treats for themselves count too.

3. The Licorice Divide

Arizona and California are Red Vines states. Missouri, South Dakota, and Wyoming are Twizzlers states.

These two have split red licorice fans for decades. People who like one usually can’t stand the other.

Want to start an argument at a Halloween party? Put one bowl of each on the table and let people pick sides. It gets as heated as any movie theater candy ranking.

2. Sweet Smiles

Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee all went with Sweet Smiles.

It’s a budget candy mix sold at a discount chain, with a little bit of everything in the bag.

That tells you something about the South on Halloween. When you expect a lot of kids, you buy the mix that lets you give out handfuls instead of a single piece. It’s one of those weird frugal habits that saves real money without anyone feeling cheated.

1. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Reese’s won 15 states on the map, stretching from New England through the Midwest and out to Washington. DoorDash’s own count puts it at 17.

It’s also the top candy nationally for the third year in a row. No other candy is close to that kind of reach.

The one catch is peanuts. If your street has a lot of little kids, keep a second bowl of peanut-free candy nearby so nobody leaves empty-handed.

One more fun note from the same report. Old-school candy is having a moment, with circus peanuts, Lemonheads, and Bit-O-Honey orders all way up.

If that sounds like your childhood, you’ll probably enjoy these snacks from growing up that are still worth buying.

15 Easy Halloween Treats That Cost Under $1 Each

Every treat on this list comes in at roughly a dollar or less per serving, and most land well under that.

Costs are rough estimates based on typical grocery prices. Your total will swing a bit depending on where you shop and what’s already in the pantry.

If you want even more ideas after these, our bigger roundup of easy Halloween treats goes deeper. Kristel also has a list of the Halloween treats her kids actually ask for, which is a pretty good test of what works.

15. Jack-o’-Lantern Mini Pizzas

Split an English muffin, add sauce and cheese, then cut a face out of a cheese slice and lay it on top.

They run somewhere around 60 cents to $1 per half, depending on your cheese.

Fair warning: this is the priciest treat on the list. It earns its spot because it doubles as dinner, and on Halloween night that counts for a lot. It fits right in with the cheap dinners 90s kids remember.

14. Pretzel Broomsticks

Cut a string cheese stick into thirds, fringe one end with a knife, and push a pretzel stick into the other end.

That’s a witch’s broom in about 30 seconds. Each one costs roughly 30 to 50 cents.

Kids like making these as much as eating them. Set up a little assembly line and let them build their own.

13. Banana Ghosts

Cut bananas in half, stand them up, and press in chocolate chips for eyes and a mouth.

At roughly 15 to 30 cents per ghost, this is one of the cheapest treats you can make.

Serve them fast, though. Bananas brown quickly once they’re cut, so these are a make-it-and-eat-it snack, not a make-ahead one.

12. Clementine Pumpkins

Peel a clementine and stick a short piece of celery in the top as the stem.

It looks exactly like a tiny pumpkin. Each one runs roughly 30 to 50 cents.

This is the treat to bring when you want something on the party table that isn’t sugar. Parents tend to notice and appreciate it.

11. Monster Munch Popcorn

Pop a big batch of plain popcorn and toss it with a handful of candy corn, pretzels, and a few chocolate candies.

A cup of the mix comes out to roughly 25 to 50 cents.

Popcorn does most of the work here. It fills the bowl, so a small amount of candy goes a long way.

10. Sandwich Cookie Spiders

Push four broken pretzel sticks into each side of a chocolate sandwich cookie for legs, then add two candy eyes with a dab of frosting.

Each spider costs roughly 15 to 30 cents.

Store-brand sandwich cookies work just as well as the name brand here. Nobody checks the label on a spider.

9. Witch Finger Cookies

Roll plain sugar cookie dough into skinny fingers, press an almond on the end for a fingernail, and score a few knuckle lines.

They run roughly 20 to 40 cents each.

They look creepy in the best way. Swap the almond for a candy-coated chocolate if anyone has a nut allergy.

8. Graveyard Pudding Cups

Layer chocolate pudding in small cups, top with crushed chocolate cookies for dirt, and tuck in a gummy worm.

Each cup lands around 60 to 90 cents.

Write “RIP” on a small cookie and stand it up as a headstone if you want to go the extra step.

7. Monster Rice Cereal Treats

Make a standard batch of rice cereal treats, tint them green with food coloring, and add candy eyes before they set.

Each square comes in around 20 to 40 cents.

A single batch makes enough for a whole classroom. That’s a big reason this one stays popular with parents. It’s also a sneaky way to finish off a box from our junk cereals ranking.

6. Meringue Ghosts

Whip egg whites with sugar until stiff, pipe small ghost shapes, dot on chocolate chip eyes, and bake low and slow.

These are close to free. Expect around 5 to 10 cents each.

They take patience in the oven, usually an hour or more. The payoff is a crispy treat that keeps for days in an airtight container.

5. Apple Monster Mouths

Cut apple wedges, spread peanut butter on one side, line up mini marshmallows as teeth, and press a second wedge on top.

Each mouth costs roughly 35 to 60 cents.

Sunflower butter works if you need to skip peanuts. A slice of strawberry makes a great tongue.

4. Mummy Hot Dogs

Wrap hot dogs in thin strips of refrigerated crescent dough, leave a gap for the face, and bake until golden.

Each mummy runs about 40 to 70 cents.

Add two dots of mustard for eyes after baking. These disappear first at every party, so make more than you think. They’re basically a party-ready version of the cheap filler foods moms used to stretch a meal.

3. Candy Corn Fruit Cups

Layer pineapple chunks, mandarin orange segments, and a spoonful of whipped topping in clear cups.

The colors mimic candy corn. Each cup costs roughly 40 to 70 cents.

It’s the easy answer when a school asks parents to skip candy for the class party.

2. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Save the seeds when you carve, rinse off the stringy bits, toss them with a little oil and salt, and roast until crunchy.

The pumpkin already paid for them. The seasoning costs a few cents.

Try cinnamon sugar for a sweet version or a dusting of taco seasoning for a spicy one. They also pair well with other pantry foods that keep for ages.

1. Old-Fashioned Popcorn Balls

Pop plain popcorn, pour warm homemade marshmallow or sugar syrup over it, and shape it into balls with buttered hands.

Each one costs roughly 15 to 30 cents. That’s the best value on this entire list.

Just one catch: save these for parties and family treats. Many parents throw out unwrapped homemade treats from trick-or-treating, so a porch bowl should stick to sealed candy. At a home party, though, they steal the show, the same way the snack table does in this backyard birthday playbook.

12 90s Halloween Candies That Really Did Taste Different

Some of your trick-or-treat memories are real. Recipes changed, companies sold brands, and a few favorites vanished outright. The same thing happened to plenty of childhood snacks that quietly changed while nobody was looking.

This is the Halloween edition of our look at why 90s food tasted different. Every entry below is a documented change, not a vibe.

12. Your Taste Buds Changed More Than Some Candy Did

We’ll start with the one nobody wants to hear.

Taste researchers, including teams at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, have found that kids generally prefer more intense sweetness than adults do. That preference tends to fade in the teen years.

So part of the magic was you. A candy bar hits differently at 9 than at 39, even when nothing in the wrapper changed.

11. PB Max

This was a square cookie topped with peanut butter and wrapped in milk chocolate.

It showed up around 1990 and was gone within a few years. It never got a real comeback.

If you remember finding one in your pillowcase, you caught a very short window.

10. Bar None

This was a chocolate wafer bar with peanuts, built to be a heavier, more filling candy bar.

It launched in the late 80s and was discontinued in the late 90s. A brief revival years later didn’t stick.

It’s one of those bars people swear they didn’t imagine. They didn’t.

9. Butterfinger BB’s

These were tiny round Butterfinger bites sold in a bag, heavily advertised on 90s TV.

They were discontinued in the mid-2000s. The bite-size versions sold today are shaped and textured differently.

Ask anyone who grew up with them. The newer bites are fine, but they aren’t the same snack.

8. The Wonder Ball

The original 90s version was a hollow chocolate ball with a small toy inside.

It was pulled over safety concerns about small toys inside food. Later versions came back with candy inside instead.

If yours had a toy, you’re remembering the original. The ones that came after were a different product.

7. Almond Joy’s Brief Switch

In 2008, Almond Joy got caught up in a cost-cutting change that swapped some real chocolate for cheaper ingredients.

Customers noticed and complained. According to trade coverage from that year, the backlash helped bring real chocolate back to Almond Joy.

It’s a rare happy ending. The complaining actually worked.

6. Necco Wafers

These chalky, pastel disks were a fixture in 90s candy bowls, loved by some and tossed by many.

The original company shut down in 2018. The brand was bought and the wafers returned around 2020 under a new maker.

New factories and new equipment can shift texture and flavor a little. Longtime fans have argued about it ever since.

5. Fruit Stripe Gum

The striped gum with the zebra on the pack lost its flavor in about 90 seconds. That was part of the joke.

It was discontinued in 2024.

If you had a pack in your Halloween haul, you had a piece of candy history. It’s gone for good, at least for now. Chewing it while trading candy on the living room floor belongs on the list of things you actually did in the 90s.

4. The Original American Mars Bar

The U.S. version of the Mars bar had almonds and nougat under milk chocolate. It was different from the Mars bar sold overseas.

It was retired in the U.S. in the early 2000s and replaced with a similar almond bar under a different name.

If you’re sure you ate a Mars bar in 1996, you did. Your kids never will.

3. Lime Skittles

90s bags had lime, not green apple.

Lime was swapped for green apple in 2013. After years of complaints, lime came back around 2021 to 2022.

This is the one where a lot of people truly weren’t imagining it. For almost a decade, the green one really was a different flavor.

2. The Great Chocolate Swap of 2008

This is the big one for fans of the mini bars in the variety bag.

In 2008, a major candy maker began replacing cocoa butter with vegetable oil in several products to cut costs. According to trade reporting at the time, those included Mr. Goodbar, Krackel, Milk Duds, and Whatchamacallit.

Federal labeling rules meant some packages could no longer say “milk chocolate.” They switched to phrases like “chocolate candy” instead. Grab a bar and check the label if you’re curious.

1. Butterfinger

Butterfinger is the clearest example of a candy that tastes different today, and it was changed on purpose.

After the brand changed hands in 2018, the new owner reworked the recipe in 2019. The changes included more peanuts, a different cocoa, and dropping a preservative.

The new owner pitched it as an upgrade. Plenty of 90s kids still say the old one was better. Either way, the bar you remember from trick-or-treating is not the bar on shelves now.

For more old-school snacking, here are the frugal after-school snacks every 90s kid survived on.

15 Halloween Things Your House Doesn’t Need

The fastest way to save money on Halloween is to skip the stuff that looks fun in the store and becomes clutter by November.

This is the seasonal version of our list of things your house doesn’t need. A few come with exceptions, because some families really do get their money’s worth. For the year-round version, here are the household items smart shoppers stopped buying.

15. Halloween Hand Towels and Bath Mats

They hang in the bathroom for four weeks, nobody dries their hands on them, and then they go in a closet for 11 months.

A set can run $15 to $30 at a big-box store.

If you want a seasonal touch in the bathroom, a small pumpkin on the counter does the same job for a couple of dollars.

14. A Themed Set of Dishes

Skull mugs and bat plates are cute for exactly one party.

The rest of the year, they take up cabinet space you probably don’t have.

Regular white plates with a few orange napkins look festive enough. Nobody at the party will care.

13. Seasonal Throw Pillow Covers

A pack of spooky pillow covers usually costs more than people expect, often $20 or more.

They also need washing, storing, and swapping back.

A folded orange or black throw blanket over the couch gives the same seasonal look. And you’ll use it through winter.

12. Stretchy Fake Cobwebs

That bag of fake web costs a few dollars, but it’s nearly impossible to reuse.

It snags on bushes and shreds in the rain. Wildlife groups also warn that outdoor webbing can trap birds and small animals.

If you want webs, use them indoors only, or make your own out of yarn you can take down and wind back up.

11. Plastic Tablecloths

Thin themed tablecloths rip the first time someone drags a bowl across them.

They’re single-use by design, and they add up if you host more than once.

A plain black bedsheet or a length of cheesecloth works better. It also looks more expensive.

10. Pumpkin-Scented Everything

Candles, wax melts, room spray, plug-ins. The fall scent aisle is designed to make you buy three of the same smell.

It can easily add up to $30 or more before you notice.

Simmer an orange peel, a cinnamon stick, and a few cloves in a pot of water. The house smells like fall for pennies. It’s one of those weird household tricks that save real money.

9. Pre-Made Goodie Bag Kits

Those boxed treat-bag kits charge extra for a printed bag and a twist tie.

Plain paper lunch sacks do the same job. Let the kids draw faces on them.

It turns a purchase into an activity, and the bags look better anyway.

8. Bulk Plastic Trinkets

Spider rings, tiny skeletons, and plastic fangs come in giant bags that feel like a deal.

Most of them end up under the couch or in the trash within a week.

If you want a non-candy option for the porch bowl, a small pack of stickers or pencils gets used longer.

7. A Fog Machine

A fog machine plus a jug of fluid can run $30 to $60 or more.

For most homes, it gets used for one evening. Then it sits in the garage with the leftover fluid.

The exception: if you run a haunted garage or a big yard setup every year, it’s a fair purchase. Otherwise, a few flashlights under orange tissue paper create more atmosphere for less.

6. A Giant Yard Inflatable

The big ones often cost anywhere from $50 to well over $150.

They need power, stakes, and space to store. They also tend to sag in wind and rain.

Check your local buy-and-sell groups in November. People sell barely-used inflatables cheap once the season is over, which makes them one of the things smart shoppers always buy secondhand.

5. Motion-Activated Animatronics

The screaming, lunging props in the seasonal aisle can run anywhere from $50 into the hundreds.

They’re fun for about 20 minutes. After that, the batteries die or the novelty does.

A person in a costume sitting perfectly still on the porch is scarier than any prop, and it’s free.

4. Licensed Character Costume Kits

Packaged character costumes are made thin, sized loosely, and outgrown by next year.

Many cost $25 to $50 or more for a single wear.

When it’s worth it: your kid will wear it to a school parade, a party, trick-or-treating, and then to play dress-up for months. Then it earns its keep. Just go in knowing that’s the plan.

3. A New Trick-or-Treat Bucket Every Year

Plastic pumpkins last for decades if nobody steps on them.

A pillowcase holds more candy than any bucket anyway. That’s why older kids switch to them.

Keep last year’s bucket, or decorate a reusable tote once and bring it out every October. Buckets land in the same pile as the home items people replace way too soon.

2. Candy Bought in Early September

Halloween candy hits shelves before school starts. If you buy it then, you will probably buy it twice.

An opened bag has a way of getting eaten before trick-or-treaters ever see it.

Buy candy in the last week or so before Halloween. Or wait until November 1 for your own stash, when a lot of it goes on clearance. Timing matters with bigger buys too, as this list of purchases people make at the worst possible time shows.

1. More Decorations Before You Open Last Year’s Bins

This is the biggest money leak hiding in plain sight on the whole list.

Most people buy new decorations before checking what they already own. Then they find duplicates when they unpack.

Open every Halloween bin first, set up what you have, and only then decide what’s missing. It’s the same idea behind the things frugal people stopped buying and don’t miss at all.

12 Halloween Decorations We Stopped Buying (and the $1 DIY Swaps)

Each store-bought decoration below has a homemade version that costs about a dollar in supplies, sometimes less.

Most supplies come from the dollar store or the recycling bin. If you’re stocking up, these are the dollar-store buys that actually beat the name brand.

12. Store-Bought Garland

Stopped buying: printed bat and pumpkin garland, often $8 to $15 a strand.

The swap: fold black construction paper accordion-style, cut a bat shape, and unfold it into a chain.

A few sheets make several feet of bats. Kids can cut these while you do something else.

11. Plastic Skeleton Hands

Stopped buying: skeleton hands that stick out of the flower bed.

The swap: stuff a pair of cheap rubber gloves with crumpled plastic bags and poke them out of the mulch or a pot.

Add a torn old sleeve for a zombie effect. It’s creepier than the plastic version, and it’s the kind of move you’ll find in these frugal tricks that actually work.

10. Light-Up Window Silhouettes & Light Shows

Stopped buying: lighted window decals and plug-in silhouettes.

The swap: cut witches, cats, and bats from black paper and tape them inside your windows.

With the lights on inside, they show up sharp from the street. It’s the most effect for the least money on this list. Same applies for those quick and easy light setups, which are fun and easy… but also costly.

9. Foam Tombstones

Stopped buying: foam headstones, often $10 or more apiece.

The swap: cut rounded tops on flattened cardboard boxes, paint them gray, and write silly epitaphs in black marker.

Heads-up: cardboard won’t survive rain. Bring them in on wet nights or put them on a covered porch.

8. Store-Bought Hanging Ghosts

Stopped buying: fabric ghosts and hanging props.

The swap: drape cheesecloth over a balloon or upturned bottle, soak it in a glue-and-water mix, and let it dry stiff.

Pop the balloon, add eyes, and hang it. Cheesecloth is cheap and a single pack makes several ghosts.

7. Faux Craft Pumpkins

Stopped buying: foam pumpkins for indoor displays, which can cost $10 to $25 each.

The swap: wrap a toilet paper roll in a square of old fabric, tuck the ends into the center, and push in a short stick as the stem.

Make a cluster of five in different fabrics. It looks like a farmhouse display.

6. Spooky Candle Holders

Stopped buying: themed lanterns and glass candle holders.

The swap: paint an old glass jar orange, draw a jack-o’-lantern face in black marker, and drop in a battery tea light.

This is a good use for jars grandmothers never threw away. Stick with battery lights around paper and fabric decorations.

5. Front Door Wreaths

Stopped buying: Halloween wreaths, which can easily run $30 to $60.

The swap: wrap a foam wreath form with black crepe paper and glue on the paper bats from #12.

The form and the paper cost a few dollars together. It looks custom, because it is.

4. Printed Party Banners

Stopped buying: “Happy Halloween” banners.

The swap: write one letter on each paper plate and string them together with yarn.

Orange plates with black letters look sharp. Let the kids decorate the edges.

3. Themed Doormats

Stopped buying: seasonal doormats you use for a month.

The swap: use painter’s tape and a little outdoor paint to stencil a spider web or “BOO” onto a plain mat you already own.

If you’d rather not paint your mat, lay black electrical tape in a web pattern. It peels off when the season ends.

2. Plastic Spiders

Stopped buying: bags of plastic spiders.

The swap: make black yarn pom-poms and twist on four pipe cleaners for legs.

They look fuzzy and real from a few feet away. Hang them from fishing line so they spin in the breeze.

1. Plastic Jack-o’-Lantern Lights

Stopped buying: light-up plastic pumpkins and string lights for the walkway.

The swap: fill empty cans with water, freeze them, and punch a pattern with a hammer and nail. The ice keeps the can from denting.

After the ice melts, drop in a battery tea light. A row of these along the path glows with dozens of tiny points of light. It’s the swap people ask about most, and it costs nothing but cans you were going to recycle. Grandma would approve, since it’s straight out of the weird frugal grandmother hacks handbook.

12 Outdoor Halloween Decorations That Look Expensive for Under $20

Every idea here comes in under $20 in supplies, and the best ones rely on light and scale instead of expensive props.

Prices are rough estimates and vary by store and region. Tie down anything light, because October wind is not on your side.

12. Glowing Eyes in the Bushes

Cut two eye shapes into empty toilet paper tubes, drop a glow stick inside, and tuck them into shrubs.

A dozen pairs cost a few dollars in glow sticks.

At night, it looks like something is watching the sidewalk. Kids walking by will spot them and point.

11. Witch Legs in a Planter

Slide two pool noodles into a pair of striped tights, add old shoes on the ends, and stick them upside down in a planter.

It looks like a witch crash-landed headfirst. Supplies usually run $5 to $10.

If you already have tights and old shoes, it drops to the price of the pool noodles.

10. Cheesecloth on the Porch Rails

Drape shredded cheesecloth over railings, light fixtures, and the mailbox.

A couple of packs cover most porches for around $5 to $10.

Unlike stretchy fake webs, it’s easier to take down and fold up for next year. It also moves nicely in a breeze.

9. A Hay Bale Harvest Corner

One straw bale, one pumpkin, and a few dried corn stalks make a classic farmhouse corner.

Farm stands and garden centers often sell bales for around $8 to $12, though prices vary a lot by region.

After Halloween, the straw works as garden mulch. That gives it a second life most decorations never get, especially if you’re growing plants that keep pests away next spring.

8. A Porch Pumpkin Stack

Stack three pumpkins of different sizes, largest on the bottom, next to the front door.

It looks like a pricey topiary. Pick the flattest pumpkins you can find so the stack stays put.

Price check: pumpkin prices swing a lot. Farm stands and grocery store bins are usually cheaper than decorative displays, and prices often drop the week before Halloween.

7. Hanging Sheet Ghosts

Ball up newspaper for a head, drape an old white sheet over it, tie it off with string, and hang it from a tree branch.

If you have old sheets, this is free. If not, thrift stores sell them for a couple of dollars.

Hang three at different heights. Even a little breeze makes them look like they’re drifting.

6. A Mailbox Monster

Tape a row of white paper teeth inside the mailbox door and stick two big paper eyes on top.

Every time the mailbox opens, it looks like it’s about to bite.

This costs next to nothing, and it’s one of those small touches neighbors remember.

5. A Giant Yard Spider

Stuff two black trash bags with newspaper for the body and head, then attach eight pool noodles wrapped in black tape for legs.

Supplies usually land around $10 to $15.

Put it on the roof over the porch or crawling up the side of the house. Scale is what makes it look expensive.

4. Orange Porch Light Bulbs

Swap your porch light bulbs for orange ones.

A pack often costs a few dollars. Make sure they’re rated for outdoor fixtures.

Don’t judge these at noon. In daylight, nobody will notice. After sunset, the whole front of the house glows like a jack-o’-lantern.

3. Luminaria Paper Bags

Fold down the tops of brown paper lunch bags, cut faces or moons in the sides, add a scoop of sand, and put a battery tea light inside.

A row of 10 costs roughly $5 to $10 depending on your tea lights.

Use battery lights only. Real candles and paper bags are a bad mix, especially with costumes brushing past.

2. Floating Witch Hats

Hang dollar-store witch hats from fishing line under the porch roof or a tree, each with a battery tea light tucked inside the brim.

Five or six hats often fit under $20.

At night, the fishing line disappears. The hats seem to float in midair with a glow underneath.

1. Colored Floodlights on the House

Point one or two colored outdoor floodlight bulbs, green or purple, up at the front of the house.

A colored outdoor bulb and a simple clamp or stake light can often come in under $20. Many people already have an outdoor fixture they can swap a bulb into.

This is the trick behind most houses that look professionally decorated. Colored light on a plain house wall looks dramatic from the street. For more seasonal ideas beyond decorating, check out this fall bucket list.

15 Last-Minute Halloween Costumes From Your Closet

Every costume here can be pulled together from clothes most people already own, plus a few cents of paper, tape, or makeup. If one piece is missing, a thrift store is the next stop. These thrifted outfit ideas show how far a few secondhand finds can go.

If you’re a last-minute costume person, you have company. DoorDash’s Halloween data found over 60% of costume items were ordered in the final seven days before the holiday.

One quick safety tip before you start: a strip of reflective tape on the back of a dark costume makes kids much easier for drivers to see after dark.

15. The Classic Sheet Ghost

An old white sheet, two eye holes, done.

It’s the most famous closet costume ever made, and it still works.

One tip from experience: cut the eye holes bigger than you think and trim the bottom so it clears the ankles. A lot of little ghosts trip on curbs because they can’t see their feet.

14. Black Cat

Wear all black, glue two paper triangles to a headband for ears, and draw whiskers with eyeliner.

A black sock stuffed with a rolled towel and pinned on the back makes a tail.

It works for toddlers, teens, and adults. Very few costumes can say that.

13. Lost Tourist

Put on a loud printed shirt, shorts, sandals with socks, and a camera around your neck. Carry a folded paper map.

A smear of sunscreen on the nose finishes it.

If you’re short on ideas, raid the suitcase and borrow a few vacation outfit ideas for inspiration.

12. Lumberjack

A flannel shirt, jeans, boots, and a knit beanie get you most of the way.

Draw on a beard with eyebrow pencil or brown face paint.

Carry a cardboard ax if you like. Leave the real one in the garage.

11. Scarecrow

Start with a flannel shirt and old jeans, then pin on a few fabric patches.

Poke a little straw out of the cuffs and collar. A handful from a hay bale goes a long way.

Finish with painted-on stitches at the corners of the mouth and an old sun hat.

10. 80s Workout Instructor

Leggings, an oversized T-shirt cut into a wide neckline, and a sweatband.

Tall socks scrunched down over sneakers pass for leg warmers.

Bring the energy, and the costume does the rest. Loud aerobics music is optional but strongly encouraged.

9. Mime

A striped shirt, black pants, and suspenders if you have them.

A little white face makeup helps, but it isn’t required.

The real costume is staying silent and acting trapped in an invisible box all night.

8. Rock Star

Black jeans, a plain or faded graphic T-shirt, and any leather or denim jacket.

Add heavy eyeliner and messy hair spray.

A toy microphone or a cardboard guitar makes it clear. Otherwise, people may assume you just dressed up for a concert.

7. Zombie

Pull out clothes you’d never wear again and tear them up a bit.

Add a little gray or green face makeup and some dark shadow under the eyes.

It’s one of the rare costumes that looks better the messier it gets. Rolling in some dirt counts as prep.

6. Pirate

A loose white shirt, a vest, a bandana on the head, and boots.

Cut an eye patch from black felt or cardstock and tie it on with elastic or string.

Draw a scar with eyebrow pencil, and practice your best “arrr” on the walk over.

5. 70s Hippie

Pull on flared jeans, a loose flowy top, and anything tie-dyed or fringed you can find.

Tie a bandana or scarf around your forehead, add round sunglasses, and pile on a few beaded necklaces.

It’s one of the easiest costumes to pull from a closet, especially if someone in the house never threw out their old jeans. Draw a small peace sign on one cheek with eyeliner to finish it.

4. Cowboy or Cowgirl

Start with jeans, a denim or plaid button-up shirt, and boots. Tie a bandana around your neck.

Any wide-brim hat works. If you don’t have one, a cheap straw hat from the dollar store does the job.

It works for every age, from toddlers in tiny boots to grandparents. For little ones, stuff an old sock, draw on a face, and slide it onto a broom handle for a stick horse.

3. Witch

Any black dress or long black shirt works.

Roll black poster board into a cone, tape it, and glue it onto a circle of poster board for a brim.

An old broom from the garage finishes the look. It also doubles as a walking stick when little legs get tired.

2. Vampire

Black pants, a white button-up shirt, and a cape made from an old black sheet.

Slick your hair back and add a little dark lipstick.

Plastic fangs are optional. A dramatic accent and a slow cape swirl do most of the work.

1. Homemade Superheroes (For the Whole Family)

Everyone wears a solid-color shirt with leggings or sweatpants, ideally a different color for each person.

Cut capes from old T-shirts or pillowcases, then cut simple eye masks from felt and tie them on with elastic. A big felt letter or lightning bolt pinned to each chest finishes the look.

This is the best group costume on the list because it costs almost nothing, scales to any family size, and kids never want to take it off. Line up for a photo with everyone in a hero pose. Repeat it every October and you’ve got a photo tradition, the opposite of those family traditions that quietly disappeared.

20 Family Halloween Movies Ranked by Scare Level

This list climbs from toddler-safe picks at #20 to teen-only territory at #1, based on how scary each movie is and what age it suits.

Each one gets a scare score from 1 to 5. That’s our judgment, not an official rating, so you know your kids best. The official rating is listed too.

Make it an event with popcorn, blankets, and the lights off. It’s one of the easiest cozy fall activities there is, and there are plenty of ways to cut the cost of movie night without cutting the fun.

20. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)

Scare level: 1/5. A TV special, about 25 minutes long.

Nothing scary happens here. It’s a sweet story about waiting in a pumpkin patch for someone who never shows up.

The short runtime makes it perfect for the youngest kids. Plenty of homes have watched it every October for decades, and if yours let it slip, it’s one of the fall traditions worth bringing back.

19. Room on the Broom (2012)

Scare level: 1/5. An animated short, under half an hour.

A kind witch keeps making room on her broom for new animal friends. There’s a dragon, but he’s more silly than scary.

It’s based on a popular picture book. If your kids know the book, they’ll love seeing it move.

18. Spookley the Square Pumpkin (2004)

Scare level: 1/5. About 45 minutes.

A square pumpkin gets teased for being different, then saves the patch during a storm.

The message about being yourself makes it a favorite with preschool teachers. It’s gentle from start to finish.

17. Monsters, Inc. (2001)

Scare level: 1/5. Rated G.

The monsters are the ones who are scared, which flips the whole idea around for little kids.

It’s a great first monster movie. It teaches kids that the thing in the closet might be friendlier than they think.

16. Casper (1995)

Scare level: 2/5. Rated PG.

A friendly ghost wants a real friend. His three rowdy uncles provide most of the spooky moments, and they play it for laughs.

There are a few sad themes about loss. Younger kids may need a quick hug and a talk afterward.

15. Hotel Transylvania (2012)

Scare level: 2/5. Rated PG.

Dracula runs a hotel for monsters and panics when a human shows up.

It’s more slapstick than spooky. Most kids think the monsters are funny, not frightening.

14. Halloweentown (1998)

Scare level: 2/5. A TV movie.

A girl discovers her family are witches and follows her grandmother to a town where monsters live.

It’s a nostalgia favorite for anyone who grew up in the late 90s. Parents often enjoy it as much as the kids.

13. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Scare level: 2/5. Rated PG.

The king of Halloween Town tries to take over Christmas. The stop-motion look is creepy and beautiful at the same time.

A few characters, especially the villain, can unsettle very young viewers. Most kids 6 and up handle it fine.

12. Hocus Pocus (1993)

Scare level: 2/5. Rated PG.

Three witch sisters come back to life on Halloween night in Salem.

It mixes comedy with a few legitimately creepy moments. There are also some jokes aimed at adults, so it plays best with kids around 8 and up.

11. Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998)

Scare level: 3/5. A direct-to-video movie.

This one surprises people. Unlike the TV show, the monsters are real this time.

It’s darker than most parents expect from Scooby-Doo. Kids who like a real scare will love it.

10. The Addams Family (1991)

Scare level: 2/5. Rated PG-13.

The rating comes from dark humor and innuendo, not scares. The family is creepy and kooky, not frightening.

It’s a good pick for tweens who think they’ve outgrown kids’ movies.

9. Monster House (2006)

Scare level: 3/5. Rated PG.

Three kids realize the house across the street is alive and hungry.

It has a few jump scares and a surprisingly emotional ending. It’s a great bridge between kid movies and real spooky movies.

8. Frankenweenie (2012)

Scare level: 3/5. Rated PG.

A boy brings his dog back to life, and things get out of hand around town.

The black-and-white animation feels like an old monster movie. The pet loss at the start can hit hard for kids who have lost an animal.

7. Goosebumps (2015)

Scare level: 3/5. Rated PG.

The monsters from the famous book series escape into a small town.

It’s fast, funny, and full of creatures. Kids who read the books will enjoy spotting their favorites.

6. Coraline (2009)

Scare level: 4/5. Rated PG.

A girl finds a secret door to a better version of her home, but the “Other Mother” has button eyes and bad plans.

Don’t let the PG fool you. This is one of the most unsettling animated movies ever made, and some younger kids find it too intense.

5. ParaNorman (2012)

Scare level: 4/5. Rated PG.

A boy who can talk to ghosts has to save his town from a centuries-old curse.

It has zombies, a witch, and some intense scenes. It also has a heartfelt message about fear and bullying that older kids appreciate.

4. Beetlejuice (1988)

Scare level: 3/5. Rated PG.

A recently deceased couple hire a chaotic “bio-exorcist” to scare away the new family in their house.

Parent heads-up: this PG is from the 1980s. It has more language and adult humor than a PG movie would have today, so preview it if you have younger kids.

3. Gremlins (1984)

Scare level: 4/5. Rated PG.

A cute creature comes with three rules, and breaking them unleashes chaos on a small town at Christmas.

Fun bit of trivia: this movie was part of the reason the PG-13 rating was created in 1984. It’s violent for a PG, so it’s best for tweens and teens.

2. The Witches (1990)

Scare level: 4/5. Rated PG.

A boy and his grandmother stumble onto a convention of witches who want to turn every child into a mouse.

The witch makeup is the stuff of nightmares. Many adults still remember being scared by this one as kids.

1. Poltergeist (1982)

Scare level: 5/5. Rated PG.

A family’s new suburban home is haunted, and the ghosts come for their youngest daughter through the TV.

Real talk: this is the scariest PG movie on the list by a wide margin. It came out before PG-13 existed, and many parents today would call it teen-only. Watch it yourself first if you’re unsure.

It’s the perfect final step for teens who want a real scare without jumping to R-rated horror. If your teens are asking about the classic Halloween slasher films, those are rated R, so check the details before movie night. Or keep things lighter and learn how people celebrate with these Halloween traditions from around the world.

10 Old-School 80s Halloween Party Games

These are the games that ran every Halloween party in the 80s, and almost all of them cost nothing to play.

They came from a time before screens ran the party. Most of the supplies are already in your kitchen, the same way everything was in every 80s kitchen.

10. Pin the Nose on the Jack-o’-Lantern

Draw a big pumpkin face with no nose on poster board. Cut out paper triangle noses and put a bit of tape on each one.

Blindfold each player, spin them three times, and let them try.

Write each player’s name on their nose. Whoever lands closest wins a small treat.

9. Monster Freeze Dance

Play spooky music and have everyone dance like a monster. When the music stops, everyone freezes.

Anyone who moves is out.

It burns off a sugar rush faster than anything else on this list. Kids ask to play it over and over.

8. Doughnuts on a String

Hang doughnuts from a string or a broom handle held by two adults. Players keep their hands behind their backs and try to eat one.

It’s hilarious to watch and always messy.

Powdered sugar doughnuts make it even funnier. Put down an old sheet first if you care about the floor.

7. Pass the Pumpkin

This is hot potato with a small pumpkin.

Players sit in a circle and pass the pumpkin while music plays. Whoever holds it when the music stops is out.

Use a small pie pumpkin, not a big one. Nobody wants a pumpkin dropped on their foot.

6. Mummy Wrap Race

Split into teams of two. One person is the mummy, and the other wraps them in toilet paper as fast as they can.

First fully wrapped mummy wins.

A few rolls of cheap toilet paper is the whole budget. Save the torn pieces, because they make good stuffing for the rubber-glove zombie hands from the DIY list.

5. Witch Hat Ring Toss

Set out a few witch hats or orange cones. Toss rings made from paper plates with the centers cut out.

For evening parties, glow stick bracelets make great rings.

Move the hats farther back for older kids. Little ones can stand right in front of them.

4. Ghost in the Graveyard

This is the classic outdoor game played after dark. One person hides as the “ghost,” and everyone else counts aloud from “one o’clock” to “midnight.”

Then they go looking. Whoever spots the ghost yells, and everyone races back to base before getting tagged.

It’s hide-and-seek with a spooky twist. Set clear boundaries and stick to a yard, not the street. If you grew up playing it, it’s right up there with the things every kid did after the streetlights came on.

3. The Mystery Feel Box

Cut a hand-sized hole in a covered box. Inside, put peeled grapes for “eyeballs,” cold cooked spaghetti for “brains,” and a damp sponge for a “heart.”

Players reach in without looking and guess what they’re touching.

The screams are the best part. Use fresh food, keep it separate from the snacks, and toss it when the party’s over.

2. Halloween Charades

Write Halloween words on slips of paper: werewolf, mummy, vampire, trick-or-treating, carving a pumpkin.

Players draw a slip and act it out without talking. Teams guess.

It works for mixed ages, since little kids can act out a ghost and adults can take on “haunted house tour guide.”

1. Bobbing for Apples

Fill a big tub with water and float a bunch of apples. Players keep their hands behind their backs and try to grab one with their teeth.

It’s the most iconic Halloween party game there is, and it costs the price of a bag of apples. The game is often traced back to old fortune-telling customs, the same kind of folklore behind these spooky superstitions.

The one problem is germs. A shared tub of water with a dozen kids’ faces in it isn’t the most sanitary thing. The easy fix is apples on strings hung from a line, or a small bowl for each player, so you keep the fun without the germ swap.

12 Easy Halloween Drawings That Double as Pumpkin Stencils

Each drawing below takes about five minutes with a pencil, and every one can be turned into a carving pattern.

Here’s the stencil trick. Tape your finished drawing to the pumpkin, then poke along the lines with a pushpin or toothpick every few millimeters. Peel off the paper and connect the dots with your knife.

Let kids draw and scoop, and leave the knife work to adults. If your little ones would rather color than draw, grab some free spooky Halloween coloring pages instead.

To download any of them, simply right mouse click on any of them images and then save them to your computer. You can then print any of these from home or work.

12. A Simple Bat

Draw a small oval for the body. On each side, draw a wide wing shaped like a stretched-out letter M with three scallops along the bottom.

Add two pointed ears on top.

On a pumpkin, carve the whole shape out. Bats look great in a group of three at different sizes.

11. Candy Corn

Draw a tall triangle with a rounded bottom. Split it into three bands with two curved lines.

Color the bottom yellow, the middle orange, and leave the tip white.

Pro tip: this one works better etched than carved. Shave off just the outer skin in the middle band so light glows through thin flesh instead of an open hole.

10. A Spider Web

Draw a dot in the middle, then eight straight lines out from it like bicycle spokes.

Connect the spokes with curved, drooping lines, working outward in rings.

For carving, etch the lines instead of cutting through. A web cut all the way through will collapse.

9. A Friendly Ghost

Draw a rounded top like an upside-down U, then let the sides flow down to a wavy bottom edge.

Add two oval eyes and an open O mouth.

It’s the easiest drawing on this list. Even preschoolers can manage it, and it carves cleanly.

8. A Black Cat

Draw a circle for the head and a bigger oval below it for the body. Add two triangle ears and a long curvy tail.

Fill it in solid black for a silhouette.

On a pumpkin, carve the whole shape out as one piece. The glowing cat outline is a classic for a reason.

7. Moon and Bats

Draw a big crescent moon, then add three tiny bats flying across it.

The bats can be simple V shapes with a little dot body.

For carving, cut out the moon and leave the bats as pumpkin skin. They show up as dark shapes against the glow.

6. A Haunted House

Draw a square with a triangle roof, then add a smaller square tower on one side with its own pointy roof.

Add uneven windows, a crooked door, and a round moon behind it.

Skill check: this one is fussy to carve. Save it for older kids and adults, and use a big pumpkin so the windows aren’t tiny.

5. A Witch Hat

Draw a long, thin triangle with a slight bend at the tip. Add a flat oval brim at the bottom and a band with a square buckle.

A few stars around it make it feel magical.

It carves fast and reads clearly from the street, even on a small pumpkin.

4. A Hanging Spider

Draw a straight line down from the top of the page. Hang a round body at the end with a smaller circle for the head.

Add four bent legs on each side.

On a pumpkin, etch the line and carve the body and legs. It looks like the spider is dropping down on a thread.

3. An Owl

Draw an egg shape for the body with two little ear tufts on top.

Add two big round eyes, a small triangle beak, and a few scalloped lines for feathers.

For carving, cut out just the eyes and beak. The big glowing eyes do all the work.

2. A Simple Skull

Draw a large circle and a smaller rounded rectangle under it for the jaw.

Add two big eye sockets, an upside-down heart for the nose, and a row of rectangle teeth.

It’s spooky without being gory. Carve the eyes, nose, and gaps between the teeth, and leave the teeth themselves as skin.

1. The Classic Jack-o’-Lantern Face

The best stencil is the one everyone recognizes. Draw two triangle eyes, a triangle nose, and a wide grin with two or three square teeth.

Then play with it. Try angry slanted eyes, a surprised O mouth, or a sleepy face with half-closed eyes. Kids can draw five faces and pick a favorite, or warm up on these jack-o’-lantern coloring pages first.

It’s the easiest pattern to carve and the one that looks best on a porch full of pumpkins. If you’re curious how the whole tradition started, here’s a look at the history behind our favorite Halloween traditions.

Your Halloween on a Budget Checklist

If you only do a handful of things from this guide, make it these.

• Open every Halloween bin you own before buying anything new.
• Pick your state’s favorite candy for the porch bowl, and buy it in the last week before Halloween.
• Make one or two treats from the under-$1 list instead of buying party trays.
• Pull costumes from the closet first, and add reflective tape to anything dark.
• Swap in orange or colored bulbs outside for the biggest look for the least money.
• Save your pumpkin seeds, cans, and jars. They’re next year’s snacks and decorations.
• Plan one movie night and one party game, because the memories cost nothing.

The best Halloweens people remember weren’t the expensive ones. They were the ones with a homemade costume, a pillowcase full of candy, and a porch that glowed.

Whatever you save, give it a job. A simple savings goal for the holidays is a good start, because Christmas is right around the corner. These ways families are doing Christmas cheaper pick up right where this guide leaves off.

What’s the one Halloween tradition your family refuses to skip, no matter the budget?