Table of contents

With Halloween creeping up on us, it is time to start thinking about how to get yourself, and your home, dressed up and in the ghoulish spirit.

Here, we provide a few ideas you can use to throw a spooktacular Halloween party without breaking the purse strings. 

Decorations

Halloween decorations have been in all of the major stores for weeks now, and there are some great buys. However, to avoid a frightful total at the checkout, there are still many DIY methods to accessorise your house for very little cash.

Find your old jam jars in the build up to Halloween and clean them out when empty; we know most households will have a few hidden away at the back of a cupboard somewhere! With just some tissue paper taped around the outside of the jar, a tea light inside and a permanent marker to decorate, create your own lanterns. It is also a great way to keep the kids out of trouble over the October half-term, if you’re feeling very organised!

For another crafty idea to spread the spine-chilling spirit, simply use some old paper or cardboard to cut ghosts, skeletons and other spooky specimens to stick around the house. You can even customise your creations using glow in the dark paint.

Pumpkins

A quick search on the internet will reveal your nearest pick-your-own (PYO) pumpkin farm. This offers a perfect way to make a day of the obligatory Halloween pumpkin carving. Create competitions of who can pick the best pumpkin – the PYO pumpkins are often bigger, fresher and, more importantly, cheaper than their store-bought counterparts.

Instead of scooping the insides of the pumpkins straight into the bin, why not save the flesh to make a simple pumpkin soup using this easy recipe?

Games

For a simple, but entertaining, party game, with minimal cost, why not hold a race to make the fastest mummy. Simply get into pairs with a toilet roll per team and race to make your partner the most wrapped up mummy you can create.

A traditional favourite can also be adapted for the spooky season, by playing horrible hide-and-seek. Just like ‘normal’ hide-and-seek, but turn the lights off to play in the dark for an eerie atmosphere. Of course, be sure to cover up any potential hazards that you could run into or trip over!

Costumes

Everyone wants to be wearing the scariest, or funniest, costume at Halloween. The good news is that we don’t have to spend the earth to get the otherworldly look.

If you can’t rustle a creepy costume together from random items around the house, you don’t have to go straight to the fancy dress shops, which often charge a high price for the better costumes, particularly at this time of the year. Think outside the box and look around the local charity shops, as well as swap sites, such as Swapz – spotting a bargain will make your costume even more special.

We love hearing about your money saving tips for Halloween, share your spooky shots with us on Facebook and Twitter.

For more money saving ideas, head over to our ‘Save a Fiver a Day’ Facebook page – it’s packed full of top tips to help your wallet stretch a little further!