It’s coming up to Halloween. Halloween’s origins can be traced back to the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain, and the Christian celebration, All Saint’s Day. Nowadays, it is quite common for people to “celebrate” Halloween in the UK. Of course many practising Christians don’t and this should be respected. Current Halloween traditions are pumpkin picking and carving, dressing up, Halloween parties and Trick or Treating. However, your family can mark this time of year, doing activities suited to them. This year with the energy crisis and cost of living going up, we are all trying to save money. Blogtober’s Day 18 prompt is Halloween on a budget. Here are five ways you can enjoy Halloween on a budget (including some ideas that won’t even cost a penny):
1. Head to Your Local Library This Halloween
The first completely free activity that you can take part in this Halloween is going to your local library. Many will have a lovely seasonal display with a selection of the best non fiction and fiction Halloween books and stories. You could borrow some books (to learn about Halloween or full of spooky stories to read), audiobooks or even a scary DVD.
2. Look for FREE Halloween Events in Your Area
Look out for free Halloween events in your area. The one thing I’ve noticed since the economy has been struggling is communities are getting together and looking out for one another. Some youth clubs, leisure centres or community centres will put on free Halloween parties or events. There may be a free event taking place at your local library too. Sometimes there is funding available that you could apply to for your community to put on a free party for the kids.
3. Go on a Spooky Walk
Don’t fear if you have no free Halloween events in your area. There are so many activities you can plan that won’t scare your wallet. Go out on a spooky scavenger hunt walk. Look out for pumpkins (left outside houses), black cats, trick or treaters dressed up, spiders, bats, the moon (sady it won’t be full this Halloween), scary looking trees and leaves, odd shaped shadows… use your imagination- the possibilities are endless.
4. Stay in this Halloween
You don’t have to go out on Halloween. We do, as we go and see family. If you stay in and want to save money on treats for the Trick or Treaters, just pop a “Do not disturb” sign up. These are useful for other reasons too- if you’re busy working, have a young baby, are ill, have limited mobility, or you just don’t want to be distrubed. Of course, if you do have treats to put out, you can leave them outside in a bucket with a sign saying “Help Yourself to Candy” (I write a poem). Once they’re gone, they’re gone.
5. Pass on the Pumpkins
To save money you can completely pass on the pumpkins. We have been to our local farm this year but we don’t have pumpkins every year. If you really want one, there are ways you can save money. If you want to visit a pumpkin patch look around for a free entry farm or for the best priced tickets. Once at the patch, if a pumpkin isn’t included then give your child a piece of string the length of the circumference of a reasonably priced pumpkin and challenge them to find one that size or smaller. Alternatively, have a competition to find the smallest, cutest pumpkin, which will be cheaper. If your child is more interested in having a pumpkin than the experience of going to a farm, then it will be cheaper to pick one up in a supermarket.
Of course, if you do want to take your child trick or Treating or put on a Halloween party, this can be done on a budget. Take a look at my post, 5 Ways to Have an Eco-Halloween which will save you pennies and help save the planet too.
Tell me your top tips for doing Halloween on a budget.
I love the idea of doing a Halloween decoration scavenger hunt walk! That sounds so fun!
Author
It’s great fun. We started doing ours when my son was little (he’s 19 now). He loved a book, “The Witch’s Hand”- it was really a creepy-looking leaf so we started looking for spooky-looking things in nature xxx
What great ideas. I hadn’t even thought of the Library, I know ours always have some activities on during half term to do with Halloween.
Author
Yes, it’s handy when they do xxx
These are great ideas especially as we are all trying to keep costs down at the moment
Author
Yes, exactly xxx
The library is so underused, most people forget about it and it’s free!
Author
Yes- use it or lose it- we are so lucky to have them xxx
Pumpkins are very expensive, it would be good to pass on them this year and just get some fake ones, they will last for years! Great tips.
Great ideas, but we don’t celebrate Halloween