The Next Best Thing To Making Your Own Halloween Costume

Firstly it’s great to have been invited here to show the visitors of oneincomedollar another method to save money (which is what I do on a full time basis).

Halloween can stretch even the loosest of budgets. Other than making your own outfit (which is still a great option if you have the time) there are only a few options for party goers out there to save a few dollars on costumes. Here are my favorite tips:

Use Coupons for Online Costumes

We receive tons of emails every year asking for advice on how to save on various things, the latest being Halloween. So I went out and hunted for the latest coupon codes for the main online costume stores that ship to Canada. Here is a sample of some of the codes I found:

Description: Get 10% off all orders over $25 with this code at Halloween Express

Code: SAVE10CJ

Expires: Dec 31^st 2012

Description: Get 5% off all orders over $50 with this code at Wholesale Costume Club

Code: SAVE5

Expires: Oct 15^th 2012

Description: Get 20% off one item at Spirit Halloween

Code: SPOOKY

Expires: Oct 26^th 2012

An item of note is that the discounts go steadily up a few days before the kick off of Halloween, but take into consideration delivery times as to avoid disappointment. For more discounts for Halloween and other events see all the latest coupons at Voucher Codes Canada.

Go Second Hand

What you have to remember with costumes is that 9/10 they will be worn once and only once. So why not rent or buy one second hand. There are a multitude of places to rent costumes from (I would still hit the high street for this method), these are usually better quality than the ones you can buy too, however if they are returned damaged the fees can often be hefty. Probably the best bet to find a costume place near where you live is still the yellowpages.

If you think ahead I recommend organizing a costume swap on Facebook (or your social network of choice). Alternatively garage sales are usually a keen stop on the costume hunting tour. An up and coming trend are either swaps or purchases from craiglist (the classifieds website).

Get Creative

Costumes don’t have to be expensive. We don’t all need $400 princess dresses. If you’re looking for a more budget option, or to just enjoy the spirit of it all, why not source accessories to put an outfit together (rather than to sew one yourself or buy a pre-made costume). A quick stop at a make-up counter, a drop in a dollar store and raiding your unused items in a wardrobe can inspire even the most scrooge-like of us. And best of all—as long as you don’t go overboard—a fun and potentially more rewarding costume can be had for as little as $10.

Saving is all about thinking ahead and planning. So why not buy your next costume a few days after Halloween to get the best discounts as stores purge stock?

Share with us your saving ideas for Halloween costumes! Don’t be shy we love sharing photos. And don’t forget to stop by Voucher Codes Canada the next time your looking for a discount and say hi.

BIO: Anne is a writer at Vouchercodes.ca, one of the biggest online savings communities. Find out now how you could save more money on your daily purchases with frugal living tips, deals and online coupons for Canadian's favorite stores.

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