How To Do Halloween On A Budget

By Elana Goodwin on October 27, 2015

This article is brought to you by Kaplan, the leader in test prep for over 90 standardized tests, including the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and MCAT.

Some people choose to go all out for Halloween, even though it’s just one day a year — but for college students especially, doing Halloween on a budget is more affordable, and there’s tons of ways you can get into the Halloween spirit without spending lots of dough.

Here are some tips on how to do Halloween on a budget — whatever your budget may be.

Image via Pixabay

For Halloween Decoration Ideas on a Budget

1. Glowing Eyes. Collect your used toilet paper rolls and cut out eyes shapes in them. Then buy some glowsticks, insert them in the rolls, and tape up both sides. Then hang around your apartment or house and when it gets dark, they’ll look super spooky!

2. Scary Door. Decorate your door for Halloween — all you need is scissors, construction paper, and a scary idea. You can make your door look like a monster, Frankenstein, or something else frightening (like hanging a sign that says “Principal’s Office”).

3. Pumpkin Fun. Pumpkins aren’t usually that expensive to buy so if you splurge and purchase one, you don’t want to let it go to waste. If you don’t trust your carving skills, you can just draw on your pumpkin with a sharpie marker or use glue and paper to make a face. Sidenote: you can also buy fake pumpkins, which may be easier and cheaper to use as decorations.

4. Trashbag Spider Webs. Cut off the sides and bottom seams of a large black garbage bag and then cut each piece of plastic into a square. Then, fold the squares in half to make a traingle and fold the triangle in half twice more. (You may need to use tape as the plastic will be slippery). Use a sharpie to draw some lines to follow on the bag — like a stem and some scallops — before cutting the negative shapes with scissors and unfolding your spider web.

For Halloween Parties/Trick-or-Treating on a Budget

1. Throw a Halloween potluck. If you’re having a Halloween party on a budget, ask your guests to bring something. You can have a candy potluck, a regular potluck, or a Halloween-themed potluck, but if you’re hosting the bash, it’s okay to ask people to pitch in food-wise and help you out by bringing some snacks or drinks.

2. Buy off-brand candy. Name brand candy is usually more expensive than their off-brand counterparts so if you’re hoping to save some money on Halloween goodies, consider passing on the Hershey’s and Milky Ways and opt for the store or lesser brands — they typically use the same ingredients anyway!

3. Compare prices. Sometimes it’s cheaper to buy smaller packs of candy than a big bag full, so you’ll want to shop around and do your research before you buy candy. Check out your local stores’ ads and figure out how to get the most bang for your buck. Additionally, when buying candy, you’ll want to choose a sweet that you like and don’t mind eating in case you have any left over after Halloween!

For Halloween Costumes on a Budget

1. Be a Pirate. You don’t need to go all Johnny Depp in “Pirates of the Caribbean” to execute this Halloween costume idea. For a poor student’s version of a pirate, simply don some sort of white shirt with a vest or cardigan and a belt over the ensemble with black pants, leggings, or a flouncy skirt, and boots, along with a black or red bandana or scarf around your head. If you’ve got them, add gold jewelry, some rings, and an eyepatch, and generously apply black eyeliner to your eyes. You can also use a finished cardboard paper towel roll as a telescope.

2. Be a Fitness Aficionado. With workout clothes all the rage these days, dressing up as a jogger, a yoga enthusiast, or some other fitness-related costume should be super simple and it won’t cost you a thing.

3. Be a Judge or Doctor. If you don’t have your graduation robe and you’re not a med student with a white coat already, you can reach out to your friends and see if they have a robe or coat you can borrow or check out a local thrift store. The necessary accessories are encouraged — such as a gavel or stethoscope — but not required.

Hopefully these ideas will help you do Halloween on a budget without sacrificing the fun and spirit of the holiday. Have a happy Halloween!

Learn more about Kaplan’s test prep options and start building the confidence you need for Test Day.

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