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Every year, it seems that Halloween decorations, costumes, and candy start flooding stores earlier and earlier. Maybe retailers are really pushing us to start shopping earlier, maybe we’re all tired of the summer heat, or maybe we're all just getting increasingly obsessed with Halloween.
According to last year's National Retail Federation (NFR) data, people get a major head start on Halloween, planning costumes and searching for decorations as early as the first week of September. They also spend more than they used to. In 2022 alone, Americans spent more than 10 billion dollars on Halloween.
Even with an early start, between the candy, the costumes, and the décor, Halloween can get expensive. Still, there are great deals at online retailers like Amazon and strategies you can employ that will help you save money on Halloween.
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When are the best Halloween sales?
It makes sense that the best Halloween sales happen the day after the holiday is over—this is true for every major holiday. With Halloween falling so close to the winter holidays, retailers need to make room in their inventory for the much larger holiday season. They start to discount everything they have, from costumes and décor to other holiday-themed products in the final days leading up to the holiday, then drop prices even further in the days that follow.
While this doesn't really help you out for this year's celebrations, you can still get prepared for Halloween 2024 (Talk about an early start!). According to consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch, retailers will typically offer discounts from 50% to 80% on holiday merchandise.
You can also expect to see costumes up to 80% off if you shop after October 15. With a little planning and time management, this is a great way to get loads of timeless decorations, party favors, costumes, and more for 2022 and beyond. Plus, you can snag pretty good deals on candy for yourself after the trick-or-treaters clean you out.
The downside is that waiting for these sales can increase the risk of not finding what you want, which is especially risky for costumes. But there are still a few ways to save on costumes and decorations.
How to save before Halloween
Point blank, the easiest way to save money on Halloween costumes and decorations is to do it yourself. It may take some time, a little more work and effort, and you may have to start earlier than most, but it's a good method that'll let you save more than purchasing a costume you’re only going to wear once. This way, you're guaranteed to have one-of-a-kind decorations, you don't risk ending up with the exact same costume as someone else, and it makes a great project to do with kids.
Craft stores like Michaels sell countless supplies for making home décor, party favors, handcrafting costumes, and more. On Etsy, you can find loads of unique, handmade costume pieces, décor, and accessories that differ from mass-produced items. If done right, shopping strategically on Etsy can be cheaper than buying a pre-made costume from Party City.
But if you don’t have the time or the desire to craft your own decorations, check out stores with notoriously low prices on seasonal items like Home Goods. And hit up big big box retailers like Walmart and Target closer to the holiday itself to raid the clearance shelves of whatever's left that catches your eye.
Don't forget to thrift
When it comes to putting together a costume for less, head to your neighborhood Goodwill or any thrift store to look for clothing and accessories that work with your costume. Get what you can for your costume so you have more to spend on focal pieces like a good mask, a quality wig, face makeup, and accessories.
In the end, when it comes to saving money on Halloween shopping, it's all about time management: the earlier you start, the better chance you have of finding those cheap Halloween decorations and costumes. However, if you're right in the thick of it, you can still often find good deals on Amazon and Walmart.