The Ghoulish Guide to Halloween Savings

Spooky lights, inappropriate costumes, and sugar-induced comas somehow create warm fuzzies when we think about the end of October. If we can ignore the general weirdness and occult history surrounding this holiday, trick 'o treating is a really great time to spend with friends and neighbors. Regardless of your beliefs, this time of year can serve as a big community builder. But don't ignore the inevitable. While Halloween is all fun and tasty games for the kiddies, who gets stuck with the bill?

If Halloween hasn't popped up on your radar yet, realize it's just a couple weeks away. If you care a lick about your finances, don't make a desperate run to Halloween Central for last minute expensive costumes and full-priced candy. The holiday season has just begun. Pace yourself.

Trick 'o Treating Etiquette
Before we dish on the coupons and hotspot stores for candy, agree to accept the terms below:

Rule #1: NEVER leave candy in a bowl on the front porch.
This is either ridiculously rude or just encourages gluttony. These are kids we're talking about! They usually don't bite (and if they do, they aren't rabid). Open the door and say hello. Or if you can't be home on Halloween, don't put anything out and leave the light off. Kids don't need buckets of candy, so don't dangle it in front of them.

Rule #2: Choose the lesser of two evils.
Try to buy the good stuff like 3 Musketeers or Peppermint Patties that have far less calories and fat than Snickers or Butterfinger. At least chocolate has a tiny bit of nutrient value that will feed the body in a positive way. But it's a special holiday! Give the kids whatever they want! All this "specialness" has made 30% of all kids obese. If you must buy the extreme sugar candy, choose sour ones. Kids like them better anyway and they take longer to eat. Check out more tips on the best and worst candy for trick 'o treaters before buying.

Rule #3: Don't freak the kids out.
A little big of fog and blinky lights won't send anyone to therapy. But please refrain from jumping out from a coffin dressed like a Dexter victim.

Candy and Treat Coupons
Deals change quickly! Your best bet is to combine manufacturer coupons with store deals to maximize savings. Pharmacy stores tend to have the best candy deals, but don't forget to check your local grocer's weekly ad online.

 

Printable Coupons

• Free Sample Freak has a great selection of Wonka coupons and print two per computer! Get $2.50 off two Nestle variety bags (20 oz. or larger), $2 off one Crunch/Butterfinger/Variety bag, and $1.50 off Wonka Mixups
• Save $1 off Skittles or Starbursts at Coupons.com.
• Get $1 off any three Reese's, Kit Kat, or Hershey's snack size bags.

Pharmacy Deals

• $4.99 Jumbo bag of minis, snack, or fun size candies at Walgreens.
• 2/$5 Marsh or Hershey's fun size, Hershey's or Nestle 50 piece chocolate bag $7.99, $5 Snickers mini mix, $10 Hershey's snack size mix (24-56 oz.), 2/$5 Teddy Graham Packages at CVS

Manufacturer Coupons available from Sunday Inserts

• $1/2 Select Werther’s Candies, exp. 12-31-10 (Smart Source 10/03/10)
• $1/3 M&M’s Brand Fun Size Candies, exp. 10-31-10 (Red Plum 09/26/10)
• $1/2 Mixed Minis Harvest Variety Bag, exp. 10-31-10 (Red Plum 08/29/10)
• $1/2 M&Ms Peanut Chocolate Candy, exp. 10-31-10 (Red Plum 08/29/10)
• $1/2 Select M&M’s or Dove Autumn Candy, exp. 10-31 (Red Plum 8/29/10)
• $0.50/1 Select M&M’s, or Dove Autumn Candy, exp. 10-31 (Red Plum 08/29/10)
• $1/1 Dove Promises Silky Smooth Chocolate, exp. 11-7-10 (Red Plum 08/15/10)
• B1G1 Select Mars Brand Candy Bars, exp. 10-31 (Red Plum 9/26/10)
• $1/2 Select Hershey’s Kisses, exp. 11-28-10 (Smart Source 09/26/10)
• $1/2 Hershey’s Bliss Chocolates, Bag, exp. 12-26-10 (Smart Source 09/26/10)
• $1/1 Select Hershey’s Special Dark Products, exp. 10-22 (Smart Source 09/19/10)
• $1.50/1 Wonka Exceptionals Bag, exp. 10-10-10 (Red Plum 09/12/10)
• $1/2 M&Ms Chocolate Candy, exp. 10-31-10 (Red Plum 08/29/10)

Alternative Treats and Non-sweets
If you're concerned about the massive consumption of sweets and it's effect on your children's dental plan, you aren't the lone voice out there. Your tiny costumed visitors will welcome something different and fun (that isn't a barrel of apples or floss). Seriously consider something inedible to hand out. Most of these alternatives are much cheaper than chocolate!

• Silly Banz--buy a 24-pack of these hot bracelets (sold in sets by theme) and give each child one or two. While a pack will run you $4.95, you can also buy the generic kind at Michael's craft store for at least $1 less. Kids love them!
• $1 aisle stuff--Grab Halloween stuff at the dollar aisle at Target, Walmart, or Michael's for fun extras and accessories sold in sets.
• Spider rings--Buy a bag of 144 for $6.19. These are pennies per spider and make great complements to costumes. Use leftovers for decoration next year.
• Mini bubbles (wands included in each cap)
• Home-made Play Doh--using a simple recipe for Play Doh, make orange and black dough for kids to play with. Package it in plastic baby food containers (Gerber 2-pack) or old yogurt cups. Tie a cute ribbon around each and you'll have a really nice "gift" that kids will enjoy and (hopefully) not eat.
• Themed pencils or erasers--Your local craft store has a ton of inexpensive writing utensils that will serve their purpose long after the expiration date of candy!

Presentation is a big key to getting kids excited about non-candy treats. Decorate a box to look like a pirate chest and kids can pick from the "booty" inside, or place your treats inside a black cauldron. Your house will soon become the annual hotspot!

Cost-Cutting Costumes
You know you'll need one. But if you wait until the last minute to do something about it, you'll end up making yourself into a bunch of balloon grapes. We've all seen that before and it's not a smart strategy for tight spaces. Start now so you can save some money and keep most of your dignity.

• Sweat Suit Creations--These Etsy DIY costumes built around basic sweatsuits are cute as a button, but at $15-$25 a piece they aren't exactly a money saver. Felt is dirt cheap, so bust out the sewing machine and make your own.
• Costume Idea Zone--Fantastic, original ideas like the Orbitz Gum girl, Snake's meal (attach the head of a plush snake to your head), and outlaw poster (giant poster with a cutout for your face) make this a must-read for DIYers. My favorite: wear a white t-shirt and stick pictures of Robert DeNiro all over it. "Mucho Dinero."
• Last Minute and Cheap-If you're broke and completely out of ideas, here's your spot. Score some great original ideas (Jolly Green Giant and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs umbrella fun) for relatively cheap.
• Mooch Costumes--When in doubt, grab a white sweat suit, some black felt, and make yourself into a cow. When Cow Appreciation Day rolls around each summer, get a free meal from Chick-fil-a! If you make cow costumes for your whole family, save $25 every summer. Check out their site for more tips and downloads for costume making.

Some of us are gifted with creativity and generate awesome costumes like the Cereal Killer (a bunch of cereal boxes stuck on a bloody white t-shirt). Others of us can't brainstorm our way out of a paper bag. Don't feel guilty for admitting defeat and buying something already assembled. With a coupon code you can splurge for the fancy premade costume without paying a fortune.

• Get 20% off online orders using from Buy Costumes
• With code SPOOKY get 10% off orders of $40 or more at Costume Super Center.
• Target provides free shipping for all costumes on purchases of $50 or more.
• With code 390197, score 33% off of all costumes at Giant Party Store.
• Don't forget Fido! Buy his getup for 20% off at Cherry Brook with code PETCOSTUMES.
• Hollywood Toys and Costumes is offering a whopping 50% off costume orders of $50 or more with code OCTOBER-EXP50.

Stay tuned to Coupon Sherpa for more coupons and buy quickly! As Halloween approaches prices go up while you're stuck choosing between a living-dead mini-skirted vamp or Mr. Potato Head.

Savings for a Spooktacular Shindig
If you're going to get a costume, you may as well have a party. If you're going to have a party, you need to do it for cheap. The following ideas are mainly for younger guests, but feel free to modify for a more mature crowd. Here's a menu, list of decorations, and approximate prices for everything. No excuses! Host a fantastic party for under $140 including your own costume and Halloween treats for the neighborhood! To cut a few corners, make sure your guests know you will serve sweets and some appetizers--set your party time a little after dinner so they can get more substantial food before coming.

Table and Room Decor

• 2-3 large white or black plastic table cloths $1 at Walmart
• 2 cobwebs ($4.99 x 2)
• 1 bag plastic spiders ($4.95)
• 1 plastic black cauldron ($12)
• 3 black foam squares ($3)
• various pumpkins and gourds
• glow-in-the-dark craft paint (4 oz. for $2.99)
• orange balloons ($3.95)
• several boxes of varying height
• several clear or white trays to serve food

Position the boxes on your dining room table so that the higher ones are in the middle and the lower ones are farther out toward the edges (the idea is to make several levels with the tall ones in the middle). Lay the tablecloths on top and secure them to the boxes with tape. Stretch your cobweb across the top of the tablecloth and secure in the corners. Serve your food on the clear or white trays on top of the boxes. Punch will be served from the cauldron, so make sure you put it and the cups toward the edge. Randomly place spiders on top of the cobweb.

Drape the other cobweb in the corner of another doorway in the house and decorate with spiders. If you're short on money, get a bag of orange balloons and draw jack 'o lantern faces on them. Attach to furniture or leave them on the floor. Using plain pumpkins, large and small, as well as various gourds arrange a beautiful fall display on a side table, then eat them for dinner the next night! For an impressive bat emergence, trace and cut several bats using this template and paint both sides with glow-in-the-dark paint. Tie several specimens to your ceiling fan and after the guests are assembled, let the bats circle overhead.

Edibles
A party is only as good at its food. Make yours especially ghoulish and folks will chat about it for years. Party food doesn't have to be catered and it doesn't have to be cheap either. Check your imagination at the door if you want--see below for a ready-to-go Fall Fest menu!

• Yummy Mummies and Cheese Fingers $7
  Spread spaghetti sauce across an English muffin. Position two black olives on top of the sauce for eyes. Lay strips of string cheese across the muffin, like a mummy shroud. Bake for 10 minutes at 325° or until the cheese is melted. Use leftover cheese sticks to carve cheese fingers. Makes 12 mummies and 10 fingers.  
• Kitty Litter Cake $7
  This always makes a huge hit and disgusts everyone. Get a small kitty litter box and scoop--new, please!--and wash it thoroughly with dish soap and water. Make a German chocolate cake mix (use this Betty Crocker 40¢ coupon) according to directions and then crumble. Crush 10-12 cookies, the same from the Witch's Hat Cookie recipe, and mix with the cake crumbles. Stir in one pudding cup and then add random drops of green food coloring (don't worry--it doesn't look green when you mix it in). The coup de grace is 6-7 tootsie rolls. Microwave them for 20 seconds so they can be stretched easily. Use your imagination and place the tootsie rolls through the litter. Serve the "poop" with the scoop!  
• Carrot Fingers $4
  Make your own ranch dip from a packet and serve with these deliciously authentic digits. Make sure you buy the full-length carrots rather than the baby variety.  
• Witch Hat and Broom Cookies $6
  Buy a box of circular chocolate-coated cookies, 10-15 Hershey's Kisses, and white frosting. Tint the frosting with orange food coloring. Put a dob of frosting in the middle of the chocolate side of the cookie and stick the kiss on top so that the orange is squishing out around it. Pipe an orange bow under the kiss and your witch hat is complete! For the brooms, buy a tube of sugar cookie dough (don't forget to buy with a coupon) and work in 1/4 cup flour to it. Separate the dough into 1" sized ball and imprint it with a fork (to make the broom bristles) Stick in a long pretzel to the other end and bake according to the sugar cookie directions. Take care to remove the brooms since the pretzel will easily fall off.    
• Chips and Queso $6
  For the easily grossed out guest, make sure to have something normal on hand. Cheese dip is a great crowd pleaser and relatively cheap. Get $1 off Pop Chips to save even more money!  
• Witch's Brew Punch $3
  Combine a liter of Mountain Dew with blue Kool-Aid to make the perfect color green! Fill the cauldron and serve with a ladle.

Entertainment
Get things loosened up with some fun. If folks are willing to show up in tights and painted faces, they're willing to be foolish and ghoulish all night!

• Who am I? FREE
  Use Halloween characters or accessories (witch, pumpkin, bat) or famous personalities. Each person has a nametag on the back of his costume. He tries to figure out who his character is by asking yes and no questions to other people in the room. Aside from the cost of paper, it's free and fun.  
• Donuts on a String $5
  Tie several donuts on strings and attach to a doorpost or tree limb. They should dangle just above the mouth. Have a race to see who can eat their donut first with any part of falling to the ground. No hands either!  
• Candy Corn Race FREE (with coupon)
  Divide your small guests into three teams. Give the first person in each team a large spoon with the same amount of candy corn on each. The goal is for every team member to run the same distance and keep the most candy corn on their spoon. Give a mini-pumpkin to the winning team members.  
• Mystery Lab Boxes $2-5
  This game is especially fun for kids! Cut a circular or square hole in the lids of several shoe boxes (big enough for a hand to fit inside) and line the insides with foil. Wrap the box with butcher paper. Decorate with "Warning! Do not touch!" messages. Put gummy worms dipped in vegetable oil in one, squished jello in another, and hairy fake spiders in another. My favorite is hard boiled and peeled eggs (they're a dead ringer for eyeballs). Invite the kids to guess what could be in the box based on what they feel!  
• Ghost Toss FREE
  Put a small ball inside a white napkin and tie it off with a string. Place a carved pumpkin, cauldron, or other canister several feet away. Give each child two tries to toss the "ghost" in the container.  
• Dance Party FREE
  Learn the steps to Thriller or make up steps to another monster song and have fun dancing together. Perfect prep for Karaoke!  
• Karaoke $9.99 (Karaoke rental $50)
  Let your guests unleash their inner diva with hits like Thriller, Monster Mash, Adams Family, and Flying Purple People Eater. Buy a Karaoke album from iTunes for $9.99 and find a friend with a machine. 

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Photo by: philsquires