Freaky Frugal Halloween
By Rachel Webb

Retailers love Halloween. Kids love Halloween, but what about parents? With early preparation and frugal shopping, Halloween can be a relaxing holiday and a wonderful opportunity for families to spend quality time together. An online poll at Halloween Magazine shows that Moms are spending anywhere from $50 - $250 yearly buying costumes and decorating the house. How can you enjoy a freaky Halloween and still be frugal?

COSTUMES
Be creative and involve the whole family. Start by looking at your resources and work with what you have. Jan in Mapleton, Utah used her resources by dressing her children in her husband's UPS uniforms from work. The parents were the packages wearing big boxes with "handle with care" and "fragile" stickers. They were the hit of the neighborhood!

Since I have small children I try to purchase or make costumes that can be used for other purposes like Princess themed birthday parties or use storybook characters for school dress-up days, etc. Remember to check out online auctions and goodwill stores for costume ideas too. Clearance Sales are my favorite.

FRUGAL DECORATIONS
Carve amazing Pumpkin jack-o-lantern using the FREE patterns found at: Jack O' Lantern Carving 101

Try dressing up a scarecrow and have it up a few days prior to Halloween so the whole neighborhood gets used to seeing him as a fixture - then substitute a real person dressed as a scarecrow Halloween night!

Another cheap trick - Dig up small shovels of grass, then remove and spread a little of the dirt throughout the yard. Next fill the empty holes with grocery bags and puts the sod back on top. When Trick or Treater's walk on it they feel like the ground is moving!

TRICK-OR-TREAT BUCKET
Save your 1-Gallon plastic ice-cream buckets, let the kids decorate them with markers or with adult help paint on eyes with glow in the dark paint!

The best way to enjoy a frugal and freaky holiday is to Plan ahead, be creative and look for unusual resources as an alternative to spending money!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rachel Webb is a SAHM of 4 and designs decorative large Magnetic Fridge Calendars. Her calendars are made entirely out of heavy duty magnet, guaranteed not to slide off when the kids slam the fridge door! PERFECT Christmas Gift Idea! Visit her site: http://www.Note-Ables.com or e-mail: Rachel@Note-Ables.com