In recent years, Halloween has become more and more popular among adults. Yes, parents definitely still take their kids out trick-or-treating and schools still have kids dress up on the holiday, but parents and young adults alike are taking time out for some fun themselves this Halloween season.
This year alone, consumers are expected to increase their spending on the Halloween holiday. Spending on candy, costumes, cards, and decorations will amount to about $5.07 billion dollars in total with the average consumer spending about $64.82 according to the National Retail Federation.
Consumers tend to not make their own costumes anymore; instead they will trek to the costume stores and buy elaborate costumes and accessories to go with them. Adults are holding themed parties with food, candy, alcoholic drinks, and of course everyone has to wear costumes to go with the theme!
So, why has spending increased in a holiday that many do not even recognize in other parts of the world?
People want a break from reality and everyday life. With the economy currently in a recession, people want one night to pretend that none of this is happening and instead focus on the fantasy of Halloween and dressing up to be something they aren’t in everyday life.
It is good for consumers to get out and have a little fun once and a while! Not everyone has to spend a lot of money on the holiday either. There are many different ways to make your house and life festive without spending a ton of money.
1. Borrow Costumes
Nobody really wants to wear the same costume two years in a row (although this is completely acceptable as well), so instead borrow from your friends! Borrowing costumes allows people to recycle their costumes without spending any extra money.
2. Dollar Stores
I know this may sound cheap, but places like dollar stores and the Christmas Tree Shop (if you have one around your area) have a ton of Halloween decorations for cheap. This way you are not going to one of the Halloween specific stores that charge you a ton of money for something that probably won’t last for next year. My mum last year bought me a lot of decorations for my apartment and each one did not cost more than $1 at the Christmas Tree Shop.
3. Don’t Dress Up At All
My friend’s birthday is around Halloween but she said she was over dressing up for the holiday. Instead she is going to still have a Halloween themed party with fun drinks and snacks, but instead people don’t have to dress up. She doesn’t want people to have to spend a ton of money/time thinking of a costume, so she is instead going to have everyone wear black, orange, or purple! I thought this was a great idea and still a lot of fun for everyone.
4. Prepare for Next Year
Once the season is over, EVERY store has a sale to get rid of their extra stock. Prepare yourself for next year by purchasing things that you may see that you like ahead of time. This doesn’t always work for everyone, but if you have a place to store things buy them, but the key is to remember that you have them when the Halloween season rolls around again next year! This can save you a great deal of money with markdowns going extremely low to get rid of surplus inventory in the stores.
So, have fun this Halloween season but try not to spend too much money on the whole event. You don’t want to regret spending so much money on one night when the bill for your credit card comes later on. Have fun and let loose, forget spending a lot on the holiday and celebrate on a budget instead.
Photo: Kevin Rosseel
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