15 ways to celebrate Halloween on a small budget

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I love an excuse to do fun activities with my two, and we jump on every celebration or theme we can possibly celebrate year round. Halloween is no exception! With a bit of imagination and resourcefulness, you can enjoy this spooky time of year without breaking the bank.

Here are 15 ways to have a fab halloween without spending a fortune…

1. Print free decorations

Print your own bunting, and get the kids to colour it in – my free, printable, colour-in Halloween bunting is perfect for the job! Print as many times as you need, attach the triangles to twine, string or ribbon and your Halloween house will start to take shape!

2. Think second-hand

If you need cheap costumes for this year, shop online marketplaces, second-hand websites and the charity shops for the best bargains. You could also organise a costume swap with friends or neighbours to exchange costumes from previous years, saving money and reducing waste. Or, get creative and DIY with what you have at home!

3. Carve pumpkins

Pop your wellies on and head over to a pick-your-own field to get some fresh air and choose your own pumpkins. Or, visit a budget supermarket to get a big’un for about £1.50. You can pick up a pumpkin carving kit for next to nothing in most supermarkets or bargain shops too – let the carving competition begin!

4. Get crafty

Check out my post on cheap and simple Halloween craft ideas to make the most of what you have at home, and enjoy some quality time with the kids – think milk bottle ghouls, cereal box gravestones and junk model monsters! You could even invite friends and family over for some crafternoon fun on a rainy October day!

5. Enjoy free events

Look for free or low-cost Halloween events in your community, such as: village hall parties, school events, free Autumn firework displays, pumpkin festivals, country-park activities and spooky scarecrow trails for the kids to complete. Check with your local library for Halloween-themed activities, such as storytelling sessions or craft workshops.

6. Have a spooky cinema trip

Lots of cinemas show throwback kid’s Halloween movies, which are often priced at just a few pounds per ticket under the movies for juniors title, and there are always new releases too. Sign up to trial Kids Pass for just £1 and you can get 40% off of cinema tickets! The cinema is a great way to spend a wet October weekend.

7. Have a Halloween hunt

Download and print my free Halloween pumpkin treasure hunt clues to have lots of fun at home. Simply hide the treats at the end of the trail and let the children have fun finding them.

8. Visit budget shops

The pound shops are brilliant for fake cobwebs, masks and face-paint bits for, you guessed it, just a pound! So if you want to treat the little ones, but your budget is tight, try the budget shops.

9. Paint-your-own

Places like Amazon, Hobbycraft and The Range usually have great paintable decorations that will keep the kids busy for hours. Once they’re dry, coat with a PVA/water solution to give them a glaze so you can enjoy them for years to come. I did these with my two, and they were just £1 each! Read my post on decorating for Halloween on a budget for more ideas.

10. Host a party

A party at home can be a great way to have fun on a budget. My two always celebrate Halloween with their cousins, and we have a cheap and cheerful little tea party to make the most of it. Planning a bigger event? Ask your guests to bring a plate of food to make a tasty, spooky feast without a too much cost or effort, and test their spooky knowledge with my free, printable Halloween quiz.

11. Bake your own treats

Try my really simple cupcake recipe – then decorate with colourful icing (we usually do green and orange!) and Halloween cake toppers. You can get a set of cake toppers from Amazon, like these here, for just a few quid. For more Halloween themed food ideas – read my post on family friendly Halloween recipes.

12. Host a movie night

Host a Halloween movie night at home – watch classic horror movies or family-friendly Halloween films with friends or family for a fun but cheap night in – don’t forget the popcorn!

13. Make a ghoulish piñata

Piñatas are great fun to make and even more fun to destroy – and they can be easily made from the junk in your recycling box! They work brilliantly as a Halloween decoration, as well as being the perfect way to keep the sweets hidden until the big day. Find out how to make your own spooky piñata.

14. Avoid branded sweets

Grab your treats from budget stores, or opt for the supermarkets own versions to avoid spending loads on branded sweet treats for your kids and any trick-or-treaters headed your way.

15. Enjoy a budget break away

Got a bit more in the budget? You could book a last minute October half-term break and make the most of the spooky activities on offer. Haven are offering breaks from just £79 – less than the cost of a trip to the zoo for a family of four! Spontaneous, last-minute fun is always the best, so enjoy some quality time with the family.

And…

Don’t forget you can save a small fortune by planning ahead. Straight after Halloween, all of the decorations and costumes in the supermarkets are heavily reduced – I’ve picked costume sets in the sales for just £3! If you want some new halloween bits, buy in the sales for the following year – making sure you get any costumes in larger sizes than you’d currently need.