Throwing a Halloween Party on a limited budget

By Nicola Kennedy

Most of the time, we find ourselves pinching pennies to get by another week. However, when it comes to a party, you really want your kids to enjoy themselves. Here are some ways you can make a Halloween party fun without spending a fortune.

1. Have a Halloween Treasure Hunt party – In the big, plastic Jack-O-Lantern buckets you can purchase for .50, place candy, stickers, bags of fruit snacks and party favors. Now, create a map that you can copy on a copy machine, showing where all the buckets are hidden. Give the kids plenty of time to find all the buckets and grab one (or several) of each of the prizes.

2. Shop at Dollar Stores for decorations – You don’t have to go to expensive party stores to get all that you will need to throw a Halloween party. You can find paper goods, like plates, napkins and table covers, invitations, thank you notes, streamers, and many other thematic holiday decorations for $1! The party favors and candy you use for game prizes can also be found there for a fraction of what you would pay for them elsewhere.

3. Use online retailers to your benefit – Online auction sites and party retailers can give your great deals on things like craft projects and party favors. If you plan to throw a party at Halloween time, you need to pre-plan when you purchase on the internet, though. Shipping can take some time, so you will need to order early.

4. Have all the guests bring a Halloween treat to share – Cookie swaps are very popular, so you can have the adults bring cookies to share with all the kids! No parents mind bringing a food item to share, so ask for fruit and veggie trays, popcorn, Chex Mix , Goldfish and other popular snacks with kids. As the person throwing the party, you can furnish the drinks and cake.

5. Look for games that don’t require purchasing supplies – Musical Chairs, “(Child’s Name) May I?”, and Hot Pumpkin (instead of “Hot Potato”).

Being creative can make for a very fun, but very inexpensive party!

Nicola always enjoys Halloween parties with her family. Visit her Halloween site for tips and information about Affordable Halloween Costumes.