My Best Halloween Hacks

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Around Spooky Little Halloween, we're all about celebrating October 31st every day of the year. But when Halloween season finally rolls around? It's the best time of the year!

And, let’s be honest, it’s sometimes the most stressful too. You want to carve ALL the pumpkins, try ALL the new candies, visit ALL the haunted houses and, well, basically do ALL the spooky things. But it gets overwhelming – and expensive.

Over the years, I’ve started writing down some of my favorite Halloween hacks – little tips and tricks I’ve picked up to make Halloween season run a little smoother and be a little more budget-friendly – and today I’m sharing nine of my favorite secrets with you.

And, just in case you missed it, I already shared one of my best Halloween hacks this season – how to locate hard-to-find Halloween items, like those silly neon lights in the dollar section at Target…

I hope these make your Halloween a little easier, and if you’re looking for ideas let me know in the comments so I can help!

 

My 9 Best Halloween Hacks

 

 

Halloween Hack #1: Buy candy corn at the dollar store

Um, WHAT?! Miranda, you’re crazy. But hang on a second – this isn’t for eating because I can appreciate that those of you who actually eat candy corn (I’ve met my three-piece quota for the fall already) probably prefer Brach’s.

This isn’t for eating – it’s for decorating. Candy corn bags always seem a little light/small to me when it comes to the price tag…but I absolutely LOVE decorating with it. To be more cost-effective, I grab bags at my local dollar stores and encourage you to do the same!

 

Halloween Hack #2: Buy pumpkins en masse at Aldi

First and foremost…support your local pumpkin patches! Whether that’s at a school, a church or a locally owned business, I always encourage you to shop local for pumpkins.

However…I can understand that sometimes you want LOTS of pumpkins for decor, esp. for a party, but paying $6-10 a pumpkin prices you out of your idea.

Head to Aldi. Last year, I discovered they sell large jack-o-lantern pumpkins for just $1.99 in Houston. (Prices may differ near you.) I grabbed several to use as decor for my party, and I even managed to hang on to one until I finally carved it in late June for the sake of this blog post.

 

Halloween Hack #3: Get your spooky music fix with Dead Air

This was a FAVORITE of my Treats Not Tricks subscribers. (Are you one?) If I’m at home working on Spooky Little Halloween projects, 95% of the time I’ve got Dead Air pulled up on my iPad.

Sure, I have several Halloween playlists I’ve created over the years…but sometimes you just want the randomness of a radio station, you know?

Which is why I love Dead Air – my buddy Clay has music for EVERY taste, and it’ll be days before you hear the same song repeated. Even after listening since the fall I started my blog, I’m still hearing new tunes which I think is the coolest.

If you don’t already listen, head over to deadair.co to check it out – and if you like what you hear, consider donating the cost of your morning coffee or a lunch out to keep it going!

 

Looking for ideas to make Halloween season easier? Today I'm sharing nine Halloween hacks to do just that - these are some of my best secrets!

 

Halloween Hack #4: How to KEEP pumpkins past Halloween season

Okay, just to be TOTALLY clear I am NOT talking about carved pumpkins here. There are lots of hacks on Pinterest for keeping your jack-o-lantern going, but here’s my two cents: your local climate plays a HUGE part in the quality of your jack, a factor most of those posts completely ignore.

I could try every bleach water, Vaseline and WD-40 trick out there, and I guarantee my pumpkins would still mold quickly because Houston is so dang humid.

However, I have been able to hang on to uncarved pumpkins as long as 18 months. Here’s how:

  • I never touch them with a knife or pierce the skin in any way.
  • I keep them indoors in a climate controlled environment.
  • I keep them out of direct sunlight.

As a result, I’ve held on to jack-o-lantern sized pumpkins for up to a year, and I’ve held on to sugar pie and ornament sized pumpkins for up to 18 months before they finally succumb to nature.

 

Halloween Hack #5: Buy cards at dollar stores

Of course, I always support buying your cards from makers on Etsy or making them yourself (see my 17 faves right here), but if you’re looking to be a bit more cost effective stop by your local dollar store for Halloween cards. Dollar Tree, in particular, is great for cards and many at their store are 2 for $1.

This could be a great place to grab cards if you’re looking to do a DIY project with them too!

 

Halloween Hack #6: Download store apps on your smartphone

If you’ve read my tips for staying on budget during Halloween season OR my questions I ask before I buy Halloween decor, you know I’m always looking to save money at big box stores.

I encourage you to download apps for stores like Michaels, Joann and Target on your smartphone – each has coupons available within the app that you can quickly pull up to use before checking out. Keep an eye out for signs that state the store will accept competitors coupons too! (It seems like this is becoming more common at the craft stores!)

 

Looking for ideas to make Halloween season easier? Today I'm sharing nine Halloween hacks to do just that - these are some of my best secrets!

 

Halloween Hack #7: Grab a 20% off coupon from Spirit Halloween

And in that same vein,  if you aren’t shopping with a 20% off coupon at Spirit Halloween every time you visit…you’re doing Halloween all wrong! Of course, they issue coupons via emails and social media on a regular basis…but if you want one that doesn’t expire until Halloween day, get it here.

You can download and print it off from a computer or screencap it and save it on your smartphone. I keep both on hand so every time I stop by Spirit for spooky goodies, I can score an item 20% off.

 

Halloween Hack #8: Shop at dollar stores for DIY party decor

Maybe you saw a GREAT DIY idea on Pinterest you want to make for your party, but once you click through to see what’s needed you got scared off by how much it might cost. But did you consider whether you could find those items at a dollar store?

I think dollar stores are so overlooked for Halloween DIYs, and sure, if you’re going for quality it might not be the best option. But if you’re looking to make something quickly for a one-time use at a party, drop by your local dollar store to see what DIY supplies you can gather at a fraction of the cost!

 

Halloween Hack #9: Store you Reese’s pumpkins and bats in the freezer

Just trust me on this one. Do it, and you won’t be sorry.

 

 

What Halloween hack would you add to this list?

I’d love to hear your favorite tips – share them in the comments, and be sure to let me know if any of these work for you this Halloween season.

Then bookmark this post because I fully intend to continue adding to it as I discover more Halloween hacks you will love!

 

Happy haunting,

 

Miranda | Spooky Little Halloween

Miranda is the Houston-based writer, blogger, and Halloween lover behind Spooky Little Halloween, the blog celebrating October 31st all year long. Her favorite Halloween things include pumpkin guts, chocolate bars in her trick-or-treat pail, real haunted houses (including the one she lives in!), and historic cemeteries.

5 Comments

  1. Reply

    Kira

    September 20, 2018

    So this sounds crazy but check drugstores! I work at one, and our halloween is on a 50% off sale, making the prices pretty reasonable! Also on candy, they have pop up deals, for instance they are marking those limited edition glow-in-the-dark wrapper reeses and kit kat bags $1.98!!!

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