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8 Ways to Save on Halloween

September 26, 2016 By MelissaB Leave a Comment

Halloween is fun for kids of all ages, including adults who are kids at heart.  However, what isn’t so fun is the hefty price tag that often comes along with the fun-filled day.  In fact, a “new poll from the National Retail Federation projects that Halloween revelers will spend. . .an average of $82.93 per shopper” (USA Today) this year.  That’s more frightful than the Halloween decorations that may cover your yard. Use these tips to help you save on Halloween spending this season so you can still have a fun Halloween without breaking the bank.

Halloween Decorations

8 Tips to save on halloween
Save on Halloween Spending

There are plenty of ways to get Halloween decorations for a fraction of the cost.  My favorite way is to buy Halloween decorations at yard sales.  (In fact, that’s how I buy all of my decorations!)  Or, if you have patience and would like to buy new, you can check out the clearance sales after Halloween is over.  That’s how I bought a good supply of Halloween and fall-themed towels, at more than 75% off.

Halloween Costumes

Halloween costumes bought new can cost anywhere from $25 to upwards of $100 for fancier costumes.  Yikes!  We have three kids, so to spend that kind of money on costumes is not practical.   Instead, we employ a variety of strategies to save on costumes.

Homemade

My son went as a knight one year.  We found the vest at Goodwill for $5.  We pared that with black pants and a white shirt that he already had.  Then he made a shield out of cardboard from a large box and covered it in tin foil and put a design on it.  He actually wore that costume for two years in a row.

Bought on discount

Our girls typically like fancier costumes, so we tend to buy them immediately after Halloween is over at a steep discount.  Our favorite stores to shop are Disney and Gymboree.  I can find cute Gymboree Halloween costumes for less than $10 immediately after Halloween.

Use what you already have

Another idea is to use what you already have.  If your son has a baseball uniform, why not go as a baseball player?  If your daughter is taking ballet class, why not go as a ballerina?

Halloween Candy

If you live in a subdivision, you likely get a lot of trick-or-treaters.  The price of candy can really add up, but it doesn’t have to.

Buy the candy at a warehouse store

If you’re a member of Sam’s Club or Costco, you can buy candy in bulk  for less than your local grocery store chain sells it.

Buy cheaper candy

You don’t have to buy expensive candy for trick-or-treaters.  Instead, buy cheaper candy like suckers, Smarties, and candies like that.

Have a limit

Set a budget for how much you want to spend on candy and limit your purchase to that amount.  When you run out, turn off your outdoor light and don’t answer the door anymore.

Halloween is a fun-filled holiday.  You can still be festive without spending a fortune.

What are your favorite tips for saving on Halloween décor, costumes, and treats?

 

MelissaB
MelissaB

Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in New York, where she loves the natural beauty of the area.

www.momsplans.com/

Filed Under: Frugality, Saving, ShareMe Tagged With: frugal halloween, frugaler, Frugality, Halloween, Halloween costumes, Saving

To Grow Wealthy, Stay Where You Are

May 27, 2016 By MelissaB 1 Comment

When I was little, I devoured the Little House on the Prairie series. I felt bad then for Ma and Pa. I felt bad for the way they struggled financially, facing setback after setback. I felt bad that they always had to move just as soon as they were settled.

But then I read the books again as an adult. Then I read them one more time to my daughters. Now I realize, as much as Pa was a loving father, he was responsible for a lot of his family’s financial hardships.

Life in Wisconsin was good for them. But once Pa got the itch to go west, his family never had a stable environment. They never got more than a few years into getting settled and making a life for themselves before they moved again.

Does Moving Now Cause the Same Financial Difficulties?

Grow Wealthy
Grow Wealthy by Staying Put?

Most people would argue that life was different then, and moving around now doesn’t cause as much financial hardship, but as someone who recently completed a 2,000-mile move, I would disagree.

My husband and I had lived in Chicago for 14 years before we made the move last July to Tucson, Arizona. We went for my husband’s work and because the move would give us a lower cost of living and a pay raise for my husband. On paper, everything looked good.

We foolishly thought we’d stay for two to four years. Now, I’m not sure we should move so soon if we want to prosper financially.

Even though my husband’s employer paid for the move, we still had many expenses like setting up the utilities and paying deposits on them, buying a few new pieces of furniture, etc.

Breaking Even and Getting Ahead Takes Years

We bought a house when we moved here, knowing that we weren’t sure how long we’d stay. We’ve had our mortgage for 15 months now, and in that time, we’ve paid down $4,300 on principal. Our home has increased just $1,100 in value during that time. That gives us a cushion of about $5,400, but I’m guessing if we were to sell our house next year (which would be two years that we’ve lived here), we’d be losing money thanks to realtor fees.

We’ve also just reached the point where we’ve started to discover ways to save money in our new city. Now I know where the cheapest places are to buy groceries, secondhand clothes, etc. Our first few months here we spent much more than we normally do on groceries because I didn’t know which stores offered the best deals.

We also have finally found decent doctors and dentists. Our first few months here, we found out my daughter need 6(!) cavities filled. We had to go to four different dentists before we found one that we liked and could trust. All of those different visits cost us a little less than $200 out of pocket, and that was before her cavities were even filled.

Of course, I’m not saying never to move. In our case, the decrease in cost of living and my husband’s raise made it possible for us to own a house, which we couldn’t afford to do during our 14 years living in Chicago. However, the whole story isn’t just on paper.  When you move, there are many incidentals that add up. Moving repeatedly can cause you to struggle financially.

It’s no surprise to me that the only time in life when Pa and Ma flourished financially was after Ma put her foot down and refused to move from DeSmet, North Dakota. Without the constant moves, they could finally get established and become comfortable financially.

How often do you move? Do you agree that frequent moves are detrimental to your finances?

MelissaB
MelissaB

Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in New York, where she loves the natural beauty of the area.

www.momsplans.com/

Filed Under: Frugality, Home, Married Money, Saving, ShareMe Tagged With: Frugality, Home, married money, moving, Saving, wealth

Even More Ways to Save on Groceries

January 4, 2016 By MelissaB 5 Comments

Besides your mortgage, your grocery bill may be your next largest expense.  Of course, you usually can’t alter your mortgage payment, but with some planning and strategizing, you can alter the amount you spend at the grocery store and save on groceries.

A few months ago, I wrote about the techniques we’re using to keep our grocery bill low for our family of 5 (spending approximately $500 to $600 per month even with food intolerances to gluten, dairy, and corn).  We’ve learned a few more strategies to lower our grocery bill that I thought I’d share with you, especially since it seems like the price of grocery is on the rise again.

save more on groceries


Stop by the grocery store whenever you’re driving by.
  I know the “experts” say to go in the grocery store as little as possible.  Many of them recommend shopping just every two weeks or once a month.  However, if you’re a disciplined shopper, I recommend stopping by the store every time you drive by.  Why?  I only buy eggs on clearance for .99 a dozen.  I also buy organic chicken when it is close to its sell by date and marked down by 50% or more.  If I stop by the store whenever I drive by (every couple of days, usually), I have a better chance of finding these deals.  If nothing is on clearance, I simply leave empty-handed.  I don’t buy eggs or meat if they’re not on sale, or ideally, on clearance.

Don’t just take sandwiches for lunch.  My husband packs his lunch every day.  However, he never packs a sandwich.  Instead, whenever I see clearance chicken fajita meat, sausage, or other meats, I buy those.  He cooks something up on Sunday, like three sausages I found on clearance, and then he brings some every day along with a grain, veggies, and a fruit or two.  His flexibility and willingness to move beyond sandwiches and my bargain shopping skills mean he saves a lot when packing his lunch.

Consider having a separate meat budget.  I just learned about this technique, and I plan to start utilizing it.  Say you have $500 a month for groceries.  The idea is that you set aside a certain amount, maybe $50 or $100 a month, solely for meat.  The rest you spend on your other groceries.  If you’re able to save up $500 or $600 in the meat fund, you might buy a ¼ side of beef, which you’ll likely get at a much cheaper price than at the grocery store.  Then, you eat that meat and start saving again for your next bulk purchase of meat.  Eventually, you’ll have a deep freezer full of healthy, lower cost meat direct from the farmer.

Slowly buy in bulk.  I have consciously started buying in bulk to lower our grocery costs.  I’ve had to do this slowly because we don’t have a lot of wiggle room in the budget.  Gluten free oats cost $2 a pound, and that’s when they’re on sale!  Instead, I bought a 50 pound bag of gluten free oats for $61.  That is $1.22 a pound, which is cheaper than I could ever buy them at the store.  Then, I bought a 25 pound bag of pinto beans for $12.50, or .50 a pound, which is again cheaper than the rock bottom price I can get at the store.  Just remember when buying in bulk not to buy items you really don’t want to use or won’t be able to finish before they get stale.

What are your favorite techniques to lower your grocery bill?

 

MelissaB
MelissaB

Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in New York, where she loves the natural beauty of the area.

www.momsplans.com/

Filed Under: budget, Frugality, Married Money, Saving, ShareMe Tagged With: frugaler, Frugality, groceries, Home, Saving

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