How to Host a Halloween Party on a Budget

Shannon Cairns

September 4, 2021

DIY

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Halloween is one of our favorite holidays! We go all out with decorating, costumes, and fun. As the world begins to return to “normal”, you might be thinking about throwing a Halloween party to get your friends and family together!

It’s important to remember, that Halloween isn’t about spending tons of money to have the biggest party of the year; it’s all about having fun no matter what your budget is. Here are some tips on how to host a spooky shindig without breaking the bank:

Host at your place.

You can cut your party-planning costs by more than half by having it at your house or in your yard instead of going out. Catered restaurant settings are cool, but not budget-friendly.

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When hosting at home, all you have to do is make sure you have the funds to buy enough food and drinks to accommodate everyone. If you plan on an outdoor party, make sure you have a backup plan to move everything indoors. October weather can be unpredictable.

Limit the number of people invited to your party.

If you have a large home, it can be tempting to invite everyone and their brother, but that’s not a good idea if you’re on a tight budget. Instead, consider inviting just the adults at first and extending an invitation to children later as needed, or vice versa.

Make your own Halloween-themed food.

If you really want to have a great party but are on a budget, you can save money by making the food yourself instead of buying it at the store or at a restaurant. Pre-packaged and pre-made food and drinks can make a big dent in your bank account. You can make the same cheese and crackers or veggie tray yourself for much less money. Don’t forget the super fun stuff like green spaghetti with eyeballs (meatballs) and spider hot dogs! Make sure you have the time and resources to do that, though, or you’ll just end up stressing yourself out.

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Never underestimate the power of coupons! The sooner you start collecting coupons for your party fare, the better. Check flyers for specials and sales and double your savings. Usually, the stores have discounts that correlate with the weekly coupon selection. There are other ways to save on food, too – buy as much as you can in bulk and shop at discount stores like Aldi. 

Check these out for easy Halloween Party Food ideas!

Ask friends to bring their own booze.

Instead of contributing money toward alcohol for the party, tell everyone that alcohol is not included. However, make sure your friends know that there’s no obligation to supply alcohol. Let everyone know ahead of time that there’s no need to bring anything if they don’t want to.

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Do not forget to have some non-alcoholic beverages at the party, too. We’ve already mentioned that alcohol is not necessarily required for your Halloween party, but you still need to include something everyone can drink.

Keep things festive by decorating glasses with orange and black; you can even make a non-alcoholic punch to serve. Take a look at Pinterest for some Halloween-themed punch recipes. Put the punch in a plastic cauldron instead of a bowl for extra effect.

Ask for contributions.

The cool thing about Halloween parties is that imaginations can run wild. Your friends and family probably have a few really great ideas for Halloween-themed food and drinks. Ask them to bring something. It will save you time and money, and most people love to help out.

Don’t go overboard on decorations.

To make a Halloween bash look special, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on decorations. For one thing, Halloween is about black and orange colors; you don’t need to go out and buy a lot of fancy things. Instead, you can just scatter orange and black streamers across the walls; balloons, too.

Hang a black cloth over the windows to give your party an eerie ambience. For about $20, you can buy a long, wide piece of black material and hang it from your ceiling with some sticky tape. You don’t even have to have it long — you can cut it so that it fits and secure the material on all the windows in your room.

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Make a banner for the occasion. This is another easy trick to make the party look more like an event, rather than just people gathering at someone’s house. You don’t need anything elaborate; you can just make a banner with the words ‘Happy Halloween’ and hang it above the entrance to your house.

When the party is over, don’t throw those decorations away — make sure to store them properly so you can use them again at next year’s Halloween party! There is nothing wrong with using decorations from the year before, just as long as they’re not damaged or worn out.

You’ll Love these affordable Halloween Decor Ideas!

Have a costume contest!

There are many different games and things you can do at a Halloween party, but nothing compares to the costume contest! All of your ghouls and gals will come dressed to win, adding to the fun of the bash. Give a small goodie basket or Halloween-themed treat as the prize.

Check out these easy DIY Kids Halloween Costumes!

Plan Cheap and Easy Activities for smaller guests.

Most of the adult guests will be happy with music, food, and yummy drinks! If you’re inviting kids to the party, check out a few of these ridiculously easy and cheap Halloween craft ideas to keep them entertained.

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Cheap Halloween Activities & Crafts:

Don’t be afraid to ask for favors.

If you’re on a budget but still want to make your Halloween party special, get friends or family members to help with certain things. For instance, if you want a certain Halloween-themed drink but don’t have the money to buy it, ask someone to go out and buy it for you as a gift or offer to pay them back later. If you do this, make sure there’s no pressure; let people know that they can walk away from the offer if they choose to.

Conclusion

The main goal here is to enjoy your party as much as your guests do. Feel free to let loose and have a good time rather than running around stressed out throughout the entire event thinking you have to make everything perfect. Your friends and family will have a blast just spending time with you! Do you have any ideas for hosting a frugal Halloween party? Feel free to share in the comments!

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hi! I'm shannon

I’m a wife, mom of three, doctor, and blogger! In 2018, I decided to turn my mom blog, into a personal finance blog so others could follow along on our journey to pay off over HALF a MILLION dollars in student loan and practice start up debt. I hope you enjoy following along, and maybe even find some inspiration along the way.