October is a month of pumpkins, candy, fright fests and also time for “Trick-or-Treaters” of all ages to open their wallets to spend. But Halloween purchases can leave wallets feeling emptier than a carved pumpkin.

To avoid the tricky costs of the fall season’s first holiday, here are some ways to save:

1. Trick-or-Treating

Trick-or-treating, the main staple of Halloween is a great time for everyone, whether you’re accompanying your little brother or not. Since you may only be using candy and trick-or-treat bags for a couple hours, consider these suggestions for budget-friendly alternatives:

Treat Bags

Although stores stock their shelves with cute candy carriers, plastic pumpkin and ghost-shaped bowls just don’t scream creativity. And it doesn’t hurt to be creative when schmoozing for more candy.
Using the traditional pillowcase as a treat bag offers an opportunity to make it festive, like decorating it to match your costume, i.e. robber with a money bag. You might even find it will hold more candy than a store-bought one.

Candy

On the flip side, if you find yourself dishing out the candy, waiting until the last minute can work in your favor. Stores often lower prices to rid their shelves of Halloween candy early to make room for Thanksgiving and Christmas merchandise. Simply avoiding the supersize candy and getting the cheapest candies can help, along with using coupons if you find any in your Sunday paper.

2. Halloween Entertaining

It’s inevitable. Either you or friends or relatives will be throwing a Halloween extravaganza. Keep these tips in mind to make a big impression without spending your entire holiday budget.

Stick to the budget

Make a budget in advance and be realistic as to what you really need or what is possible to achieve in your time frame. Make sure you have all of your costume materials, decorations, food and candy that you need to avoid last—minute splurges.

Recycle. (Everyone’s doing it)

If kept in good condition, most decorations can be reused for a long time. Check with friends or relatives if they have any leftover spider decorations, tombstones or any other spooky stuff. You can start this season to prepare for next year.

Put your thinking cap on

Want to have the scariest house in your neighborhood? A good speaker pumping out frightful music and sounds can go a long way in getting some attention. No speaker? A simple laptop or stereo will do just fine as well. Simple cobwebs, especially glow-in-the-dark decorations, can spook adults and children alike. Don’t break the bank for one night only. Visit some dollar stores or scavenge your arts and crafts drawer you haven’t touched since last holiday season.

We’re all in this together

Not a party planner? I get it. To help take off some of your holiday costs, plan a party with friends and family so you can share the stress of hosting a neighborhood monster mash.

3. Cost-Conscious Costumes

If you’re stumped on what to be for Halloween this year without having to go spend big bucks to buy a ready-to-wear costume, look no further. Here are some timeless tricks to do so:

Be thrifty

Browse thrift stores for accessories of the costumes you are thinking to create. Whether it’s a grandma, thief or zombie you can usually find what you need at a second-hand store. A purchase here is likely to be less than $15 compared to $40 or more for a costume purchased at a seasonal Halloween store.

Say hi to Mom

Raid your parents’ or a relative’s closet for some nifty finds. They may have that pearl necklace or that Cosby sweater you may have been in search for. Just don’t forget to say, “Please and thank you.”

Switch and swap

If you’re scratching your head on what to do for your little one, try getting together with neighbors who have children the same age as yours. Swap costumes or accessories since children don’t typically wear the same costume year after year. Side note: Unless you are me, who was a cat for three straight years. Think of yourself while there too; swapping isn’t just for the little ones. Raid (with permission) your friends’ closets for some accessories.

Hello, World Wide Web

Jump online to find some options for a budget-friendly costume on discount sites like eBay’s Halloween store and others. Also, reach out to friends on social media platforms for more suggestions or to borrow last year’s costume.