Thread: Halloween budget

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With the economy in the state of confusion and to many people unemployed, what are you doing with your budget this Halloween? I'm asking total budget. Which includes everything from props, decor, costumes, candy and pumpkins, etc.

i have just about hit what i want to spend lol, but i have a lot more to buy

I'm spending more than last year and I'm scared because of it....

Last year, I added a lot of new stuff so this year I'm going lean. My plan is to rearrange and tweak what I've got and bring out some things that I haven't used for a while. I enjoy the challenge of making a little go a long way and I actually do my most creative work when I have to do it on the cheap!

I have enough as my wife tells me..............................

Originally Posted by joossa

I'm spending more than last year and I'm scared because of it....

Me too!! I have def blown my budget and am pretty sure I'm now cut off!

I still have costumes to buy for the kids, pumpkins and of course candy but my prop budget is finished.

I know better than to even think about budgeting for Halloween...

What is it about us haunters that we'll forego mortgage payments, car payments, student loans, clothes, etc. to make sure our haunt is appropriately attired?! LOL! I do the same thing.

I know I've read we're supposed to define a budget and stick to it, make the tough choices about what's a want and what's a necessity. Sorry, but when it comes to Halloween, it's ALL necessity!

I will say the Yahoo Group FreeCycle has been a big help in keep costs down. For those who are unaware of it, people who would rather not see something go into a landfill post the item on the local discussion board giving it away for free! And while I've scored tons of Halloween related stuff -- for example, someone had remodeled their house and were giving away two fluted columns which I scooped up for my yard display -- I've also gotten some really nice things for in and around my house. I got a brand new grandfather clock from FreeCycle, and old decorative trunk, and just the other day an almost brand new DeWalt scrollsaw with stand. When I picked it up, they also gave me half a dozen woodworking project books, also brand new. I'm also remodeling my basement, and it just so happened someone was giving away 14 sheets of 1/2" sheetrock that was perfect for what I was doing.

You can also post request for items you're looking for too. When I began doing a cloth mache prop last year, I said I wanted old sheets, more threadbare the better. I ended up with several big boxes of sheets that will last me a good long time.

I highly recommend haunters to check it out. There's a lot of stuff I just bypass on there, but when I see something that works for me I pounce on it. Competition's stiff for the items (so maybe I shouldn't be telling you all this ) but if you want to keep your budget in line look up FreeCycle and sign up for your local group. There's typically one in mst areas, and I imagine you could start one if there wasn't.

Rich

I absolutely refuse to add up what I've spent. I wasn't going to buy "much" more this year but then I found the $50 Garden Ridge skeletons. Then I seen some cool videos that made me think sculpting with clay would be a good idea (made a brain). 100 lbs of clay, 5 gallons of latex, 200 pounds of plaster all just arrived. Have to buy in bulk because just too far to go back if I run out of something. Some battery operated LEDs, and now some more LEDs because he wants to make electrical fixtures...oh yeah, some Walgreen skeletons, supplies for a beloved tombstone (almost done), a grim reaper in progress, um.....I'm stopping there because I know there is more and I don't really want to think about it. I've totally blown several years budgets this year. Ok, off to bed - I sense nightmares coming on now.

Noticed that some years ago I was able to score alot of stuff after Halloween at the sales. I mean in 2003 I bought loads of stuff at Target, good stuff at 90% off.

Im still using most of it even now 8 years later. One year I even bought some color changing rope light, it "morphs" from orange to purple. It was only at walmart 1 year, like 2004. I cant even find it online. Dread what Im gonna do when it no longer works.

As the years have passed I find less available on sale and if I see something I really like I know it wont be there Nov. 1st.
I will just go ahead and buy it now.

So I am spending more this year.

Also decided to go ahead and order some goodies from Grandin Road for the first time this year. Heck, it was for my birthday