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To budget or not to budget?

5K views 73 replies 34 participants last post by  Meadow 
#1 ·
I was reviewing some posts about retailers and purchases and thought about Halloween planning and of course budgeting.

I know for us we always have a list of items we want and plans on what might need crafted, but I don’t think I have ever set a dollar amount on what I had planned to do.

So tell me, do you budget each year for Halloween? And if so, are you good at sticking to it?

Definitely curious as to how other members approach keeping their Halloween purchases aligned without breaking the bank.
 
#3 ·
Before I got divorced I had a budget. Basically any "found" money or money I could make getting rid of stuff on Craigslist was my Halloween budget. But $200 was the rough annual figure. Once I got divorced all bets were off.

You can either view Halloween as a hobby or a habit. As a hobby it's kind of expensive but not the most (especially since if you shop wisely you can probably recoup about 2/3's of what you spent, with time and patience). As a habit it's better than all of the other ones (drinking, etc.).
 
#5 ·
Before I got divorced I had a budget. Basically any "found" money or money I could make getting rid of stuff on Craigslist was my Halloween budget. But $200 was the rough annual figure. Once I got divorced all bets were off.

You can either view Halloween as a hobby or a habit. As a hobby it's kind of expensive but not the most (especially since if you shop wisely you can probably recoup about 2/3's of what you spent, with time and patience). As a habit it's better than all of the other ones (drinking, etc.).
We say all the time Halloween is our hobby. For some people it’s collecting some item or maybe hunting and we always look at it from the hobby perspective as well. Probably why we look for items all year.

It is amazing how all the incidentals add up. I was thinking about this when I was buying supplies last night. I had on my Halloween to do list to make a sign which was $18 at Joann. PVC pipe at Menards, acrylic paints at Walmart, sheets from Target. In my head, it’s two items, but I’m thinking maybe I should be approaching my “hobby” with a little more awareness on cost.
 
#6 ·
Budget - heck no! We try to make everything as much as possible, however, sometimes you see something that really grabs you and you must have it. I am getting pickier over the years as I have accumulated so many items. I am looking forward to passing on some of my reject items to others in our neighborhood. We are having a freebie garage sale in the next couple of weeks and hope it'll encourage others to participate in Halloween decorating. We have a neighborhood display contest and we only have 2 - 3 homes that participate - so sad!
 
#7 ·
I don't have one budget. I have 3!

There's my hobby budget that I use to make things all year. This is strictly adhered to. I don't go over, as I just don't have the money. It's literally an entirely different bank account.

There's the PARTY budget for our party on the 30th. This one is REALLY loose. We have a good idea of how much things are going to cost, but don't stress if something goes over too much.

Then, finally, there's the Halloween night budget for candy. This is more of a running 'we need X number this year' based on previous years. Generally try to find sales and ways to keep the actual cost low, but full size stuff, that's difficult.
 
#15 ·
I don't have one budget. I have 3!
Same! Only slightly different

1st. Seed budget: pumpkins, gourds, corn, millet more pumpkins, etc.
Then I ask myself: do I own it? Will it grow in my zone? Is it worth it?
(Spring budget - $50 to $75)

2nd. Halloween kitchen accessories: towels, plates, etc.
We only use Halloween dinnerware
(Holiday budget very low since own everything but always buy new dish towels
$25)

3rd Halloween decor: vintage and new
Mostly purchase vintage items year round and they can be expensive.
($500)
 
#8 ·
I've had a rough budget the last few years, which I always go over of course, but this year I freed myself. No budget, just building what I want. Of course selling my house and living with my Fiancee' helped alot in that area :).

Will save some $$ on candy since the new neighborhood reportedly has a much smaller TOT turn out.
 
#9 ·
...what's a budget?

Which is funny coming from someone with about a dozen spreadsheets for the rest of the household stuff (groceries, bills, etc). I can tell you what we spent (and supposedly saved) on groceries last year, but Halloween? (insert insane laughter here) Not a clue...
 
#11 ·
I'm glad I never set a budget because I'd be WAY WAY over. My lifestyle has changed significantly post-divorce and I find myself with a lot of expendable income. I think this year I have spent over 2 Grover Cleveland and I know I will have to spend more after set-up begins. But I don't spend much on myself the rest of the year. What can I say? Halloween is my shopping weakness.
 
#24 ·
Scrutiny. A sign of a true Halloween lover! You are right though. As you acquire more and more you definitely start asking yourself some very serious questions about what you want and what you need. I’m with you, in my head I have this list of what has to be bought and for the most part if it’s not available anywhere else, it’s probably getting shipped soon to me.
 
#14 ·
This year I created a savings account for Halloween, with $100 a month auto deposited into it, anything else comes from my weekly spending money. I will likely end up a little over just because I didn't start until February and October, November and December won't be included since it deposits on the last day of the month. It sounds like a lot as I type this but it goes fast!
 
#35 ·
You know I have a little account I set up that puts $75 a check in. And I normally just use it for holidays. Never considered tapping into it for Halloween. Clearly can’t do it this year, but that’s a great solution since it’s direct deposit.
 
#22 ·
I don't really have a budget, but I do try and keep my costs low. I try and recycle as much as I can, find things on sale, and go thrift shopping for most of my supplies. I have a general idea about how much I have spent on any one of my builds/projects but can not give you an exact amounts. I figure if I can make something for less than half of what it would cost me to buy it I'm doing good. I spent more on my cemetery watchman than what I wanted, but I also spent less than I thought I would on my mausoleum so the extra cost for the CW was off set by the lower cost of the mausoleum. Lighting and extension cords are usually my most expensive costs.
 
#23 ·
Lighting and cords... that was a huge expense last year. I actually told my husband the other day... do you even realize what I paid to light up a Dollar Tree tombstone? I am not ever going to say lighting is a bad investment cause you can take some very mediocre things and make them pretty stellar with good lighting. I will however say that buying multiple outdoor cords with timers and splitters is a small fortune. Thank goodness you can keep using them!
 
#28 ·
I built a couple props last year (3 faceless ghouls - so basically some chicken wire, PVC, garbage bags & "shrouds") and some smaller Halloween stuff from Walmart (hanging skeleton, screeching cat skeleton, etc.). Back in July (middle of the long hot summer in Phoenix where I mostly don't go outside for 3 months - lots of "random thoughts time), I came up w/ the idea for a much larger scale setup featuring pirate skeletons, because I really enjoyed building my ghouls and the response I got from all the kids coming through (like 200 of them). Since I don't have a lot of "leftover stuff" or "last year's stuff" to work with, I had to start planning out what I was going to build and what else I needed to pull it off - including 7 5 foot skeletons, pirate clothes, a pile of foam board, paint, tape, etc. etc. etc., and then start shopping for this stuff. I've purchased nearly everything w/ attention to price, getting lots of scores at Goodwill, Michael's and the Dollar Store, but it's still adding up to probably $750 at this point, and still not complete. Not to mention I still have a crap ton of stuff I need to build, and it's just too hot to do things outside yet.

The plus side is that I can reuse some of this stuff - like the skeletons will always be useful, and the leftover building materials (scrap wood is one my most favorite things!) The other thing is the learning process - I regularly visit the Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Oriental Trading, and other retail websites w/ Halloween stuff so I know the going prices of most things. Then I cross check things against Walmart. But then I randomly stop into a dollar store (any variation - 99 cent store, Dollar Tree, Dollar General, etc.) and find a bunch of nearly the same stuff, maybe someone cheaper quality, but for huge % less. And then I go home and kick myself for not finding it sooner. But I'm learning ....!
 
#37 ·
There is such a learning curve on Halloween! It’s definitely not always easy to shop for cause unless you DIY it, you can only buy what they make.

I know in my mind the first year we went a little bigger I did spend more than I probably should have on the GR witches stirring their cauldron. Every time I have worried that maybe I could have help out I remember each year they’re a hit so money well spent. I want to say that year we probably spent $400-$500. Second year, I lucked out at Lowe’s and got the Nlack Widow prop for $29 and two spooky trees for $19 each. Bought the arch and some beef netting but cords and lighting killed me. Plus $70 in lighted pumpkins cause I wanted the entire railing covered in pumpkins, I bet all in all it was another $400-$500. Fast forward to this year, I did benefit from a $250 gift card from my employer which I used to get Zaltana and Madame Misery by did drop another $150 ish at Big Lots for two wolves, a werewolf rug, and the pumpkin groundbreaker. Another $70 at Menards for supplies, $50 for the moon prop, PVC, sheets, another $18 at hobby lobby for sign materials and who knows what I’ve given dollar tree.

I’m praying since my attic is so full I’m done. And next year I can rely solely on what I have and I can keep from suffering Visa statement shock!
 
#31 ·
Restless acres, You have said it Best!
Its not that the Budget is the issue or the problem,......the only thing that limits us is the lack of endless storage space.
We are presently purging tons of things that have Value to them......and are just Throwing them away, in order to Free Up a lot more storage space for our Halloween collection.
For the past 4 years, we have been meaning to have a Yard Sale, during our better months of May / June / July and August, and we are still yet to do it.
The problem is, that is the Sun is out on the weekend we are either at the Lake or at the Beach or out on our Bikes, or Boards or on the Boat.
We just can't find the time, to hold a Yard Sale.
We don't even have the time, to take it down to the Good Will........instead......it is all going into the Dumpster as soon as we return home, from our Holiday.
SPACE and STORAGE is the only thing that Limits us, from spending more and more and more.
At one time, we were able to use our Patio for Entertaining.....for Sun Tanning on and for Barbecuing on.
Now?
Our patio is the permanent home for 14 Full Size Coffins and our Halloween Graveyard Fencing!
True Story!
 
#36 ·
When I was growing up, I think @Meadow that the banks called that their Christmas Club or Christmas Savings Club. Weekly deposits that would earn you some interest. Of course that was back when opening an account could get you a toaster! Sure some of you remember that. Sure they never set anything up for Halloween, which definitely wasn’t as commercial but more homemade back then—yard decorations, real pumpkins, homemade costumes and face paint.
 
#47 ·
Luckily a lot of things I can make myself (when I ever get the time!) and the materials I can buy via my company anyway so the cost is negligible a lot of the time, I don't have a set budget and always spend more each year lol and sometimes there is a hefty amount spent on props but as long as its spent on reusable items the cost spreads itself out. This year we are making a lot of hand carved haunt walls and I've put a lot of framework up for the maze/dungeon but its something we will reuse year after year.
 
#51 ·
Ain’t it funny how that happens? I was one of the people who was slightly less than impressed with Halloween merchandise this year. Not even sure what I was looking for. But if you look at my Visa, clearly I found things. I’m not having buyers remorse at all. I did get lots of supplies for projects which can used down the road too. Its funny to me cause in my head I’m like ok two of these, one of those, a couple more lights and I’m done. Then you add in all the runs to hardware stores and dollar tree and it really adds up. I clearly need to consider my “supplies” a little more seriously as well. Even today wood for a table and paint and then some glitter added more to the pile.
 
#52 ·
I think I budget more based on TIME and storage space than money. Storage is limited to a small shed but TIME is the gating item more often than not. Last year was tough because so many things were a race to the finish line so this year I did it differently. I culled projects as I went (no swinging skeleton) and kept focused on "what can I FINISH before I START anything new". 2 weeks til build-out and I feel calmer and more ready than before.
 
#54 ·
No budget but I do have to work about 50 hours of overtime a month in the months leading up to and following Halloween to offset the costs...
 
#55 ·
I thought I'd chime in since I didn't see this answer in the mix yet. :) Spend your credit card points on Halloween! We can cash in our Citibank points for Home Depot gift cards, we have the Amazon Visa earning Amazon points, we can use Amazon points to buy JoAnn gift cards, and we even figured out how to buy a Visa gift card using Amazon points we've used at Dollar Tree, FrightProps online, or anywhere. This year our total Halloween display spend has just exceeded $2000 but only $300 has been out of pocket so far, and we even had enough gift cards to splurge on the HD pirate ship to be saved for a future year. Since points only accrue monthly, you have to plan ahead to make use of this technique, and when you've spent all your points by early October, then you'll be paying for the last things like party food & candy out of pocket. Still it helps a lot!

My personal Halloween budget history was just "entertainment expense" and if I could pay off my credit cards every month, I was still ok. I've always been frugal with the rest of my life so it worked out. I honestly didn't want to know how much I spent since I was embarrassed. Back then Halloween was all by myself throwing parties, building props, decor & costumes, developing recipes, and self-publishing 2 of my Eerie Elegance books, until 2011 when a friend volunteered to help with my attempt at projecting ghosts, and since then Halloween got bigger with multiple projectors and even animatronics using his electrical engineering experience - hooray! I started selling on Etsy in 2011, so at that time I started tracking Halloween expenses against my Etsy profits, since I figured if I was earning from my hobby, it could pay for my hobby. I don't earn a lot on Etsy, but with the combination of gift cards & Etsy profits we are still ahead. Several years we have spent more especially on invesment pieces like projectors, VSA software, video panels, controller boards, lighting, but we re-use those for different displays, since now we do a different theme each year. Storage space is our largest concern now, and I do think for large displays that will always be a factor.

BTW, that friend is now my husband, and it's his idea to spend our credit card points this way. ?I am so lucky we both love Halloween!
 
#56 ·
I haven’t in the past but am considering it for next year. My focus isn’t on doing a haunt per se, but rather, being the haunt as I assume my Witch Hazel persona on Halloween.LOL......For the past 15 years I have run a Witch Hazel Lucky 13 Club....members receive an extra Halloween item (which I craft) when they show me their membership card on Halloween. Crafting is my hobby, and since I am retired, I have time to craft throughout the year. My budget would be for the candy and the crafting supplies which is where I tend to get carried away. My husband and I keep our outside decorations (which I never tire of) mostly the same as I like maintaining “the witches house” from year to year. (We have an old house which helps.) I do consider Halloween an extension of my crafting hobby, but also our gift to the town’s children.? It all started because my husband and I both had memories of one special house we visited in our childhood. We decided we wanted to provide that for our Trick or treaters. I think Halloween is a great creative outlet for most of us and a gift to the children who will have some great memories because of our efforts. It’s a win win situation.
 
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