Children dressed as zombies and Dracula aren’t the only scaring me this week, so is my Halloween spending. The annual celebration has gained immense popularity in the last few decades and has become the second biggest decorating holiday behind Christmas.

It’s also become a holiday for mom and dad to enjoy. Adults are buying costumes and going to parties just like kids are. The amount of kitsch that exists for purchase today just wasn’t available when our parents were taking us out -trick-or treating.

In order to not bust my October spending budget all for just one night of fun here are the ways I plan on saving money this Halloween.

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There are basically three categories that cost us the most money every Halloween; costumes, candy and decorations. Of those three categories you’ll spend the most money on costumes. On average costumes will run you about $35-60 apiece, making dressing up your family an expensive affair. Temporary Halloween stores that only pop-up in October have to sell costumes, make-up, wigs and such at mostly full price because they have only a short amount of time to make money.

Instead try shopping online at costume stores that operate all year round. These types of stores are more likely to offer discounts. Retailmenot.com has a large list of all stores currently marking down their Halloween gear. Check out Kmart’s offer of 50% off costumes and décor plus $5 off purchases of $50 or more with coupon code KBOO. Get 10% off any purchase at CostumeKingdom.com using coupon code RETAIL10.  Save 15% off orders of $40 or more with coupon code OCT40 at CostumeSuperCenter.com .

You should also never pay full price on candy for Halloween. Right now, coupons for candy are everywhere. Check out your local newspaper, drugstores and online. Most coupon websites have candy coupon offers on their home pages this week.   Grocerycouponcart.com currently has a deal for $1.00 off bags of Nestle or Wonka candy.

Stores would like you to believe that the best value on Halloween candy always comes from the giant-sized variety bags. That’s not necessarily true. It’s best to do a per piece price comparison to find out which offer is the best deal. First look at the nutritional guide on the back of the package to find out how many pieces of candy are in the bag. Then multiply the serving size by the number of servings. Divide that number into the price to get your price per piece of candy. Just the other day I was at a store which offered a 50 piece bag of Hershey’s candies for $6.99, or 14 cents each. When I compared that to the 10 oz. bags of the same candy I found they were selling for $2.50 a bag or 12.5 cents apiece. The smaller bag was the better deal!

It can also be financially prudent to buy less than popular types of candy. Most households buy chocolate candy bars to give away on Halloween night. It’s become the standard. They are also the most expensive type of candy. Instead consider cheaper treats like lollipops or Smarties. Nobody will remember Nov. 1st which household gave which type of candy out! Don’t go into debt for total strangers!

And keep your receipts! You can return unopened bags of candy the next day for a full refund only if you still have your receipt. Without a receipt, you’ll only get 50 percent of your money back because Halloween candy is marked down that much starting the day after Halloween.

To save money on Halloween decorations preparation is key. Shop the day after Halloween and cut your costs for next year’s decorations by 50-75 percent! Simply store them for a year in your attic or closet, the saving will be worth the wait! If you simply must shop ahead of time check out discount stores like Hobby Lobby that offer 40 percent off all Halloween and Christmas décor up until the date.

For savings on pumpkins shop at chain grocery stores in your town. These stores corporate buyers usually purchase enough pumpkins for all their locations and ship them in. Buying in bulk usually makes them cheaper than buying from a local farmer.

I love Halloween.  Dressing up even in my adulthood is quite fun. I am always trying to outdo last year’s costume. Last year I was Beth Chapman from The Bounty Hunter. This year I think I might go as Lady Gaga. I just need to bedazzle a crazy colored outfit and find any funky wig. It’s those kinds of crazy ideas that help make Halloween so much fun every year, even for adults. What isn’t fun is spending gobs of money on an event that only lasts a few hours one night a year. With these tips in mind, Halloween can be fun and festive as well as affordable. Happy Halloween everyone!

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Keeping Money in Your Pocket,

Nancy Patterson