October 17th, 2017

​October is here! The kids are back in school, and Halloween is just around the corner. For many kids, that means dressing up in costumes for trick-or-treating, or for school parties. But for moms, especially those on a tight budget, the thought of buying or making costumes can be a little stressful. Here's some helpful tips!

Costumes, candy, decorations—they all add to the fun, but can put a dent in the budget. Many single moms have to watch every penny, and budget wisely. But with a little imagination, a quick browse on Pinterest, and a trip to the thrift store, they can put together a fun costume for cheap.

Here’s a list of ideas and websites where you can find inexpensive and clever costumes that can be made with household items or things you can easily pick up at a thrift store.
​
Thrift store costumes don’t need to be elaborate. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the smartest.

​Pinterest has pages and pages of ideas. Check out this page for example. While Pinterest can be overwhelming, narrow your search with keywords like DIY, budget, kids, toddlers, etc. Or search for specific characters by name.
We especially liked this “Minion” costume made with a bright yellow hoodie, denim overalls and oversize glasses
Design Dazzle, a fun crafting blog, has a list of do it yourself toddler costumes that even busy moms can easily put together.
(Our favorite on that list is a super-simple Peter Pan costume, which came originally from Babble, a Disney blog. Find instructions here. )

Pretty My Party, a party planning blog, had this super-cute costume idea for little ones:

BuzzFeed offered 51 cheap and easy costumes, including a brilliant Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume made by spray-painting an aluminum roasting pan.
One of our favorite thrift stores, Savers, which has a store in Hoffman Estates, offers these ideas for DIY costumes for kids. (We especially liked the Garden Gnome).
Whether you’re trying to stay on budget, or just find a unique costume, hitting local thrift stores is a great way to make this Halloween memorable.