Halloween is just about one month away, so if you haven’t already started thinking about it, now’s the time to start brainstorming ideas for costumes, whether you purchase them, borrow them, or make your own.
Online Discounts
As with most holidays or seasonal events (like school shopping), retailers usually offer Halloween items at a deep discount early and then slowly raise prices until the actual event. It’s in your best interest to plan ahead and get the best discounts early.
Here are a few online deals we’ve found. As we find more deal ideas and suggestions, we’ll add them to this post.
Groupon.com
Today only (9/27), you can order a $30 voucher to CostumeHub.com for just $15 through Groupon (go to “Minneapolis/St. Paul” under “Visit More Cities” to find this deal). Once you purchase the voucher, you can redeem it starting Wednesday, 9/29 (it expires 11/5).
Meijer.com
Meijer.com is offering $0.99 shipping when you purchase two or more Halloween items. They have a huge assortment of adorable infant/toddler costumes, costumes for boys and girls, and even adult men’s and women’s costumes.
Your shipping discount also applies to orders of indoor and outdoor Halloween décor, baking products and crafts. This shipping discount applies through Thursday, 10/7.
Sears.com and Kmart.com
Sears.com and Kmart.com are both offering the same deal on Halloween orders: up to 25% off your order (prices are as marked) with free shipping on orders over $39. Plus, if you use the code S5OFF50BOO (for Sears) or K5OFF50BOO (for Kmart), you’ll get an extra $5 off your $50 purchase now through Saturday, 10/2.
Zulily.com
Zulily is a members-only shopping site that is free to join, but offers a rotating selection of products at discounted prices. While supplies last they have some really cute kid’s costumes from Rubies’ with prices starting at $8.99. If you buy a lot from Zulily, then use code GAF78565 to get $5 off a $50 purchase or the coupon code SNAPZU10 to get 10% off a $30+ purchase. (Thanks, Hip 2 Save)
This elephant costume in infant sizes is $9.99 + $5.95 for shipping.
Other Places to Get Costumes
Buy Used
It never hurts to check consignment sales and stores like Once Upon a Child to see what they have available. Since Halloween costumes are worn for such a short period of time, you should be able to find something that’s in pretty good condition. Some thrift stores may also have Halloween costumes in stock (although some may not accept seasonal merchandise).
Trade
You can always trade costumes with friends, family members, neighbors, mom’s group members, etc. Check Freecycle or Craiglist to see if anyone is giving away costumes or selling them inexpensively.
[photo courtsey of Living the Swell Life]
Make Your Own
I (Laura) have very little experience making my own costumes, but I know that those with a more crafty bent have made adorable costumes for cheap. (For example, my friend Jessica made this adorable chicken suit costume for her son last year.) What resources/ideas do you have or use to make your own costumes?
Your turn: Where do you get your Halloween costumes at a discount?
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I was just at the Goodwill store in Fridley, and they had tons of Halloween costumes on sale. Also – the current issue of Family Fun magazine has a few ideas for “do it yourself” costumes. They have an issue like that every year, so you could check out previous years’ issues at the library for more ideas.
I went to the Once Upon a Child in Anoka and found a 50 dollar costume for 8.50!! It is the deluxe Pable from the Backyardigans!! They have a lot of costumes!
I agree with Becky the thrift stores are the #1 place to get costumes. Shop early for the best selection. I already picked up a Toy Story Woody costume, a Star Wars Clone Trooper with mask, and a pumpkin all 3 for $6!
I don’t need to glam and glitz of a store bought costume, I always found that the typical standbys i.e. Farmer, Witch, Pumpkin, etc were always easy to do with home made things. When I did the pumpkin for the kids, I purchased orange clothing I could easily incorporate into the daily wardrobe after Halloween.
Community Youth Halloween Costume Exchange & Donation Event – Drop Off Oct. 8; Choose New Oct. 15-16
The bummer about Halloween costumes is that they’re pretty much a one-use item. Kids grow so fast, and unless there are younger siblings to wear them another year, the costumes are useless after a single season. Now you can give new life to a gently used costume! Rosemount Parks and Recreation has set up a Children’s Halloween Costume Exchange that allows you to exchange your kids’ used costumes for “new” ones or provide a costume for a Rosemount child in need. Tickets will be handed out for each donated costume. One costume entitles the donor to one ticket, which can then be used to “pay” for a new costume at the exchange.
Costume Drop Off: Drop off your clean children’s costumes at the Parks and Recreation Office in the lower level of the Community Center (13885 South Robert Trail), Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., from now through Friday, October 8.
Costume Pick Up: Pick up a “new” costume Friday, October 15, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. or Saturday, October 16, from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m., at the Rosemount Steeple Center, 14375 South Robert Trail (formerly St. Joseph’s Church). Questions? Contact Rosemount Parks and Recreation at 651-322-6000.
I usually look on ebay to get costumes cheap all year round. Also Savers… I am planning to go there this week since I have a 30% off coupon that expires Thursday and they have a GREAT costume.
Arc’s Value Village transforms their stores into a Halloween store during the fall. I went last week and got two of my daughters their costumes, and spent under $8.00! Not bad. Craigslist can also be a good place to get costumes as well, or sell your old ones for more than you can get for them at Once Upon A Child.
Ragstock has Halloween costumes every year and they have several location in the Cities (Roseville, Golden Valley, Uptown, etc.).
I also think trading with friends works great as well.
I’ve done Internet searches for easy, creative costumes. I don’t have kids so my focus has been adults but that doesn’t exclude kids. For example in the past I took a pair of sky blue scrubs and pinned cotton balls all over it. Then I carried a squirt gun. What was I? Partly cloudy with a chance of rain. Also dress in all pink and tie a shoe to your head or shoulder…. bubble gum on the bottom of someone’s shoe. This year I’m trying to come up with cheap dog costumes for a contest I’m taking our recent litter of puppies to.
love the bubblegum on the bottom of shoe costume idea!!!!! May have one of my girls dress up like that! Thanks!!
A Facebook friend posted a “thank you,” to the company that sent a catalog to her home of Halloween costumes which inspired her young son to ask questions like, “Mom, what’s a dirty cop?,” “What’s a psychopath?” and “Who is Freddy Krueger?”
Reading that made me appreciate Arc’s Value Village even more. Each visit to the Halloween Boo-tique lets my girls use their imaginations to create their own unique Halloween costumes without having to answer such questions. My kids love the creative process as much as the candy hoard they get and I love that we get costumes for both of them for less than $20.
After we’ve taken photos for the scrapbook and traipsed through the neighborhood collecting treats, the costumes go back to Arc’s Value Village for some other lucky kid to use next Halloween. Instead of explaining Freddy Krueger, a trip to Arc’s Value Village gives me a chance to talk to my kids about why thrift, caring for the environment and supporting good causes are important to our family. We’re heading to Boo-tique this weekend!
My seven year old daughter is going to be a “mad scientist” and my three year old daughter a “lab mouse.” I already bought the mouse costume on ebay. It was brand new with tags, Including shipping I paid $15, but I choose it because of the warmth factor. In the past we have done indoor events and only a block or so of trick-or-treating but this year we will only be trick-or-treating on Halloween night by my daughter’s request. For the mad scientist- lab coat, add some goggles and spray her hair up to look crazy. I don’t mind spending a little more as I choose costumes that my daughters can reuse. Last year the older one was a princess and the little one a frog. They had lots of fun dressing up and acting out their own stories. My older daughter loves science and we do kitchen experiments. She’ll now have her very own lab coat to feel more official. Plus I will be getting a bigger size so her coat can be under the costume. Does anyone know a good place to get a lab coat? I plan on checking at the local uniform stores.
I have scoured garage sales, all summer, I look for halloween costumes, I buy one size bigger than what my kids are in the summer. And it is okay in Minnesota for them to be a little big, because more often than not they have to wear a coat. I got an Elmo coustme that retails for $35.00 new, for nothing, because the lady just wanted to get a rid of it, and I got another costume, a Dragon that retails for $20.00 new, for 50 cents, in excellent condition, at that price you can pick 2 or three, that way they can pick what they want to be, when it gets closer to Halloween. My son decided to be a bat this year, so I am making his costume out of an old dress and a black sweatshirt, complete with a black face mask, for the ears and complete effect.