RICHMOND, Va. -- The spookiest day of the year is fun because you get to dress up and trick-or-treat but the cost of Halloween costumes, decorations and candy can really add up.
The Better Business Bureau has a few ways you can get ready for October 31st without breaking the bank:
Plan Ahead - This is one of the best ways to save. Do your research before you go out shopping and compare prices of your ideal costume. Some stores even sell gently used costumes for a fraction of the cost.
DIY - Do it yourself. Put your crafting skills to the test and make your costume and decorations from scratch. If you're not the creative type, host a costume exchange with local families to recycle older costumes.
Portion out candy - On Halloween night make sure to hand out the candy yourself and set out a limit as to how many pieces each trick-or-treater can have. Your candy supply can dwindle all to quickly if each kid grabs some by the fistful.
Repurpose costumes - Just because the holiday is over doesn't mean you should put away those costumes until next year. Create a dress-up box filled with your kid's costumes so they can play all year round. This way you can ensure you're getting your money's worth out of your Halloween purchases again and again.
