BOO! Spooky season is here, and Halloween is right around the corner, so what are your plans? Halloween is one of the most important Holidays for a college kid, but sometimes has a tendency to break the bank—trust me, I would know. As a fellow broke college kid, I have compiled a list of activities that you can do to make the most out of your Halloween on a budget.
Here’s your guide to the best Halloween, broke college kid style:
- DIY a Halloween costume
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Making your own Halloween costume with items you have at home or that you can borrow from friends is always the best option… it’s free! I have done this all of college and it has saved me so much time and money; you never really realize how versatile your closet is when you get creative with it and try making a costume. Some cool costumes that you can put together with the things in your closet are Wednesday Adams, a cowgirl, a hippie, Rosie the Riveter, Kim Possible and a slew of others.
- Thrift a Halloween Costume
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Gong to your local thrift stores and buying some items is another great way to save money. Thrift stores offer a wide variety of options and let your imagination roam free. Goodwill provides a Halloween section every year with a pretty large selection of options. But don’t worry, if you don’t find luck in those racks, check out the regular clothes and see what you can put together. Maybe take some friends to help you out and think of some costume options before you go to see what pieces you can find that are similar.
- Go to a Halloween Party, Festival or Parade
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Going to a party thrown by a friend or a neighbor is fun and most of the time very cheap. Get dressed up and go with a group of friends to a house party or festival. There are so many festivals and parades available to the public on Halloween that are fun and inexpensive. Many are available locally and you can travel to others like Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, but that would not be balling on a budget.
- Go to a pumpkin patch
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Pumpkin patches are everywhere during the Halloween season and are typically free entry. The scenic rows of pumpkins and activities that the pumpkin patch may offer make for such a small fun activity perfect for Halloween.
- Be a child again
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Go trick-or-treating! You may get some weird looks and some snarky comments, but trick-or-treating is so much fun! You can walk around the neighborhood with your friends for candy like if you were 10 again. Might be tricky, but it’s worth a shot. Don’t worry, if you do not want to go out, I also have some fun options for you to ring in the spooky season in the comfort of your own home.
- Watch Halloween Movies
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If this is not already a Halloween tradition of yours, you should make it one. Watching movies at home is not only one of the best Halloween activities, but it is also one of the cheapest. Watching spooky movies at home while you are warm under a blanket as you eat Halloween snacks is the ultimate Halloween night. You can invite your friends over or watch the movies by yourself at home on streaming networks and cable. Hulu offers 31 days of Halloween movies as well as the Freeform network on cable which can also be streamed.
- Bake Halloween Cookies
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Tasty, spooky and cheap? Yes, please. Baking Halloween cookies are a fun way to eat and have fun on Halloween while on a budget. You can pick up some cookies from your local grocery store and decorate them or you can make cookies at home with some ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
- Bake a pie
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As a person who likes pumpkin-flavored anything, pumpkin pie is a MUST on Halloween. Baking your pie at home is a fun activity that takes time and does not have to be expensive. You can make a simple pie at home with friends and watch spooky movies on the couch, even drinking pumpkin lattes or hot chocolate while comfortable at home.
- Bob for apples
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A Halloween tradition that has been used for so long cannot be forgotten. Bobbing for apples is a fun activity that you can do with your friends and compete against one another. You and your friends can split into teams or compete individually against one another.
- Carve Pumpkins
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This fun Halloween tradition can be a little messy, but is entertaining and something you can make into a fun activity with your friends. You can pick up pumpkins at your local grocery stores or go to a pumpkin patch, pick up a pumpkin and decorate it. You can carve scary designs into them or make them cool Halloween pumpkins, just don’t forget your carving kit.
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