Halloweekend is not just your average college weekend. It’s one that students wait eagerly for all year. It’s far too easy to get caught up in all the excitement surrounding costumes and the parties and there are some important precautions that need to be taken in order to get the most out of Halloweekend so you wake up Monday morning not on your death bed with 1 cent left in your bank account.
1. Thrift for your costumes
There’s no need to spend an excessive amount of money on a costume you’re only planning on wearing once. You can put together entire costumes for under $20 by going to Goodwill or Fan Thrift. Use Pinterest as inspiration to see how other people have accomplished a DIY costume for the look you want to go for.
2. Go in on alcohol with your friends
Save your money by splitting cases of beer or handles of liquor with your friends. Each of you will spend a couple bucks for a good amount of alcohol. This can also help you avoid going overboard on the drinking.
3. Wear shoes that aren’t going to kill your feet
Some costumes just require uncomfortable high-heels but if you’re able to avoid painful shoes, do it. At the very least, save the outfit with the most uncomfortable shoes for the last night so you’re not hitting the struggle walk all weekend.
4. Plan your pictures
This one might sound dumb, but Halloweekend can be pretty hectic and you need to be ready for wardrobe malfunctions and anything else that could go wrong. Planning how you’re going to take that perfect Instagram picture will save you time and heartache. If your costume is inspired by a celebrity or character, nail down their signature pose.
5. Eat dinner before going out
This is some very important mom advice. Don’t get so caught up in the Halloweekend excitement that you forget to eat dinner or don’t make time to eat dinner. Drunk you will be thanking sober you later in the night.
6. Don’t go too hard on the first night
Have fun every night, but don’t go so hard the first night that it ruins the rest of the weekend for you. FOMO is real and if your hangover is bad enough the next day, it’s going to be a challenge to get yourself ready to go out and continue to take part in the Halloweekend festivities.
7. Have money for post-night-out-food
Make sure to budget out those $2 for Christians because you know you’re going to be craving it extra hard this weekend.
8. Have a plan to get home safely
Whether you use Uber, RamSafe or walk home with a group make sure you have a plan for how you’re going to get home before the night even starts. Save $5-10 for an Uber, or make sure you have the number for RamSafe if you know you’re not going to want to make that walk home. If you do plan on walking home, make sure you’re in a group and don’t let any of your friends leave the function alone.
Have fun and be safe–Happy Halloweekend!