How to Stop Inflation Stealing Halloween

Halloween is a time for kids and adults to dress up in costumes and go trick-or-treating, or just have seasonal fun with friends and family.

Although a traditional celebration and holiday gathering, Halloween is very much oriented around making purchases, hence many consumers face issues in this area that are emphasized by the pressure to have everything sorted and settled before October 31st.  

The Halloween shopping season is an important period for retailers because it's one of the few times that people will still go out to purchase goods rather than simply buy them online. In the month of October, retailers like Walmart, Target, and Amazon see a surge in activity, with the average American spending $90 just on Halloween, according to NRF research.

There are already many consumer pitfalls around Halloween, including shipping scams, return and refund scams, misleading advertisement scams, fake event and ticket scams, and fake website scams. Furthermore, a glance at online reviews on PissedConsumer.com reveals several common consumer issues at Halloween:

• Costumes (514 reviews)
• Refunds (302)
• Return (310)
• Cancelations (129)
• Delays (30)
• Decorations (29)

Now, with inflation on the rise, these issues highlighted in consumer reviews are compounded. Consumers need to be more careful with their spending than ever before. Inevitably, this has a significant impact on consumer behavior.

The effects of inflation are making it more expensive for people to buy traditional Halloween treats such as candy, costumes, decorations, etc. And most families will be under greater pressure to make ends meet whilst also not missing out.

• What is inflation?
• How to save money on Halloween?

What is inflation?

Inflation is a general rise in the price of goods and services over a period of time.

The term "inflation" refers to an increase in the money supply and is often used as a synonym for rising prices.

Inflation occurs when there is too much money in circulation relative to the demand for goods and services. This means that there are more dollars available than desired goods, so they start bidding up the prices.

One-off items, like your Halloween treats, will be no exception.  So, what can we do to mitigate this growing financial burden?

How can you make sure the Halloween celebrations go ahead without breaking the bank?

Smart shopping expert Trae Bodge shares these ideas and shopping tips on how to avoid extra costs while preparing for the Halloween celebration.

Costumes can be free

Try swapping! Because costumes are typically only worn a handful of times (or once), they are usually in like-new condition. You can organize a swap with friends and classmates or use a platform like Facebook to cast a wider net.

Reign in the spending on costumes

If you need to buy costumes, give kids their own spending money. If they have a finite amount, they will become instant smart shoppers! Bring the little ones to the store with you and let them know how much they have to spend. With teens, because they often like to shop on their own, send them a Halloween-themed GiftYa, which is a digital gift of spending money that you send by text. Once your teen receives the text, they pair the GiftYa with their debit card and go shopping at the store you’ve designated, or they can change the retailer. 

Use savings tools

One of the easiest ways to save while you shop online or in-store is to use a deal platform, like CouponCabin.com. For online shopping, install their free browser extension, which will alert you to available cashback offers and coupons as you browse. When you’re in-store, use the in-store section on their app.

Other ways to save

• Buy in bulk: If you get a lot of Halloween foot traffic at your house, buying your candy wholesale will save you a lot.
• DIY: If you’re handy, you can make your own costumes or decorations. There are so many helpful YouTube videos, or go to the website of a craft store, like Michael’s or JOANN, to check out their how-to videos.
• Wait: The longer you wait, the bigger the discount. The selection will be thinner, but the prices will be significantly lower if you wait until the day before Halloween.

Get creative with the cost-cutting as well as the costumes

Halloween is a great time to have some fun and get creative. But we all know that Halloween is one of the most expensive holidays. However, your holiday shopping needn’t be stressful. There are many ways to save money this Halloween and make your celebration more affordable.