How to save on Halloween candy, costumes, decor & more

Wondering how much it will cost to celebrate Halloween this year? Consumer estimates suggest the average Canadian expects to spend nearly $70 in 2025 (and parents say it’s more than $100) – so let’s take a look at how that breaks down, and how you can set a budget & stick to it!

COSTUMES

A new kid’s costume, purchased in store this fall, is likely going to cost $30-$50. That can add up fast if you have multiple kids or need to buy in the adult section!

Ways to save:

• Check thrift stores, online marketplaces/buy nothing groups, and consignment sales – do this year-round, too!
• Search for costume swaps near you – and if there isn’t one, try to create one. These can be great events for home & school associations, libraries, churches, and other community groups.
• Ask friends & neighbours if they have any costumes they’re willing to loan or gift.
• Ask grandparents/aunts/uncles if they might purchase a special costume as an early Christmas gift.
• And our favourite — get creative & DIY it!

Check out our post featuring our Family of Five Halloween Costumes through the years for some inspiration & tips on how we keep costs low. Most characters have one or two elements that you can focus on to create a look, filling out the rest with clothes in the right colours. (Pro tip: Felt, iron-on hem tape, and glue guns are your friends!)

CANDY

This one takes planning to get right — it’s so easy to impulse buy something because it looks like a good sale!

• Check the flyers: The same box of 25 Smarties treats was $2-$3 in difference between stores.
• Be sure to do the ‘per unit’ math: In 2025, I’d estimate 15 to 20 cents per item is a good deal for candy.
• Know how much you need: How many kids will come trick-or-treating and how many pieces do you want to give them each? If you’re expecting 100 kids, and you find candy at the deal above, you’re spending about $30-$40 to give each kid two candies or $45-$60 to give them each three.
• Mix it up: Mini chocolate bars are generally more expensive than bulk hard candies or gum. One bar and two cheaper items can keep you to that mid range while still feeling generous. (And we always suggest mixing in some non-candy, too!)
• Check the grocery aisles: Watch for sales of pre-packed items (character crackers, Kool Aid Jammers, etc.) and be sure to compare everyday treats with their Halloween-branded options. We found 54 Rice Krispie Treats for $13 compared to 40 Halloween MINI ones for $7. While 40 for $7 sounds good, those treats are half the size of the regular one, so the better deal is the 54. (They work out to about a quarter/treat; pick up a few packs of 12/$1 Halloween pencils at a dollar store & you’ve got 50 treats for under $20 total.)
• Team up: If you’re in an area with fun neighbours, suggest you join forces to purchase & pass out candy.
• Use your points: If you don’t already have a set plan for using points you earn on a loyalty program, consider using them to help balance the cost of things like Halloween candy – or use them to pick up inflatables and other decor when it’s on sale!

When should you shop for the treats? Sales often start the week leading up to Halloween, so if you’re not focused on giving a certain item, stick it out. (This also helps you not eat the candy early!) You can also watch back-to-school sales for some great deals, too.

DECORATIONS

So this is a simple one to skip if you can’t afford it, but if you’ve followed us for awhile, you know I LOVE decorating on the cheap for Halloween! You can still spend $5 and turn your home into a haunted house, even in 2025. A few of my go-to must-haves:

• Cheesecloth: The BEST creepy spiderwebs that clean up easy. Still fairly cheap and reusable.
• Garbage Bags: Black bags cut into strips rattling off the porch, white bags filled with leaves for ghosts – there are so many great uses! Also still cheap and reusable.
• Cardboard: Cut out silhouettes of cats & witches for your windows or create spooky eyes for your door. Fantastic for making fun gravestones, too!
• Foam craft shapes: Watch for sales & use coupons to pick up dozens of spiders, bats, and other creatures for a few dollars. These are fantastic for putting around the inside of your home; we love fanning spiders out of the cat’s door.
• Halloween Napkins & Tablecloths: I pick these up after the season on sale & use them to cover photos, windows, doors, etc.

This is a great area to watch for post-Halloween sales and use your points to save on larger items, like inflatables and yard decor. And seriously, don’t just throw things out; cheesecloth and garbage bags can be folded up and stashed away for next year, no big bins or stage space needed.

MUST READ: Simple Halloween Crafts to Make with Toddlers

BOO BASKETS

So, these weren’t a thing when my kids were little & I’m glad I never felt pressured to do this – though I do think it’s cute & fun if you can swing it!

(For those wondering, Boo Baskets are basically a pre-Halloween gift you give someone – your kids, your neighbours, your co-workers, etc. Think an old-school pumpkin container with PJs, books, stickers, favourite treats, etc. Super fun, unless it feels like a chore and another expense you can’t handle.)

This is FOR SURE an area where I’d look to pick up items in the days post-Halloween to stash away for next year. I often find great deals at the grocery store and book store; look for the shelves usually hidden in the back of the store. Look for 70%+ mark downs. This is when I buy window decorations, books, hair accessories, dishes, etc. Keep an eye out year-round at thrift stores, consignment sales, and yard sales for books, clothes, and more.

Remember, you a) don’t HAVE to do this and b) don’t have to go overboard if you do. Focus on creating something special you can share with your kids: maybe your Boo Basket is some microwave popcorn and homemade ‘tickets’ to a Halloween movie together in the living room.

PUMPKINS! I almost forgot to mention that other must-have item for most families – pumpkins to carve! I didn’t do a lot of comparison shopping on this one in 2025, but I can share we picked ours up at the grocery store for $5/each. We saw bales of hay for $12 & ornamental gourds & white pumpkins for sale too – all for more than we were willing to spend.

My 2025 Spending

• Pumpkins: $20 (family of five – all for carving)
• Decor: $100 (this was a spending year for us – picked up some big props from a charity auction, added some reusable decor)
• Candy: $54 (500 mixed pieces of candy – expecting to give three pieces each to 150 kids – with a little extra for us)
• Costumes: $40 (the kids spent some of their own money on props, I spent some on thrift-store pieces to round out the looks)

So we’re spending $200+ on Halloween this year, but that’s high compared to our usual. If we couldn’t afford it this year, I’d drop the candy down to max two pieces and not invest in any new decor. I’d also spend less on new costume pieces, as we have a good bin of inspiration to work with. But I’d still say for a family of five expecting trick-or-treaters, $75 would be my starting estimate for spending on Halloween in 2025.

What are your tips & tricks for saving on Halloween – and how much do you spend each year? I’d love to know!

Hear Jenna Morton talk about Halloween budgeting & having fun on the Elias Makos show or read her comments on Global News.