By JOANNA DITTMER
Saving money isn’t easy, especially when you have to buy that perfect costume.
Halloween is just around the corner and many of us are still deciding whether to create a costume or buy one.
Since money is usually the issue – because let’s face it, costume prices are ridiculously high – creating a costume at a fraction of the cost may be the way to go.
Twiniverstiy.com (a site for parents of twins) suggests shopping at a consignment or thrift shop. According to the website, there are many treasures, such as old, ratty shirts for zombies and cheap fancier dresses for princesses, to be found that would be perfect for a Halloween costume.
Dawn Robinson, a 47-year-old Kitchener mother of twins, said she would make her children’s costumes rather than buy them.
“Costumes are expensive to buy, especially when you know that your child is only going to wear it once, so instead of buying a new $50 costume every year, I made them from odds and ends around the house, or I bought them from somewhere like Value Village, for maybe half of that,” Robinson said.
“It’s ridiculous to spend over $50 on an outfit that your child will wear once and never again.”
According to parentingsquad.com, it doesn’t take a seamstress or tailor to create a great Halloween costume. The website advises to look at photos of costumes and then see if it’s possible to make a costume from things around the house.
Another way to save money this Halloween is to swap costumes with another family or to use hand-me-down costumes. According to parentingsquad.com, young children are happy to dress as whatever their older sibling, cousin or family friend has worn.
TJ Wight, a second-year student in Conestoga’s protection/security and investigation program, said she prefers to make her costumes to help save money.
“I think that they (Halloween costumes) are overpriced, that’s for sure. Especially when it comes to girls’ costumes because you pay $70 or so to wear barely any clothes. So I’d much rather make my own costume, not only because I’d end up spending less money but also if I were to make my own costume, I could make it different than everyone else’s,” she said.
“Buying them pre-made, everyone looks the same; I’d rather stand out than be the same.”
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