Halloween Spending Hacks to Shrink This Year's Holiday Bill

Halloween is about to get expensive. Deloitte surveyed 1,500 U.S. households about their holiday plans and found the average household expects to spend $285 on Halloween this year, counting both retail purchases and experiences like parties and events. The survey also found that 92% of households plan to take part in at least one Halloween activity. If you want to join in without the bill following you into November, these Halloween spending hacks are a practical place to start.

Spending is holding strong even as shoppers watch prices. Deloitte reports that 34% of consumers plan to spend more on Halloween than they did last year, while only 11% expect to spend less. About 71% of those planning to spend say they can comfortably afford their celebrations. But one in five expects to use buy now, pay later plans or other financing to cover the cost, according to coverage of the survey. Financing a one-night holiday means paying interest long after the decorations come down. That gap, between wanting the full holiday and not wanting to borrow for it, is exactly what Halloween spending hacks are for.

Start with the costume, the biggest bill

Costumes and accessories are the biggest single spending category in the survey breakdown, averaging $57 per household, with decorations close behind at $54, according to a breakdown of the Deloitte data. That makes the costume the best place to start cutting. Buying secondhand is the simplest move: resale marketplaces like Poshmark, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace carry full costumes at steep discounts, and thrift shops do the same for a few dollars. Trading last year's costume with a friend costs nothing, and a closet raid can build most classic outfits for free. These are the Halloween spending hacks people skip most often, which is also why they save the most.

Decorations follow the same logic. Dollar stores like Dollar Tree and Dollar General, along with garage sales and surplus shops, sell the same plastic skeletons and string lights as the big chains. Decorating one concentrated area, the front porch or the living room, instead of the whole house cuts the bill without cutting the effect. Reusing last year's decorations rather than buying a new theme each October is the quietest of all the Halloween spending hacks, and it compounds: every year you reuse, the cost per Halloween drops toward zero.

Shop late, set the number first, and skip the financing

Timing matters more than most shoppers realize. Deloitte found that shoppers who start buying before mid-August spend 1.7 times more on average than those who start later, and 56% of shoppers planned to make their Halloween purchases by the end of September. That does not mean early shopping causes the extra spending; people who love Halloween simply start earlier and plan bigger celebrations. The pattern is still useful: if you wait, set a firm number, and shop the October sales, you land closer to the cheaper end of the range. Writing down a budget before you browse is one of the oldest Halloween spending hacks, and it still works.

Where you shop matters too. About 67% of Halloween shopping happens in physical stores rather than online, with grocery stores the most common destination at 55%, ahead of big-box stores and dollar stores. The National Retail Federation projects $13.5 billion in total Halloween spending this year, up from $13.1 billion last year. Grocery and dollar stores keep prices low because they buy in volume, which is why the survey's own numbers point bargain hunters there. Checking a store flyer or comparing prices before you go is a small step, but a holiday built from dozens of small purchases rewards exactly that kind of Halloween spending hack.

The benchmark is clear. With the average household set to spend well past two hundred dollars, a shopper who plans ahead and leans on thrift stores, swaps, and dollar stores can cut a third off that total without anyone at the party noticing. Halloween spending hacks keep the holiday intact and the budget intact too.

Sources: Deloitte 2026 Halloween Survey; National Confectioners Association summary of the survey.