Halloween Costumes on a Budget

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We love Halloween. We love Halloween so much that the kids often want more than one costume every year. And while that may seem like a waste of money to some, we have found a way to make it work and get their Halloween costumes on a budget.

You may remember our thrift store costumes from last year. Our oldest dressed up as Frida Kahlo and Kim Possible. Her Frida Kahlo costume cost us only $5 and her Kim Possible costume cost us less than $20. Best part about thrift store costumes are that they can usually wear the clothing from both after Halloween, because they are everyday items vs. an actual costume. 

Our 2020 Halloween Costumes on a Budget

Toy Story’s Duke Caboom and Buzz Lightyear – $13 + $6

This Halloween costume one was at the top of our youngest daughter’s list. She is a HUGE Toy Story fan and just thought Duke Caboom was the funniest. When we found the Buzz Lightyear costume for our dog, Elle, we knew we couldn’t pass this up. 

The secret to getting costumes like this at a discounted price is to go to the store after Halloween and pick out your costumes for the following year. We are often able to find them for 50%, 60% off and sometimes even 75% off! It depends on what’s left when they discount them and how long they remain on the shelves. You’d be surprised how many popular costumes they have (and don’t worry, your kids will still be excited about them the following year). Just make sure that you purchase the next size up!

We snagged these two costumes about a week after Halloween last year, for 60% off the retail price. Duke Caboom was $10 and Buzz Lightyear was $6. I was planning on drawing her mustache on with makeup or eyeliner, but we found adhesive toy mustaches just a week or so ago, in the party favor section at Target. They were $3 for 12 pcs (so we can save them for a future costume). 

The Addams Family’s Wednesday Addams – $3

This is one of those costumes that happened by accident. We were in Walmart, going through the clearance racks as I normally do, and found this dress for only $3! I remember thinking how much it looked like the dress Wednesday Addams wore. I found one in a size bigger than Falynn was currently wearing, brought it home and told her that she was going to dress up like Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family. 

When she found out there was a new movie coming out last year, she couldn’t wait to see it. She’s since watched it a number of times and Wednesday has become a favorite.

For this costume, I just gave her two braids, put on some white makeup on her face and neck and some black makeup under the eyes. You can actually find great costume makeup at the stores after Halloween for $.50! Stock up, you never know what you might need and it’s great to have it on hand.

I gave her one of our skull props that we had in our Halloween decor, took her to a local spot that looks like a creepy forrest and voila! The perfect Wednesday Addams.

 

I Love Lucy – $23

I grew up watching I Love Lucy. It’s always been one of my favorite shows. I even feel like I married a real life Ricky Ricardo on some days. Especially when a package gets delivered and Super Dad walks in the house with it and yells, “Lucyyyyyy, you have some ‘splainin’ to do!” 

When I asked Iyla if she would dress up as Lucy this year, she was all about it! It’s a pretty easy costume since the main item is something you can find in a thrift store since it’s just a vintage a-line dress. I was able to find this gorgeous polka dot number in a local store for only $6! It’s practically brand new and Iyla can wear it for at least another year or so.

Since scarves aren’t super popular where we live, I purchased the scarf at Walmart for $7 (a little more than I would normally spend, but I was crunched for time). 

We found the wig on sale, after Halloween last year for $8. It’s similar to this wig that I just found on Amazon, though the price is higher.  We found a 6pk of pearl necklaces in the party favor section of Target for $5. Again, save those because you never know when you might need them for a future costume. And we used some cute clip on earrings that we had from My Kookie Jar, a small shop that we love.

Creepy Wind Up Doll – $15

This was another of our great finds at Target, after Halloween last year. The costume itself was 60% off, at only $10 and came with the dress, the headband and the wind up prop for the back. We found the wig (which is actually excellent quality) for only $5 (also 60% off!). My oldest daughter did her makeup with makeup we had on hand already and she threw on a pair of shoes she had in her closet. 

I think this one is my favorite because Falynn really got into character for the photoshoot. 

Top Tips for Halloween Costumes on a Budget

1. Check out your local thrift store
2. Go shopping AFTER Halloween and stock up for next year
3. Check your closets and drawers for makeup, outfits and accessories
4. Check the clearance racks all year for possible costume options
5. Size up so your kids can wear the costumes longer!

Which was your favorite of our Halloween on a budget costumes? Do you have any suggestions for next year’s costumes? Comment below! We are always up for a challenge.

If you loved this post, don’t forget to to check out all of our Halloween posts, including our social distancing halloween ideas (make sure to grab your 3 free printables)!

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