Halloween is indeed a fun family time! You can bond with the whole family while making crafts and decorations at home.  You can also carve spooky or funny Jack-o-lanterns. Or you can host a Halloween party for all friends and other family members to enjoy!

However, with so many kids and families involved, you might fall short of your budget. Let’s face it; one of the most expensive parts of hosting any party is food. So how can you host a great Halloween party and keep the food costs down? It is super easy!

1. Try Decorating Cupcakes

Cake mix is an extremely affordable item and you can do a lot with it. You can buy boxes of readily made cake mixes, or you can make your own the frugal way by using starch. That will help you maximize your budget even more. Now is the time for you to bake cupcakes! Have different sizes of cupcakes to create variety. After that, purchase different flavors and colors of icing and fun toppings (like different candies) to make a spooky treat.

This is a load of fun for kids and adults alike; and they yield some delicious snacks!

2. Prepare Finger Foods

Anything that is small and easy to pick up and eat is usually an inexpensive solution for snacks. Before deciding on buying a bag of baby carrots, you can purchase big carrots and cut them yourself. The same is true with fruits. Do not purchase fruits that are already cut for you, but do the slicing yourself! You’ll save money by spending a couple minutes of your time.

Also note that brand name foods are not necessary for parties. You usually serve them in trays anyway. Go for off-brand, inexpensive options, instead!

3. Candy is a Must!

You can’t have a Halloween party without candy, right? There are countless sales of fun-sized candy. When you shop for candy, remember that you’ll save money by buying large, variety packs over many smaller options. Buying in bulk is a frugal Halloween decision!

3. And For the Main Dish?

Do you plan on serving a main dish? It’s hard to go wrong with burgers, hot dogs or sandwiches! Although purchasing frozen hamburgers can be a quick option for your main dish, you can also make them yourself and save a ton! Purchase hotdogs and hamburger meat in large family size packages to save! It can also be fun to get all the fixings for making sandwiches (lunchmeat, vegetables, etc.) and let guests create their own!

Are you planning to host a Halloween party this year? Do you have any ideas for a fun and frugal treats? Let us know by writing your comments!