"Tricks" for Spending Less Than $15 on a Halloween Costume
Likes: Spooky season, costumes, WIGS, junk food, saving money, and did I mention wigs? Dislikes: Spending money, spending money, and spending money.
Every year I try to spend as little as I can on a Halloween costume, and I’ve come up with $15 as the magic number to stay under. It makes the costume creating process more fun, and inevitably more rewarding. Here are some tips on how I put together this year’s costume.
The Find
It all started last spring. I was at Target, it was around St. Patrick’s Day, and I found a green wig for $3. That’s right, $3. Needless to say, I bought it with the sole purpose of saving it for this Halloween. No, I did not decide to be a Leprechaun for Halloween, but I considered.
The Search
I looked for props. I wandered around Walmart and thrift stores, and ultimately decided on a unicorn horn. Why you may ask? Well, it was $2, and I was having a hard time coming up with a costume for a green wig that wasn’t a vegetable (which would have been fine if I hadn’t dressed up as food for Halloween last year).
The Thrift
Next, I looked for the cheapest white T-shirt I could find. I found a men’s long sleeve tee for $4.84. This put me at about $9.84. Five whole dollars left until my max.
The Look
After using makeup I already owned to dramatize the look (highlighter is your best friend, people), I realized I was still missing something. My roommate suggested I print out a rainbow and pin it onto my shirt. However, I was feeling lazy and wanted a costume that could provide a fun photo opportunity. So I bought a bag of Skittles for about $2 and called it a day.
Basically, stick to cheaper stores, use things you already have if you can, appreciate the power of wigs and t-shirts, and try to be creative! And also a little extra.
Have a spooky Halloween, and…
Be well, Auburn!
Photography: Grace H.
Grace is from New Orleans, but with her military upbringing she has moved around a bit. She now resides in Auburn to study graphic design and marketing. Working at The Rec allows Grace to be involved in many of her interests, including design, photography, videography, writing, and of course – fitness. Grace is an avid runner; she is typically either training for a half marathon, Spartan race, or both. Outside of marketing, Grace loves to cook, watch sci-fi, do yoga (at The Rec of course), spend time with friends, and design some more. Grace greatly values her relationships with the people around her and believes that intentional design and communication has the power to bring people together and make the world a better place.
