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When the cost was so high, I was happy to save.
Strong points
- I had a lot of extra expenses this Halloween.
- Searching my local dollar store resulted in a lower overall rating.
- I was also able to stock up on fun little things to make Halloween even more special, not just candy.
I remember getting ready for Halloween meant buying a costume for each of my kids and buying a big candy bar from my local Costco store. Those days are over.
Now that my children are older and participating in various activities, there is a lot of pressure on them to participate in many Halloween activities leading up to the real holidays, including fun parties. So this year, in addition to buying the usual costumes and serving candy, I had to buy both candy and non-food items (like pencils, erasers, and stickers) for a few dozen boxes of food. 'Halloween.
Overall, the Halloween credit card bill is higher this year than in previous years, partly because of these conditions, but the cost of everything is higher because of inflation. But I made a smart move with my Halloween shopping - I visited my local dollar store. By my calculations, purchasing a few key items saved me $40 this fall.
Lots of cheap things
I'm generally wary of shopping for groceries at dollar stores because I worry about expiration dates. But after carefully checking the wrappers and making sure the expiration dates in question were reasonable, I decided to buy some candy at the local dollar store. (A candy I bought has an expiration date of February 2023, which is better than some of the candy you find in your average supermarket.)
I also went to the dollar store to stock up on non-food items for the dozens of bags of candy I donated. I originally bought my bags at the dollar store and paid $1.25 for a pack of 20. I pay $4 or $5 at Target or Amazon.
I stocked up on crayons, pads, erasers, stickers, and temporary tattoos (which I don't really like, but the kids seem to like it). If the kids have dietary restrictions, like allergies or parents who don't allow them to eat sugar (I don't impose this on my family, but I respect the rights of other parents), I like to include articles non-food items in gift bags. . ). Limit unhealthy foods at your own discretion.) These items cost $1.25 for a 12-pack, but the same 12-pack can cost three to four times as much at another store or online.
Why spend more than necessary?
I can admit I did everything for Halloween this year, but my kids love it and so do I. And this year, it was fun to shower my kids and their friends with extra treats.
But I'm so glad I made the decision to stock up on Halloween supplies at my local dollar store. And I'm also glad I planned ahead and visited this store in the second week of October, because my friends tried to do the same the week before Halloween and they didn't get luck.
The next time you're hosting a party or event and need a crowd, it's worth checking out what's available at your local dollar store. You may find that you can significantly reduce your costs. And that's important when everything is more expensive than usual because of inflation.
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