Fall is among us, and with it brings Halloween and Thanksgiving. While these are not the priciest holidays, halloween(let’s not forget Christmas!), there are still ways to save yourself some cash while you and your family celebrate this season. In this economy, any money saved is good money.

Halloween – Of the two holidays, Halloween is probably the priciest. With the costumes, decorations, candy, and Halloween parties, the price tab can add up pretty quickly. There are a few ways to cut costs without cutting corners, though.

First, try making your own costume. If you’re good at sewing, this can save yourself a lot of money and still look just as great as a store bought costume. Sometimes homemade costumes even look better than store-made. If you aren’t great at sewing, try shopping around online. Many websites offer costumes at great prices with a bigger selection. The same goes with decorations. Making your own is a lot cheaper than buying them, and sometimes that homemade touch makes them that much better.

With candy, buy only a couple of bags. If you buy a lot of candy, and then get very few trick-or-treaters, you’ll be left with a lot of candy. Then you’ll be tempted to eat it, which isn’t good for your waistline or teeth.  If the candy goes stale, it will be a bigger waste of money than if you had just bought a couple of mixed bags.  If you should run out before the night is over, you can simply turn out your light and the trick or treaters will know you’re no longer giving out candy.

Thanksgiving – Don’t make a ton of food if you have a small family. Most everyone makes far more food than is necessary for Thanksgiving dinner!  Pick and choose a few dishes that you would like to serve. This way, you don’t end up wasting a substantial amount of food because your family can’t eat all of it. Even if you enjoy having leftovers, you could probably stand to cut back on the amount of each dish you decide to serve. If your family prefers eating out, try finding a buffet that serves Thanksgiving food. Depending on the cost, being able to get unlimited food for a set price may be a better deal than paying one price for one plate of food.

The holidays can be a budget buster if you aren’t careful. If you take the right precautions, you can have a happy holiday without emptying your wallet. Look into making your costumes and decorations, and try to stay away from buying any food in bulk. The wasted leftovers are just money down the drain, which can be salvaged if you don’t buy the excess food to begin with. Be smart, and you’ll keep your cash in your possession.  If you use any of these tips and save money for Halloween and Thanksgiving – consider putting it toward your Christmas shopping!