INDIANAPOLIS — It's tempting to pick up those cute plates for a themed party tonight, but tomorrow, they'll need to be packed away (or worse, thrown away). But now is the time for last-minute Halloween money saving tips for things you can (and should) pick up on Halloween clearance when you see them in the store later this week.
Candy will be marked down. But don't buy cheap candy nobody will eat. In her blog, Cherie Lowe says you should consider looking in the non-seasonal aisle and comparing candy prices of the regularly wrapped candy.
You can skip the pumpkin carving kits because you you probably have what you need at home already. And Lowe has like hundreds of free patterns linked on her Queen of Free website for you to print out at home.
You don't need more décor, so stop buying anything specifically for Halloween. That cute jack-o-lantern will be marked down 50-90% by the end of the week. Why overspend on something for less than 24 hours of enjoyment?
But you can and should take advantage of deals on costumes for next year, which can drop in price up to 90% of their original costs as stores swap inventory to prepare for Christmas. You need to cruise the aisles to check what’s available. For kids, buy one to two larger sizes so they will fit after next summer's growth spurt.
You may be able to use leftover candy for stockings or Christmas goodies and baking.
Paper plates, napkins and paper towels store fine year-to-year, but go with solid black and orange that you can coordinate with other items, too.
The key for stocking up for next year is having a place to store what you bought for next year’s celebration. If your budget can afford it, start a storage tub for next fall.
Watch Lowe's full 13Sunrise segment in the video player.