Have a happier Halloween on the cheap

Halloween is getting just as commercialized as Christmas these days. Kids need to have the perfect costume, the perfect party and of course, more candy than they can eat in a year. How about an old fashioned Halloween this year for your family? It's fun, different and cheap. Here are some inexpensive ways we celebrate Halloween at Grandma's House.

Decorating

Skip the animated figures and such. Learn to make a scarecrow, carve a pumpkin and string your own cobwebs. Toss a couple bales of hay in the yard to perch gourds and pumpkins on. Half the fun of an old fashioned holiday is the do it yourself part. Picture you and your kids having a ball while decorating on the cheap for Halloween.

Costumes

Who needs those expensive Halloween costumes? Take a trip to the Halloween store. Then come home and make your own based on the ones you liked. Use clothes you already have or visit the thrift store. Nix the masks and go for the make-up. It's cheap and simple to do. Chances are your cheap old fashioned homemade costumes will hold up a lot better too.

Treats

One of the best things about Halloween is cheap Halloween treats like caramel apples, roasted pumpkin seeds and popcorn balls. Have fun making these, whether you're a kid or a grown up. The recipe for caramel apples can be found on a bag of caramels. Learn to make awesome roasted pumpkin seeds. Popcorn balls can be made just like marshmallow treats. Substitute popcorn for the cereal and roll into balls using buttered hands. Roll them in nuts for more delicious Halloween fun.

Fun

What did kids do for Halloween before it was perfected by the media? They had Halloween costume parades. They built their own haunted houses. They went on hay rides. They even picked their own pumpkins to carve and decorate with. They made pumpkin pies from scratch too. All of this old time fun is cheap, entertaining and easy. So forget about the fancy fun this Halloween. Having an old fashioned Halloween is way better!