Halloween is supposed to be scary, but for some Windsor-Essex families, the biggest fright this year might be the price tag. With the cost of living continuing to squeeze household budgets, shoppers are finding creative ways to celebrate without breaking the bank. At Windsor’s Mission Thrift Store on Monday, Tracy Gervais was scouring the racks. “I’m trying to complete my granddaughters’ Halloween costumes,” she said. “And we’re saving some money.” Gervais said costumes for two grandchildren have cost her roughly $300 over the past two years. This time around, she’s doing things differently. “The outfits that we got were regular 50 dollars each. So considering I got two of them for under ten, I did good,” she said. Gervais said the rising cost of everyday essentials has made finding ways to save increasingly important, but she still wants her grandchildren to enjoy the holiday. She’s not alone. A new survey conducted by Nextdoor Canada and the Angus Reid Forum found 64 per cent of Ontarians plan to spend less than $50 on Halloween this year, while 22 per cent don’t plan to shop for the occasion at all. The survey of 1,515 Canadian adults was conducted between Oct. 5 and 7. Retail analyst Bruce Winder said the findings reflect the financial pressures many households are facing. “If you look at the price of gasoline, the price of rent, the price of insurance, the price of food, there’s not a lot left at the end of the day,” he said. Winder said discretionary spending, including holidays and celebrations, is an area where consumers can make adjustments when money gets tight. That could mean making costumes at home, buying secondhand decorations or scaling back Halloween parties. Even the candy bowl could look a little different. Winder said higher chocolate prices may encourage shoppers to switch to less expensive treats, including non-chocolate candy. And while families are looking for savings, retailers are also adjusting their approach. Winder said stores may try to attract budget-conscious consumers with discounts, additional reward points and a wider selection of lower-priced products. “I think that what retailers will do is throw as much value as they can at the consumer,” he said. He expects discount retailers, including Dollarama and Dollar Tree, to benefit from shoppers hunting for bargains. For those shopping secondhand, the appeal goes beyond affordability. Emma Gazo, an employee at Mission Thrift, said thrift stores allow shoppers to piece together more creative costumes using clothing and accessories they might not find in a traditional Halloween store. “It’s more unique, and it’s also cheaper,” she said. “A lot of times you wear these costumes for, like, one night and then you’re never wearing them again.” Gazo said she’s seen shoppers searching for everything from pirate and mermaid costumes to pieces for elaborate Harry Potter-inspired outfits. Winder said similar spending habits can be expected around other celebrations, including Christmas, as families look for ways to maintain traditions while keeping expenses under control. For Gervais, the extra effort involved in hunting down affordable costume pieces is worth it if it means her grandchildren still get to enjoy Halloween. Even if she occasionally questions why she takes on the task. “I always say I’m never doing it again, but I’m always going to do it again,” she said.
