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thislazylife
- Haunt Master
- Posts: 274
- Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2006 6:00 pm
- What is the highest number?: 9
- Location: Humboldt County, California
How much did you spend . . .
. . . on Halloween decorations this year? I'm up to about $300, including my costume stuff, which I consider a decoration. I'm setting up my yard haunt on Sunday, so I'll definitely post some pics. But don't get too excited; it's very low tech.
Laurie stares at the station wagon as it moves past. She looks directly at The Shape inside. There is a quick glimpse of him, a strange pale face staring back.
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deadbride
- Master Reaper
- Posts: 191
- Joined: Sat Oct 21, 2006 11:51 pm
- What is the highest number?: 9
- Location: Augusta, GA
Many delight in holiday frights
By Laura Youngs| Staff Writer
Saturday, October 21, 2006
For Misty Poffenberger, Halloween was the one time of year she could be anything she wanted.
"I was always the one that dressed weird. I never fit in," she said. "As I got older, I had to be unique, and you can't do that at Christmas."
Halloween, however, allows Ms. Poffenberger, a seamstress, to be whoever, or whatever, she likes - including possibly dressing as the Corpse Bride this year, from Tim Burton's movie of the same name.
As with almost any big holiday in the United States, Halloween has gone from homemade costumes and carved pumpkins to something much bigger.
"We watch it get bigger and bigger every year. If it's on a Friday or Saturday, it's off the charts," said Michele Hattman, costume manager at Fat Man's Forest on Laney-Walker Boulevard.
From cigarette holders to plates, lamps and candles, customers have gobbled up Halloween decorations at Fat Man's. Ms. Hattman said the store has twice reordered stock for a $70 witch costume.
According to a recent National Retail Federation survey, consumers are expected to spend $4.96 billion this year, a 51 percent increase from last year.
That's because more people are celebrating Halloween - 63.8 percent of those surveyed, compared to 52.5 percent last year - and people are spending more on Halloween, said Scott Krugman, a spokesman for the federation.
"It's become such a seasonal event," he said. "People are literally decorating their homes like they would for Christmas."
Ms. Hattman can attest to that.
"People-wise ... it has been busier, sooner," she said, adding that store shelves once packed with Halloween decorations and accessories are almost empty.
Ms. Poffenberger has always treated Halloween as a seasonal event.
The Augusta mother of four has staged elaborate haunted houses open to the community for years. Past themes have included a pirate ship and a haunted hotel, she said.
The expense of Halloween, is of course, what you make it.
"The beauty of Halloween is you can use creativity and spend as much or as little as you want," Mr. Krugman said.
Decorations can range from inexpensive spider webs to singing ghosts, cackling witches and fog machines.
Ms. Poffenberger's cast of ghoulish decor includes plastic skulls, a 5-foot-wide bat and three large, electronic zombies that cost her more than $100 each.
And her fur bat with eyes that blink? That was a present from her husband, who found it on a home shopping channel for $65.
And store-bought costumes for children and adults can cost from $20 up.
If you get Fido in on the act, there's another $20 to $40 so man's best friend can be anything from Buzz Lightyear to a hippie.
And Halloween long ago stopped being a holiday just for children. About 85 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds plan to participate in Halloween activities, up from 67 percent last year.
Many, including 19-year-old Augusta resident Amanda McZilkey, plan to head to a party to celebrate. Shopping with a friend at Fat Man's, she said she plans to go as Minnie Mouse, but set her spending limit at $50.
Some, including Waynesboro, Ga., resident Caroline Post, 40, are looking for a mixture of convenience and a good price.
Picking up a cowgirl costume and a muscle shirt for her two youngest children at Fat Man's on Thursday, she said she sets a budget of $30 per costume.
The costumes can be used for dress-up later on, she added. Halloween, for her, isn't over the top, but rather a fun thing for her and her family, Ms. Post said.
"I've got four kids," she said. "I don't go too bananas."
Reach Laura Youngs at (706) 823-3227 or laura.youngs@augustachronicle.com.
CHEAP COSTUME IDEAS
Jack-O'-Lantern: Paint a jack-o'-lantern face on an oversized orange sweatshirt; pair with green leggings and a green ski cap.
Static Cling: Pin or sew mismatched sock and dryer sheets to a sweat suit.
Bathrobe Beauty: Put on a bathrobe, wrap your hair in a towel and put on some slippers. You can paint on a face mask or carry a mirror for added effect.
Dalmatian: Paint black spots on a white sweat suit, sewing a set of felt ears to the hood.
Spider: Make legs out of stuffed black leggings and attach to a black sweat suit. Cinch the legs with fishing line to create joints. Decorate colored felt with glitter to create the belly, and top off with a black hat.
Fortune Teller: Wear a long shirt, peasant blouse, dramatic makeup and piles of jewelry. As an added prop, carry a bag of fortune cookies so you can tell people their "fortunes."
Source: http://www.mommysavers.com
TOP COSTUMES FOR 2006
Kids
1. Princess (11.5 percent)
2. Pirate (5 percent)
3. Witch (4.8 percent)
4. Spider-Man (4.4 percent)
5. Superman (3.7 percent)
Adults
1. Witch (17.5 percent)
2. Pirate (3.7 percent)
3. Vampire (3.7 percent)
4. Cat (2.6 percent)
5. Clown (1.8 percent)
Source: NRF survey
GETTING IN THE SPIRIT
- The average consumer plans to spend $59.06 on Halloween this year, up 22 percent from 2005.
- Halloween is only the sixth-largest spending holiday because people don't exchange gifts. But when it comes to holiday decorating, Halloween comes in second only to Christmas.
- The survey questioned 8,000 consumers on their plans for the holiday, how much they plan to spend, and where they plan to spend it, among other things.
Source: National Retail Federation's Consumers Intentions and Actions Survey
From the Saturday, October 21, 2006 edition of the Augusta Chronicle
Thought you might like to see this. I think I posted it in another section. It made the front page of the Augusta Georgia Chronicle. I'm the first person mentioned in the article. hehe.
I spend quite a bit every year. The zombies I bought were over $130 each.
By Laura Youngs| Staff Writer
Saturday, October 21, 2006
For Misty Poffenberger, Halloween was the one time of year she could be anything she wanted.
"I was always the one that dressed weird. I never fit in," she said. "As I got older, I had to be unique, and you can't do that at Christmas."
Halloween, however, allows Ms. Poffenberger, a seamstress, to be whoever, or whatever, she likes - including possibly dressing as the Corpse Bride this year, from Tim Burton's movie of the same name.
As with almost any big holiday in the United States, Halloween has gone from homemade costumes and carved pumpkins to something much bigger.
"We watch it get bigger and bigger every year. If it's on a Friday or Saturday, it's off the charts," said Michele Hattman, costume manager at Fat Man's Forest on Laney-Walker Boulevard.
From cigarette holders to plates, lamps and candles, customers have gobbled up Halloween decorations at Fat Man's. Ms. Hattman said the store has twice reordered stock for a $70 witch costume.
According to a recent National Retail Federation survey, consumers are expected to spend $4.96 billion this year, a 51 percent increase from last year.
That's because more people are celebrating Halloween - 63.8 percent of those surveyed, compared to 52.5 percent last year - and people are spending more on Halloween, said Scott Krugman, a spokesman for the federation.
"It's become such a seasonal event," he said. "People are literally decorating their homes like they would for Christmas."
Ms. Hattman can attest to that.
"People-wise ... it has been busier, sooner," she said, adding that store shelves once packed with Halloween decorations and accessories are almost empty.
Ms. Poffenberger has always treated Halloween as a seasonal event.
The Augusta mother of four has staged elaborate haunted houses open to the community for years. Past themes have included a pirate ship and a haunted hotel, she said.
The expense of Halloween, is of course, what you make it.
"The beauty of Halloween is you can use creativity and spend as much or as little as you want," Mr. Krugman said.
Decorations can range from inexpensive spider webs to singing ghosts, cackling witches and fog machines.
Ms. Poffenberger's cast of ghoulish decor includes plastic skulls, a 5-foot-wide bat and three large, electronic zombies that cost her more than $100 each.
And her fur bat with eyes that blink? That was a present from her husband, who found it on a home shopping channel for $65.
And store-bought costumes for children and adults can cost from $20 up.
If you get Fido in on the act, there's another $20 to $40 so man's best friend can be anything from Buzz Lightyear to a hippie.
And Halloween long ago stopped being a holiday just for children. About 85 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds plan to participate in Halloween activities, up from 67 percent last year.
Many, including 19-year-old Augusta resident Amanda McZilkey, plan to head to a party to celebrate. Shopping with a friend at Fat Man's, she said she plans to go as Minnie Mouse, but set her spending limit at $50.
Some, including Waynesboro, Ga., resident Caroline Post, 40, are looking for a mixture of convenience and a good price.
Picking up a cowgirl costume and a muscle shirt for her two youngest children at Fat Man's on Thursday, she said she sets a budget of $30 per costume.
The costumes can be used for dress-up later on, she added. Halloween, for her, isn't over the top, but rather a fun thing for her and her family, Ms. Post said.
"I've got four kids," she said. "I don't go too bananas."
Reach Laura Youngs at (706) 823-3227 or laura.youngs@augustachronicle.com.
CHEAP COSTUME IDEAS
Jack-O'-Lantern: Paint a jack-o'-lantern face on an oversized orange sweatshirt; pair with green leggings and a green ski cap.
Static Cling: Pin or sew mismatched sock and dryer sheets to a sweat suit.
Bathrobe Beauty: Put on a bathrobe, wrap your hair in a towel and put on some slippers. You can paint on a face mask or carry a mirror for added effect.
Dalmatian: Paint black spots on a white sweat suit, sewing a set of felt ears to the hood.
Spider: Make legs out of stuffed black leggings and attach to a black sweat suit. Cinch the legs with fishing line to create joints. Decorate colored felt with glitter to create the belly, and top off with a black hat.
Fortune Teller: Wear a long shirt, peasant blouse, dramatic makeup and piles of jewelry. As an added prop, carry a bag of fortune cookies so you can tell people their "fortunes."
Source: http://www.mommysavers.com
TOP COSTUMES FOR 2006
Kids
1. Princess (11.5 percent)
2. Pirate (5 percent)
3. Witch (4.8 percent)
4. Spider-Man (4.4 percent)
5. Superman (3.7 percent)
Adults
1. Witch (17.5 percent)
2. Pirate (3.7 percent)
3. Vampire (3.7 percent)
4. Cat (2.6 percent)
5. Clown (1.8 percent)
Source: NRF survey
GETTING IN THE SPIRIT
- The average consumer plans to spend $59.06 on Halloween this year, up 22 percent from 2005.
- Halloween is only the sixth-largest spending holiday because people don't exchange gifts. But when it comes to holiday decorating, Halloween comes in second only to Christmas.
- The survey questioned 8,000 consumers on their plans for the holiday, how much they plan to spend, and where they plan to spend it, among other things.
Source: National Retail Federation's Consumers Intentions and Actions Survey
From the Saturday, October 21, 2006 edition of the Augusta Chronicle
Thought you might like to see this. I think I posted it in another section. It made the front page of the Augusta Georgia Chronicle. I'm the first person mentioned in the article. hehe.
I spend quite a bit every year. The zombies I bought were over $130 each.I may grow older, but I refuse to grow up.
I'm not weird, just normal challenged.
I'm not weird, just normal challenged.
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Halloween Freek
- Master Reaper
- Posts: 106
- Joined: Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:06 pm
- What is the highest number?: 9
- Location: New York
- Contact:
Well, I can't think of everything in one shot, so I'll list it out and the prices, heck I'll refer back to this for my own accounting needs. 
Foggers:
700watt small fogger - $42 shipped, bought right after last Halloween
1 gallon fog fluid - $25 shipped
1200watt fog machine - $60 shipped off of ebay
Fog chiller (ice chest, pvc tubing, screen mesh) - $45
Kids costumes - ~$80 for two costumes (my daughter is going to be the cheerless leader, going to paint her face pale to make her look dead, son is grim reaper, other son is reusing power ranger costume from last year).
Props (small witch, skull, glowing skeleton (cheap one), chalk/yellow tape, blood, etc - around $50
Styrofoam, paint for tombstones - $25
Strobe controller - $25
Cheap Strobes - $20 for two
Controllable Strobe - $56 shipped
Pumpkins - $28
Party stuff for our kids party, about $200 (including food we'll be buying), give or take
So it looks like about $650 total. Damn! That's nuts! I think we spend like $1000 on christmas including all the gifts, maybe a bit more for our kids gifts, but still.. guess this is my favorite holiday. Lol.
Foggers:
700watt small fogger - $42 shipped, bought right after last Halloween
1 gallon fog fluid - $25 shipped
1200watt fog machine - $60 shipped off of ebay
Fog chiller (ice chest, pvc tubing, screen mesh) - $45
Kids costumes - ~$80 for two costumes (my daughter is going to be the cheerless leader, going to paint her face pale to make her look dead, son is grim reaper, other son is reusing power ranger costume from last year).
Props (small witch, skull, glowing skeleton (cheap one), chalk/yellow tape, blood, etc - around $50
Styrofoam, paint for tombstones - $25
Strobe controller - $25
Cheap Strobes - $20 for two
Controllable Strobe - $56 shipped
Pumpkins - $28
Party stuff for our kids party, about $200 (including food we'll be buying), give or take
So it looks like about $650 total. Damn! That's nuts! I think we spend like $1000 on christmas including all the gifts, maybe a bit more for our kids gifts, but still.. guess this is my favorite holiday. Lol.
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ImAWalkingCorpse
- Crypt Keeper
- Posts: 73
- Joined: Sat May 27, 2006 9:30 am
- What is the highest number?: 9
- Location: In your graveyard...
Yeah, I hear that... this year is by far the most I'll spend unless I invest in several life size props, a coffin and such, but in my small rental home, just not enough room to really be of much use. A small graveyard, some fog, few small props, that's about all I can do here. Most of this stuff should be reusable for years to come.
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Spooky
- Haunt Master
- Posts: 491
- Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2006 12:02 am
- What is the highest number?: 9
- Location: Pennsylvania
Yikes...I don't even want to total it all out, but in a ballpark of over $1,000. I have over $500 just in food and treat bags, and easily over $200 in prizes, and in decorations...yikes-that is easily over $400.... costumes- over $60....
But, can ya really put a price on happiness??? 
I paid cash for EVERYTHING, so at least I don't go in to debt for Halloween, cause that would not be fun.
But, can ya really put a price on happiness???
I paid cash for EVERYTHING, so at least I don't go in to debt for Halloween, cause that would not be fun.
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Creepy Critter
- Ghost
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Thu Oct 26, 2006 6:36 pm
Whew!! That was the scariest part of the season! My final total was close to $500! We started shopping early this year , and it all looked so spooky after it was set up, that every couple of days a new ghoul would find it's way into the yard! My favorite is an old reaper costume we used to cover a stand up vacuum cleaner plugged into a motion detector floodlight($20). I made his arms with plastic coat hangers snapped together to make it appear he is reaching out for you. It has already sent some of my son's friends running! Combined with my other ghouls, he really sneaks up on you!
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Pennywise11
- Halloween Master
- Posts: 713
- Joined: Tue Aug 29, 2006 8:23 am
- What is the highest number?: 9
- Location: Canada
- Contact:
Well honestly I have spent maybe a hundred bucks but that was mainly on party foods, treat bag stuff, craft supplies for the get togethers I hosted. I spend more on Halloween decorations the week after Halloween as it is all marked down and I use it the next year.... I have my eye on a few things and hope they are still there after the big day for me to scoop them up at a marked down price...
1, 2, Freddy's Coming For You 3, 4, Better Lock Your Door 5, 6, Grab A Crucifix 7, 8, Better Stay Up Late 9, 10, Never Sleep Again
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magickbean
- Halloween Master
- Posts: 643
- Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2006 5:15 pm
- What is the highest number?: 9
- Location: Brighton, UK
- Contact:
My goodness I think I have lost track of money spent on Halloween and it's not even over yet!!! My costume alone has cost approximately £60 in total
£23 for black angel wings
£14 for lace bodice
£5 for hair accessories
£4 for black hair dye
£9 on materials to make the skirt and shawl
£5 on false eyelashes
Then I spent approximately £10 on materials to bake Halloween cookies and cakes with
£13 on soft drinks and tableware
£3 on invitations
£3 on TOT candy (thank god for buy-one-get-one-frees)
£15 on prizes
£5 on my partner's costume
£5 on extra decorations
So I spent approx £114.00 (roughly $216.00)
And my mum spent £75 on food and drink, £25 on her costume and probably £100 on decorations so.. in total, together we spent roughly £314.00 (just under $600.00)
And I'm having another Halloween get-together tomorrow night with some Uni friends, so I've no doubt I'll rack up another dozen pounds or so to that total!
Oh my god that was scary. At least I got paid...
£23 for black angel wings
£14 for lace bodice
£5 for hair accessories
£4 for black hair dye
£9 on materials to make the skirt and shawl
£5 on false eyelashes
Then I spent approximately £10 on materials to bake Halloween cookies and cakes with
£13 on soft drinks and tableware
£3 on invitations
£3 on TOT candy (thank god for buy-one-get-one-frees)
£15 on prizes
£5 on my partner's costume
£5 on extra decorations
So I spent approx £114.00 (roughly $216.00)
And my mum spent £75 on food and drink, £25 on her costume and probably £100 on decorations so.. in total, together we spent roughly £314.00 (just under $600.00)
And I'm having another Halloween get-together tomorrow night with some Uni friends, so I've no doubt I'll rack up another dozen pounds or so to that total!
Oh my god that was scary. At least I got paid...
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BlkAsH
- Crypt Keeper
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2006 1:09 pm
- What is the highest number?: 9
- Location: Nashville, Tennessee
- Contact:
Even with bargan hunting and stuff I had last year I still probably managed to spend about $250 on decorations and such and then another $100 on food, candy, etc for our party earlier this month. So I guess I'd say about $350 this year.
.:~* Even though Halloween is gone, the spirit of it still lives on *~:.
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midnight kitty
- Haunt Master
- Posts: 419
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 3:28 pm
- What is the highest number?: 9
- Location: poconos
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MichaelMyers
- Haunt Master
- Posts: 281
- Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2006 4:38 pm
- What is the highest number?: 9
- Location: HADDONFIELD,IL