Homemade Halloween Costumes

by Nicole Comeaux, owner of Grocery Getters LLC

Saving money is a pastime for many of us, but in these economic times some of us just don’t have the choices that we were graced with perhaps just one year ago. Halloween is just around the corner and who can afford $25-$30 (or more!) for ONE costume that ONE child will wear ONCE. There are so many ways to go homemade this year and have the most creative costume on the block. I know, many of you are thinking, “Okay, but what do I do?” Well, the answer comes in many forms. Take just a few moments to ask your child a few questions or just think of his or her interests. Or, even better, make it a creative lesson!
There are tons of websites out there to offer ideas if you don’t have a clue where to start. Just use your favorite search engine for “homemade Halloween costumes.” I did just that and was blessed with a plethora of ideas. Even if none of the ideas interest you it might spark another in you that will knock your children’s socks off. Here are a few of the sites I found truly inspiring:

www.robinsfyi.com/holidays/halloween/costumes.htm

http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/halloween-kids-costumes/

http://www.costume-works.com/homemade_halloween_costumes.html

http://familycrafts.about.com/od/costumeideas/tp/fastcostume.htm

These are but a few of the millions out there. The last site listed gives a list of wonderful ideas you could pull off with out purchasing anything and can be put together in a flash. I found a great idea for a young Chinese girl that will only require me to purchase some white face paint. We can research the idea online or at the library and enrich our lives with a little international culture lesson as well as celebrate Halloween.
There are great deals to be had if you look in the right places, too. Wal-Mart has these great kits for $5 that have all the accessories and face paints put together for you and you just have to provide the clothing to go with it. Walgreens has a few costumes left for $10 or left, and Dollar General has a few for $10 or less as well. Of course, I think the best deals are found at home, though.
Whatever you do, have fun doing it and enjoy every moment! I hope you and yours have a great Halloween! Happy Haunting!

Bounce Dryer Sheet Find

I just went to Albertson's. It was the first time that I stepped into the grocery store this week and I am so glad that I did. I went to get just a few fresh items. I recently shopped for a month, so all I really needed was milk, eggs, and fresh fruits and vegies. Of course when I see a good deal I normally jump on it, and that I did. I wasn't planning on using my drug store budget this week, because that stockpile is already pretty full. So, I used my drug store deal to buy a nearly lifetime supply of Bounce mountain scent dryer sheets and Home Life He laundry detergent. As I was walking through the store I noticed an end-cap in the middle of the store with clearance items, so of course I abandoned my basket to run over there. Nothing seemed really exciting until I bent down and noticed the mother load on the bottom shelf. For whatever reason, these fancy pants, super awesome smelling dryer sheets were originally $7.49. No wonder the didn't sell. So, I bought them all for $2 each. Which, by the way, is usually the cost of the store brand at Walmart, so beleive me it was a great deal. Too bad I didn't have any coupons because that would have been even cooler. Then, I brought them home and cut them all of the sheets in helf to double my usage. There was also 1 bottle of laundry detergent for $2 that I snatched up. That's about the best price I can get on laundry detergent even with a sale and a coupon, so I grabbed it too. Don't worry though, there was plenty of other fabric softner left to fill a basket so feel free to go and check it out. I also got more stickers for my Albertson's pots deal, so I will have my choice of any pot by Christmas.

Have a great week and happy shopping!

Back in the Saddle

After 3 long and grueling months, we are officially settled in our new home. Aside from the pile of boxes that sit in the garage awaiting our rescue, we are feeling more and more at home everyday. The best part is that we are starting to get back on a schedule. Coupons, menu plans, and drug store planning are all falling into place now that we have our own space.

This week I was able to do a month shop at the grocery store. Because of the $30 off coupon that is available at Albertson's, I wanted to take advantage of stockpiling my fridge, pantry, and freezer. I made a menu plan for 1 month with only the best sales at Albertson's. There was also an additional coupon for 3 free products when you buy 10, so we will be having a whole lot of spaghetti over the next month....not really, but it is a staple in our house because it's so cheap and easy. The only other coupon that I used was a peelie on the Flip Side crackers for $1 off of 1 box. They were 2/$2.50, so the coupon made them $1.50. That was a nice surprise.

As for drug store deals, I still haven't ventured into that world yet since I just unpacked a huge stockpile of products and didn't feel the need to spend money on that when there are so many little things we need for the new house. Speaking of which, there is TONS of storage in this new house. I have a full size closet pantry in the kitchen, another in the hall, another under the stairs, and floor to ceiling storage in the laundry. It is a stockpiler's dream and was so worth the wait!!! I will post photos when I can.

Have a great week! Please e-mail me!