5 Tips to save money and reward yourself this Halloween

Don’t let the title scare you – I’m not about to suggest that you shut off the lights and lock the doors on Halloween night (in which case you might run the risk of a few spare eggs hitting your house!)  Here are a few simple tips to help you save money this Halloween:

1.  DIY!  No need to spend money on an elaborate Halloween costume this year – especially if your little ones are under two. Here are 3 of my favourite baby costume ideas I spotted on Pinterest.  Buy a simple onesie from Old Navy and let your creative juices flow!  To find step-by-step instructions for the baby sushi costume by Martha Stewart click here.

2.  Extend the season!  Nothing builds a child’s creativity like having a dress-up trunk to play with all year long.  We buy all of our costumes a size or two larger than my little man’s actual age.  It fits fine at Halloween, and allows him to play with it for years to come.  I used my American Express AIR MILES Card to buy this cute superhero costume at Costco for only $17 (in typical Costco style, I bought it in August!)  So far we’ve used it at play dates and birthday parties, and it’s not even Halloween yet!

3.  Make it at home!  One of my favourite things about Fall is all of the Pumpkin Spice food and beverages you can buy.  Save money and calories by making your own Pumpkin flavored latte – minus all of the sugar and artificial ingredients.  Check out this recipe from Linda Heredia.

4.  Plan ahead!  Love those adorable decorations from Toys R Us or fun Halloween books from Indigo?  Guess what, come Nov 1st they will be 75% off and can be bought ahead to surprise your little one for Halloween next year!

5.  Triple your savings!  I don’t know a single mom who hasn’t taken advantage of the 40% off sales at The Gap and Old Navy. When it comes time to buy your little one’s Halloween outfit, do it online via www.airmilesshops.ca with your AIR MILES Collector Card!  Not only will you save the 40%, you’ll get AIR MILES on top of it.  Plus, if you use your American Express AIR MILES Card you’ll earn reward miles twice. All of which can be done online at 2am while you are breastfeeding 🙂

BONUS TIP:  It’s not candy, but this treat is just as sweet! Enroll and spend $50 or more on your Amex AIR MILES Card from October 24 – 31, 2013 at select retailers (like Old Navy, Toys R Us, and Indigo mentioned above, plus any others that accept American Express) and you can earn 100 Bonus AIR MILES reward miles!  Click here to find out more.

This post was sponsored by Amex Bank of Canada. The views and opinions expressed in this blog, however, are purely my own.