Halloween costume prices

olds45512 · #1 10-23-2015, 10:27 AM

My oldest son has been saying for about 2 months now that he wants to be a cop for Halloween, we thought it would be cool to dress up his little brother like a prisoner. After looking at Walmart and Kmart with no luck my wife had to go to a spirit Halloween store to find the costumes and I was not at all prepared to hear how much she spent. The total cost for the two costumes was $70 which seems crazy for something that might get worn twice, I told her it would have been much cheaper to buy him a big bag of candy. I guess it's a good thing I've been working overtime all week.

j4c11 · #2 10-23-2015, 10:46 AM

I feel your pain. The fog machine arrives today for its 2-3 hours of use. That's about $15/hour for fog.

"But it's for the kids!"

jimbob200521 · #3 10-23-2015, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by olds45512

My oldest son has been saying for about 2 months now that he wants to be a cop for Halloween, we thought it would be cool to dress up his little brother like a prisoner. After looking at Walmart and Kmart with no luck my wife had to go to a spirit Halloween store to find the costumes and I was not at all prepared to hear how much she spent. The total cost for the two costumes was $70 which seems crazy for something that might get worn twice, I told her it would have been much cheaper to buy him a big bag of candy. I guess it's a good thing I've been working overtime all week.

We used to have a Spirit Halloween store that would open up around here for the season but they didn't this year. This made me happy until I was told by wifey that we now have to travel 45 minute to Rockford to shop for a Halloween costume for work. Why does it keep getting more and more expensive and complicated!?!?

Cub Cadet 123 · #4 10-23-2015, 12:17 PM

The $70 will be made many times, but a person is only young once in their lifetime and memories will last. My costume this year was supposed to be around $150, but buying it through Amazon (and applying for their credit card...YIKES), I got it for around $30. I have already spent $200 in for candy for our Haunted House (free to public, everyone gets a small sack of candy and all free-will donations go toward our charities...Veteran's Association (homeless vets), food pantry, Shriner's Hospital, etc.), then another $40 for popcorn balls for tricks-or-treats......Yeah, it adds up, but the Haunted House is all that some of the children in my community might have and with tight times (local business going out), they might not even afford a costume to go trick or treating. So I feel good and the money will come and go, but hopefully we can help out a lot of people in many ways and just maybe make this world a better place for others.

If you can, go trick or treating with them. They will enjoy it and if you want, wear a costume yourself and trick-or-treat for a good cause, like UNICEF or CANCER SOCIETY or for VETERANS ASSOCIATIONS. Happy Halloween!

Cub Cadet 123

Shotgun Wedding · #5 10-23-2015, 01:03 PM

I guess the days of sending the kids out with an old pillow case as a candy bag, a bar of soap in their pocket of a costume mom slapped together died with the last millennia.

Those were the days when you made homemade popcorn balls to give out to the kiddies, or an apple or a few Kraft caramels as a bonus. All the houses did was carve up a pumpkin they usually grew, stuck in a candle and that was it. The old folks would invite the kids in to their house and ask the kids to sing, or do a trick for their candy.

I remember me and my brother at old Mrs Whitmers house, an old widow who also had us do all her odd jobs around the yard, invite us in and made us both play a trumpet (which we had no clue on how to do it). I remember my brother handing me the trumpet after him, he laughed so hard into it that is was full of spit!

Ah the good old days. Fog machines? we didn't need no stinkin fog machines. Actually no one had disposable income those days.

j4c11 · #6 10-23-2015, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cub Cadet 123

If you can, go trick or treating with them. They will enjoy it and if you want, wear a costume yourself and trick-or-treat for a good cause, like UNICEF or CANCER SOCIETY or for VETERANS ASSOCIATIONS. Happy Halloween!
Cub Cadet 123

A side note, I used to be chairman of the charitable giving committee at my previous job. When considering donating to a charity, first thing you should ask is what percentage of each dollar goes towards administrative costs. Some are as high as 50%, which means that only 50 cents go towards the actual cause. Ask about their CEOs salaries. Finally, give to charities that have focused goals(eg food and blankets) rather than charities with generic goals(e.g. cancer, which could include lobbying, planned parenthood etc.).

64fleetside · #7 10-23-2015, 03:01 PM

Man, I was a young city kid when we moved to sticksville, an elderly neighbor gave me this popcorn ball wrapped in tinfoil one Halloween. Weighed about a pound. I had never seen one before
Forty years later, i have never had one that good again

ford4150 · #8 10-23-2015, 07:33 PM

I'm ready for Halloween...

CubDieselFan · #9 10-23-2015, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 64fleetside

Man, I was a young city kid when we moved to sticksville, an elderly neighbor gave me this popcorn ball wrapped in tinfoil one Halloween. Weighed about a pound. I had never seen one before
Forty years later, i have never had one that good again

We had a lady that did that in our little community. They were awesome.