DIY A Costume Instead Of Buying One

There are so many great ideas out there for DIYing Halloween costumes! From cardboard box robots to pulling a Regina Georgia with clothes you already own. DIYing a costume helps you save money and get creative! That's a win-win, if you ask me.

Thrift Your Halloween Costume

While we're on the topic of making our own Halloween costumes, what if you want to go as Pam Beesly, but you don't have her classic cardigan look? Don't sweat it, but definitely DON'T run off to a costume store. Chances are your local thrift store has exactly what you're looking for. And if it doesn't, you can always check out ThredUP, Poshmark, or Depop.Bonus points if the clothing you thrift are pieces of clothing you'd wear after Halloween! If you still can't find what you're looking for, try asking a friend or family member!

Thrift Your Halloween Decorations

Do you know what else thrifting is great for? Halloween decorations! Thrift stores won't just strictly have the classic porcelain pumpkins or flying bats. Chances are you'll also be able to find back glass vases, spooky candles, or haunted dolls. Perfect opportunities to give your apartment more of a subtle spooky look.

Pick A Pumpkin With Bumps And Bruises

Everyone loves a good pumpkin for Halloween. Carving pumpkins is a tradition that you can really easily make sustainable! WHen you go to pick out your pumpkin, look for one with some bumps or scratches. The pumpkins that have "impurities" are more likely to get thrown out and wasted by the business. Save a pumpkin life and shop imperfect! (Bonus points if you're able to get that pumpkin at a local pumpkin patch).

Save The Pumpkin Seeds From Your Jack-o-Lantern For Cooking

1. Ok, so you carved the pumpkin, now what? Don't throw away the insides! There are a million awesome pumpkin seed recipes. The awesome thing about roasted pumpkin seeds is that you can put them in salads, yogurt, etc. And the pumpkin guts can be made into pumpkin donuts, pumpkin bread, and yes, pumpkin spice lattes.

Use a USB Rechargeable Lighter

Whether you're lighting the spooky candles you thrifted or lighting a candle for your Jack-o-Lantern, a rechargeable lighter allows you to avoid the waste of single-use matches. Plus, they typically have a longer handle so you are less likely to burn yourself.

Compost That Pumpkin!

Once Halloween is over, what should you do with your pumpkin? Compost it! Biodegradable foods are unable to biodegrade in a traditional landfill and will still give off methane and other greenhouse gases that are avoided during the compost process.

Opt For Aluminum Foil Wrapped Candy Instead Of Plastic

This one is probably the hardest to do. But trying to avoid plastic wrapped candy would be an awesome way to cut down on your waste. Aluminum foil and cardboard packaged candy are great (and usually easy to find) alternatives to find. If you can't tell if it's aluminum foil or plastic, use the scrunch test! If you can scrunch it into a tight ball, and it stays in that shape, then it's aluminum foil. If you scrunch it, and it straightens out, it's plastic.