Comments on: Planning For A Frugal Halloween With My Family http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/ Financial talk for the rest of us Sat, 16 Feb 2013 01:14:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: SunshineD http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85741 SunshineD Fri, 12 Oct 2007 22:05:44 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85741 He’s boiling it so it’s fine anyway. As long as it’s heated to 160F for at least 1 min, it’s ok according to this website.

http://extension.missouri.edu/harrison/tasteofharvest/drinking_cider_safely.htm

]]> By: Elaine http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85729 Elaine Fri, 12 Oct 2007 21:40:07 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85729 mary – I highly doubt that’s a concern with homemade cider. Otherwise your kids wouldn’t be eating any raw fruit or veggies at all.

Jason – yes the “hard part” becomes the pie. Scoop out the seeds and the stringy stuff. Wash the seeds and roast them, pitch the stringy stuff. Cook, peel, and mash the rest of the flesh.

]]> By: m garcia http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85603 m garcia Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:14:03 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85603 Children under the age of two should not drink unpasteurized juice or cider of any kind.

mary

]]> By: Michelle http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85587 Michelle Fri, 12 Oct 2007 16:02:32 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85587 Thaks for the tip Karen. I always get less children at the door then expected and I end up eating all the left over candy myself (not good for the diet) I think small gifts are a much better idea

]]> By: KarenFLA http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85552 KarenFLA Fri, 12 Oct 2007 15:17:21 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85552 My friend taught me to buy the small Halloween gifts on sale right after Halloween the year before and give them out as unlike candy you can save the leftovers and not put on weight. I give out Halloween spider rings, pumpkin cups, pencils, etc. Walgreens often puts the pencils on sale a few weeks before Halloween. I give a piece of candy with each gift, but I don’t have to overbuy on the candy. I also keep a roll of dimes to give out with the gift if I run out of candy. So I give out a 25 cent gift item I paid half or less for with the candy and the kids are delighted with the generosity. Most of the kids in our neighborhood have aged out, so there are fewer and fewer every year and in the past I got stuck with lots of candy.

]]> By: Mariette http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85329 Mariette Fri, 12 Oct 2007 04:41:03 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85329 Jason, Y

ou scrape the pulp off of the hard skins and mash the pulp in the blender – the hard skins get composted (or thrown away depending on your set up,) although they also are excellent in a soup stock provided they aren’t burnt.

]]> By: Vince http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85289 Vince Fri, 12 Oct 2007 02:39:44 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85289 Oh… I forgot! Our 14th Annual Pumpkin Carving Party is this weekend! Whoo hoo! 30-60 folks. Pumpkin guts everywhere. Big BOUNCY castle in the backyard. Good eats. And trophies!!

]]> By: Vince http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85286 Vince Fri, 12 Oct 2007 02:37:49 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85286 Heck. Halloween is where I really let loose. I have YEARS of stuff to display and use and the collection grows each year – love them after Halloween sales. I give out regular sized candy bars and a glow necklace. Our house has become THE house to go to for candy and to get spooked. I always do up the yard/garage. Haunted graveyard one year, Haunted operating room the next, Hannibal Lector one year, Dragon Cave the next. Can’t wait. Less then 20 days to go….

]]> By: vh http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85277 vh Fri, 12 Oct 2007 02:16:18 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85277 What a neat post! These are all such great ideas.

Can you get Halloween candy in bulk packaged individually? Around here, a lot of people have gotten pretty paranoid as the cumulative result of some things that have happened over several years, and so they won’t let their kids eat anything that’s not sealed tight in factory packaging. That lets out stuff like apples (not that I could afford them for the 87 gerjillion kids trucked in from the ghetto) and home-made popcorn balls (a fave treat when I was a li’l kid). Buying a ton of packaged M&Ms (or whatever) challenges my budget, especially since some years a lot of kids come around and some years only a few show up — and in the lean years you have to donate or throw away the candy kids don’t collect.

If you could find factory-packaged Halloween candy treats in bulk, it would make having to buy foodoid you won’t eat a little less frustrating.

BTW…if you haven’t made popcorn balls for the kidlets, you’ve gotta resurrect a recipe from the _Joy of Cooking_ and try it out this month!

]]> By: Jason http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85265 Jason Fri, 12 Oct 2007 01:58:18 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85265 Trent, So the pumpkin pie filling comes from mashing up the hard part of the pumpkin, not the pulp?

]]> By: Heather http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85226 Heather Thu, 11 Oct 2007 23:58:42 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85226 Oh, and I back Chris 100% on the mummy picture!

]]> By: Oswegan http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85225 Oswegan Thu, 11 Oct 2007 23:55:56 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85225 I meant “olive” oil. Oops – tired fingers.

~Oswegan

]]> By: Oswegan http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85223 Oswegan Thu, 11 Oct 2007 23:54:42 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85223 I love the pumpkin seeds after they are roasted – a little oil oil and salt – delicious.

~Oswegan

]]> By: Heather http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85221 Heather Thu, 11 Oct 2007 23:47:15 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85221 Thanks Trent!
I was getting quite depressed about Halloween coming up.
It is by far my favorite holiday. And I love the season to.
But just thinking about the cost of it all was eating me alive.
You have renewed my spirit.
I think my daughter will be a Hippy (sooo easy and cheap) and my son may go as a simple ghost (this I think will be good considering all of the way over done, and over priced, costumes today).

Your words are always appreciated!

]]> By: Elaine http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85160 Elaine Thu, 11 Oct 2007 21:58:18 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85160 S, re: canned pumpkin being other squash. Here: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/10/and-answer-is.html
I guess pumpkin is a close enough relative of cushaw, and most people faced with a can of it would think “What the hell is a cushaw and where’s my pumpkin??”

As for where to buy them, I get nearly all my produce at the farmer’s market, including apples and winter squash. I don’t know how the price compares, but it’s not a factor in my where-to-shop decision since I believe strongly in supporting local farmers.

]]> By: Kat http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85139 Kat Thu, 11 Oct 2007 21:15:29 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85139 The pumpkins come from the store.
The apples from an orchard.
I think So. Cal is just expensive.

]]> By: Allison http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85136 Allison Thu, 11 Oct 2007 21:08:11 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85136 Kat,

did you buy your pumpkin at a pumpkin patch? They tend to hugely inflate the prices. We buy ours from the local grocery store. I’ve seen them from 13-25 cents/lb right now, and in the next week or so, I anticipate that our local bargain grocery store will lower theirs to 8c/lb.

Pumpkin patches charge way more because of all the on site entertainment they use to draw in big crowds (cider, corn mazes, hay rides, etc) I’d rather just go to the grocery store and pick up the pumpkins while taking care of another errand.

]]> By: Kelly http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85126 Kelly Thu, 11 Oct 2007 20:20:19 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85126 My roommate and I intentionally planned our Halloween Party for November 3rd. From what we hear, our friends are very excited to get an extra use out of their costumes. The best part? All the Halloween decorations, candy, costume parts, etc. that will go on sale November 1 – we’re doing our party shopping then :) We’re also making inexpensive popcorn balls and homemade cider (alcoholic and non).

]]> By: s http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85124 s Thu, 11 Oct 2007 20:10:54 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85124 Kat, you say they grow them locally, sp try to find a local farm that has pumpkins — they tend to be a lot cheaper than the store. Plus picking them from a farm is way more fun!

Elaine, Where did you hear that canned pumpkin is “rarely actual pumpkin”? I have eaten about a million (my guess) cans of Libby’s pumpkin – the only kind I’ve noticed at the store – and it clearly says “100% pumpkin” on it. It seems odd that they would use anything else, since it’s not like pumpkin is expensive (and certainly not less than butternut squash).

And on the topic of butternut — I hadn’t thought to mix it with the pumpkin fo pie, but I happen to have bought a few of each last week — a great deal too ($.25/lb for the pumpkin $.40 for the squash. I love the fall!) — so I’ll have to try that!

]]> By: Jim http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85103 Jim Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:43:12 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/11/planning-for-a-frugal-halloween-with-my-family/#comment-85103 Thanks for the great post Trent – my girlfriend and I are going to try out the cider and pies in the next couple weeks! Neither one us can do anything in the kitchen other than boil water, but I think your directions were straightforward enough to warrant an attempt. Can’t wait!

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