Halloween has long been a staple holiday for students, whether it is decorating their shared kitchens or putting together costumes for a three-day club bender, students are always eager to celebrate the annual holiday. However, with rising costs of living, students are turning to more creative ways to keep their traditions without breaking the bank.
Despite national data proving that Halloween spending is rocketing, celebrating comes as a privilege for students considering their income mostly goes on rent and food.
“My friends and I have been planning for Halloween since the summer holidays,” final year Kingston University student Chichi Odor told The River. “Many events are happening this year because Halloween falls on a Friday, which implies that we will be celebrating Halloweekend. It also means I’m going to need three different costumes.
“As much as I am excited to dress up and go out, the cost of a night out and costume multiplied by three is going to be a challenge to save up for.”
Local bars and clubs have tried catering to students this Halloween, venues like Circuit, The Ram and The Mill are hosting Halloween events with early bird discounts or group deals, encouraging attendance with costume contests, themed fright nights and drink offers.
DIY flat parties or movie nights have been a rising trend for students that prefer staying in or saving money on tickets and pricey drinks. Decorating with seasonal finds from Kingston’s market is the perfect way to support local markets for less; those who are both money-savvy and thrifty should consider hosting a pumpkin carving contest; both a fun and affordable way to decorate for the weekend.
Hunting for cheap and unique Halloween costumes for your weekend is the biggest hassle. Thankfully, Kingston has a wide range of charity shops on its high-street, including British Heart Foundation, Oxfam and FARA. Compared to the usual £30–£50 costumes, charity shops are offering sell outfits for as little as £10 and under. Alongside the affordability of costumes, thrift shops also encourage sustainability and are great for upcycling costumes for the weekend.
And if you’re really creative, you could go about making your own costume from scratch for Halloweekend.
“I love to use different excess fabrics and clothing items I thrifted or no longer wear to put together my own Halloween costumes,” Fashion student at Kingston University, Emma Hunter-Graham said. “For example, I used some tiger pattern fabric I used for a project for one of my modules last year and sewed it to a pair of jeans I thrifted to make a tiger costume.
“Not only does it help me save money but it also helps me practice for my course.”
