Halloween spending is climbing, but Southeast Wisconsin small businesses are offering ways to celebrate the season without overspending.
According to a Deloitte survey, the average person plans to spend $54 on Halloween decorations this year.
For context, one airblown Halloween light-up ghost at the Meijer in Greenfield is currently priced at $59.99 — already above that average on a single item.
Watch Alonna Johnson's report in the video player below:
About 10% of people say they're considering buying Halloween items secondhand and 40% from discount stores.
Maria Estrada has hosted her Halloween sale through her business, Maria's Affordable Deals in Greenfield, for eight years.
The sale features costumes, décor, and other Halloween items priced below market rate. Estrada said she keeps prices low because she believes every family should be able to take part in the holiday fun.
"I try to keep my prices low for all of the families that can't afford having a nice Halloween — take out their kids trick-or-treating without worrying to pay a lot of money for their costumes," Estrada said.
Her sale runs through the end of this week from noon to 7 p.m., near 92nd and West Cold Spring Road in Greenfield.
For those interested in upcycling, Jen Dunne takes items from secondhand stores and transforms them at her shop, Rustic Rehabs, in Menomonee Falls.
She said the key to flipping thrifted items is simply wanting to try something different.
"So then it's a matter of just sit down and play, like, give yourself a chance to play with stuff and don't be so critical, and you might be surprised what you can find. Do I love everything I make? No, but sometimes other people do," Dunne said.
Her motto: you can't make it look worse.
For those who feel they don't have a creative bone in their body, Dunne hosts an open class every Thursday in Menomonee Falls where attendees can get help flipping their own items.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
