We needed to get several costumes worth of clothing and extras but didn't have the budget to get store bought costumes or buy them new. So we found a Goodwill sorting and donation center near us. We hadn't been there before and we weren't sure how we would fare. The sorting center sells clothes and other items by weight. They wheel long bins full of random clothing in to the warehouse you get to pick through them for the best deals. It's totally disorganized and a little chaotic but it was perfect for looking for costume parts.
We spent about an hour sorting through the bins and had a full cart with many items that were costume ready. Our cart came in under 25lbs. The pricing per pound drops from $1.39 per pound to $.89 per pound once you are above 25 lbs. So it was actually cheaper for us to go back and shop some more. We picked up some cool sheer fabric pieces that could be used for bellydancing or other costume parts. We also let the kids pick out a few toys.
When we got back in line, we weighed in at 25.5 lbs., which only came to $22.70. Check out the haul that we got for that! That's less than a dollar an item.
Six of the listed items below already had Goodwill price tags. Those six items outside the sorting center would have totaled $38.95. So basically, we saved $16 and got a bunch of other stuff for free!
All of these clothes were in very good condition. The striped blouse had a slight tear in it but that was no issue because it was for a pirate costume.
This shopping trip saved us a ton of money and we will have a very full costume trunk for the kids to play with after this Halloween!
By Jess from Hillsboro, OR
By Eileen from Yorktown, VA
When you hit the November sales, be sure to think outside the box and consider picking up some dress-up clothes, too. We bought some lovely fairy outfits (75% off) that made fantastic Christmas and birthday gifts for my daughter and her friends. A pirate costume cost us $2.00. What a terrific year-round gift for a little boy.
The big costume shops will have sales like this, and the big box retailers will, too. If you can plan a year ahead, it's certainly worth the wait.
By Natasha from Boston, MA
By Lynn T. from Conway, AR
By Pamphyila from Los Angeles, CA
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Halloween Costume Ideas