Happy {Thrifty} Halloween!

We are big fans of Scooby Doo and the Mystery Inc. Gang, here at our house.  I LOVE the Mystery Van! So much, in fact, that one day I noticed my kitchen and the adjacent playroom are painted in similar colors!

Anyways, for Halloween my son, Zach, wanted to be Harry Potter.  I looked around locally and on Ebay, but everything was just more than I wanted to spend on a costume that he would, no doubt at some point, destroy. 

I promised him I wouldn't let him down on this, but time was running out.  We went to Savers (a local thrift store).  They stock new costumes for Halloween, but also have used ones, too.

We had no luck looking through the used costumes, so we went over and looked at the new Harry Potter costume. The thing was $25 for a rediculously thin robe.  That was it.  No accessories, just a cheap-o robe.

They had a Nimbus 2000 broom stick available, too, for just another $20.00.  Harry's glasses were $10.  We would still need a tie and white button down shirt, and we were already at $65! 

We looked one more time through the used costumes - I was desperate- and would you believe I had overlooked a deluxe fleecy Harry Potter robe?!!!  For $5!!!  In his size!!!  I was sooooo excited! 

We went back to the tie section and found a great coordinating tie for $4. 

We did buy the $10 glasses becuase you just can't pull off Harry Potter with any old glasses, and Zach found a broom stick for $3.

We went to my fave thrift store across the street and found a super nice, white button down shirt for $4. 

The entire costume with ALL the accessories cost just $21.00!  Beats the $25 robe, don't ya think? 

Now I'd like to think I could sell it on Ebay when Zach is done with it, but that'll never happen.  This outfit will be unrecognizable in 2 weeks.  Really.  This is his old Dash (the Incredibles) costume when he was  5~

Check out the knees! This Dash suit was worn to the grocery store, library, school, park, and yes, gasp, even to church on one occasion.  :O

This is his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume the following year.  Brace yourselves~

I don't even know what to say about this one...

I just LOVE thrift store shopping, and appreciate that we are able to reduce, reuse and recycle items by doing so!  Often times I find things (like the Potter robe) that cost a fraction of the price and are of higher quality. 

So, here is Zach, decked out in his completely thrifted Harry Potter costume~

I don't want to leave Maya out~ she's a bee!

Last year I made the little bags they are using for Halloween sacks.  We call them our "Magic Bags." 

 After they choose a sandwich bag full of their favorite candies of the night, they put the rest in their magic bag and set them out on the porch.  In the morning the magic bag has changed the candy into a desired toy! 

Maya is getting this pink pony we found at the thrift shop.  The sales associates had to help me perform a covert op to buy and get the pony out of the store without her noticing. 

Zach is just wishing for $100.  He's getting $10.  :) 

Happy Halloween!!!