Mother’s Day is just around the corner and millions of American households are gearing up for the festivities. This often includes purchasing candy, decorations and costumes. While this is all in good fun, make sure you don’t go overboard and buy items you can’t realistically afford.

According to the National Retail Federation, 170 million Americans plan to celebrate Mother’s Day, the most in record-taking history. Meanwhile, it’s believed the average person will spend close to $80 on Mother’s Day items, up from $72.31 last year. Total consumer spending is expected to exceed $8 billion.

The largest expense in Mother’s Day spending tends to be on costumes. Some people choose this opportunity to show off their creativity, and might go a little overboard. Rather than using loan money to stimulate your finances in the wake of Mother’s Day, consumers are encouraged to make plans and preparations within their budgets.

Saving Money On Mother’s Day Expenses
Overspending on Mother’s Day can be easy, but MoneyTalksNews has some advice on a few ways to save.

Try to avoid purchasing your costume from a store. These are often expensive options, and it may seem silly later to spend all that money on something you will probably only use once. However, stores can still come in handy.

Instead, hit up your local costume shop to get inspired. Thinking outside the box can sometimes be difficult, and examining your options can get your creative juices flowing. If you don’t have the time, however, a quick internet search can show you some of the most popular costumes for 2022.

Make Your Own Costume
Once you have an idea of what you want to be, try to gather supplies you already own to make it happen. Everything from articles of clothing to a cardboard box that can be cut up and painted may come in handy.

Meanwhile, if you don’t have enough items to create a costume, contact friends and family to see if you can raid their closets. To sweeten the deal, invite them over to see if you own anything that might work for their costume ideas.

Make Your Own Decorations
Store-bought decorations are often nothing more than some simple paper and plastic. This makes them easy to create your own.

A stack of black and white construction paper can create bats and skeletons, and at a fraction of the price. Meanwhile, if you want to make your home look like it was invaded by giant spiders, rather than buying cotton web form the store, consider stretching out cotton balls.

Save On Candy
When it comes to buying candy for guests and trick-or-treaters, remember sugar candy is often more affordable than chocolate.

Purchasing these items in bulk is also recommended. While this may seem more expensive, some simple math will show you paying a little bit more for the additional supplies is actually a bargain. To ensure your candy supply is not quickly diminished, hand it out the trick-or-treaters, rather than letting them reach into the container. Kids will frequently take multiple pieces if they have a chance.