Lesser Halloween Spending This Year

NEWINGTON — Out of work but not holiday cheer, Stacy Polk says tough economic times won't scare her out of enjoying Halloween.

"We were coming here with the thought of spending $50," she said Thursday, standing outside of iParty on Woodbury Avenue. "Honestly money's so tight right now we don't have enough to spend a lot on a good Halloween costume. Jobs are really hard to find."

She's not alone, according to other shoppers and the National Retail Federation. The nation's largest retail trade association commissioned a study that found consumers are expected to spend an average of $56.31 on the holiday this year, down from $66.54 last year, due to the economy.

Even so, total holiday spending is expected to reach $4.75 billion nationally, according to the federation.

With money tight but the allure of Halloween still strong, shoppers at iParty said they were trying to be more creative this year, checking several stores and websites before settling on decorations and a costume.

"You start looking at how you can incorporate your own and add the extra accessories to spruce it up and make it just as nice," said Carol Murphy, 50, from Stratham. "I think everybody is more cost-effective. I guess you try to be more creative not just for fun, but because we need to. We need to be able to mix and match rather than just pick up the already made costume, and it's more interesting that way too."

Meagan Cowan said she wants to enjoy the holiday even if it means shopping around more. That meant checking out three farms to find pumpkins before buying a batch for $37.

"We're definitely shopping around. Last year I didn't think twice," said the 21-year-old Dover resident, who dressed up as Little Bo Peep, as in the nursery rhyme character who lost her sheep. "I probably spent $80 on my costume alone."

Erica Westover, a 20-year-old from Rochester, picked up a second job to make ends meet and she said she's protective of her money.

"But with Halloween we go all out. We try to get as much stuff as possible," he said. "And my 21st birthday is coming up, so I have to have a really sweet party this year."

At Gauthier's Palace of Party Supplies in Rochester, owner Ginny Gauthier said no matter how important the occasion, this isn't a year for spending a lot of money on costumes and candy.

"People are trying to figure out where to get the next mortgage payment," she said. "I think you will find people will be trying to figure out what they did when they were younger," and bed sheets morphed into ghosts.

"I think you will see a lot of people buying cheap costumes for their kids at Wal-Mart," said Liz Dyer, manager at Piece O' Cake in Somersworth.

Back at iParty, Nick Polk, 19, was shopping with his wife, Stacy, 20, and her daughter Payton Fossa, 2, and her sister Stephanie Fossa, who is 18. He said he's been out of work since leaving a food processing job in Florida five months ago and wasn't looking to spend a lot on "something you're only wearing for like five hours."

But, he said, "you want to have a good time."

Besides, his wife said, Halloween is "the one time a year you get to be someone else." This year that means being a modern-day Marilyn Monroe.

She was eyeing a $24 wig fashioned in Monroe's style, but her husband didn't approve because of the cost. She ended up with a $10 blonde, fluffy wig, $6 eyelashes and a costume dress for around $20. He settled on the $12 wig inspired by reggae legend Bob Marley.

Little Payton already had her ladybug costume before they visited the store.

Maggie Perusse, the iParty store manager, said shoppers don't come in discussing their finances.

"We train people who work in the stores to listen to the customers, because a lot of times they won't tell ya. It's what's between the lines," she said. "And then you can steer them in the right direction."

The store offers something for every budget, she said, and costumes range from about $10 to $50. There's the Amelia Earhart "instant disguise kit" for $13, donkey ears and teeth for $7 and extra thick blood for $1.99, which could go well with $15 vampire teeth.

If none of those work, there are Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin and Barack Obama masks, and costumes for aspiring hippies, gangsters, musical headbangers, gladiators, pirates, science fiction favorites and a getup for one of Santa's elves, which the package says is for those "Elegant Moments."

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