4 days until Halloween!

Skip the trip to the bakery and get your sweet tooth in gear with these delicious Halloween desserts.  This tempting Spiderweb Spice Cake is only $2.01 per serving. Or indulge in these delicious snack-size cupcakes, full of Halloween personality. Let kids help decorate their cupcakes to spooky perfection!

Posted by Riley Tant, AllYou.com

SEE ALSO:
Halloween tricks and treats
Cook Halloween dinner for friends
Spooktacular crafts and decorations

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27 days until Halloween!

Serve up some spicy Jack-o’-lantern Quesadillas tonight for a fun Halloween dish. At only $1.21 per serving, this festive recipe is a cheap treat that will disappear before your eyes. Try them with a side of Devilish Dip for a simple and delicious meal.

Posted by Riley Tant, AllYou.com

See also:

Low-cost Halloween treats

Decorate Halloween cupcakes

Dreadfully delicious Halloween food

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28 days until Halloween!

Opt for a family movie night at home instead of going to the movies. Get teenagers excited about the fun month ahead and turn the evening into a Halloween event. Serve up some blood-red ghoul-aid punch with these tasty popcorn skulls on sticks. Rent classic Halloween movies they will enjoy, such as Twilight and movies from the Harry Potter series. Be sure to screen movies beforehand and check the movie’s rating.

Posted by Riley Tant, AllYou.com

See also:

Make a Halloween music playlist

Entertain the kids this Halloween

Catch the Halloween spirit

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29 days until Halloween!

It’s never too early to start brainstorming ideas for your Halloween costume this year. Need inspiration? If you want to get creative without spending a fortune, allyou.com offers costume ideas for everyone in the family! You can make over a pop star princess or become a juicy grape—all of our ideas are budget-friendly and full of inspiration.

Posted by Riley Tant, AllYou.com

See also:

Baby bat costume

Ripe tomato costume

Find a cute Halloween pet costume

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Every year I’m of two minds about Halloween — I want to give out fun candy because the kids love it, but I know it’s bad for them and their parents will toss a lot of it anyway (or eat it themselves!). Plus, with so many kids in my neighborhood, it’s expensive to buy enough for everyone. What’s a fun-loving but guilt-ridden and frugal mom to do?

That’s why I’m glad I found these YummyEarth lollipops on Amazon. They come in delicious flavors the kids will love (sour apple, blueberry, strawberry, grape, watermelon), and they’re organic, made without corn syrup or artificial dyes (they are fun tongue-staining colors though — they’re just colored with fruit extracts) and allergen free. I mean, they’re still candy — it’s not like giving out boxes of raisins (everyone avoided that house when I was a little trick-or-treater!) — but it feels less terrible for the kids. The best part? Amazon is selling a box of 150 for just over $15 — which means they cost about 10 cents apiece. Everybody wins!

Posted by Beth Lipton, Food Editor

See also:

Make Halloween treats under $1

Make fun treat bags with your kids

Low-cost Halloween treats

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AllYou.com is here to help you find the best deals in back to school bargains. Visit AllYou.com for some great budget-friendly ideas.

• See how you can save by learning tricks such as renting a graphic calculator instead of buying, making your own book covers and keeping the kids happy with after school snacks that cost under $1 per serving.
• Don’t sweat the pricier purchases; we’ve got you covered! We tracked down the best budget laptops to suit every family’s needs, all under $850.
• For college-bound kids, learn ways to make your dorm room super chic for less than $20 with these fun accessories.

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Back-to-school time is upon us, which means it’s lunch packing time too. Before you head out to buygroceries, stop by Walmart’s Lunchbox Builder. Get your kid to sit down and build a customizable lunchbox you can print out and build yourself. Then click “finish” to get printable coupons to save on Mott’s applesauce, Goldfish crackers and Smucker’s Uncrustable sandwiches. It’s a fun, penny-pinching way to get ready for school!

SEE ALSO:
Get cash back on back-to-school buys
Make dinner and save big!
Manage your money for free

Posted by Megan Friedman, All You intern

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Forget the brown bag lunch this school year and consider a good old-fashioned lunchbox or a reusable bag. It may not be cheap up front, but the idea of foregoing prepackaged foods, juice boxes and pouches, plastic bags and paper napkins is not only kind to the environment but will also pay for your purchase pretty quickly. Over a year’s time, not having to shell out for all those individually packed snacks and drinks will save you a bundle.

There are numerous styles and designs to choose from for kids and adults. Some are lead and BPA-free, and many are insulated as well, so you can save cold or hot food for several hours. Plus, when they start to smell a little un-fresh, many of the lunch packs here can be stuck in the dishwasher at night, ready for use the next day.

Here are some reusable lunch bags, boxes, containers and systems I’ve found on sale right now:

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Take advantage of this exclusive AllYou.com coupon from Mahatma!

Browse through our recipes and tonight you could be serving your family one of these yummy meals from some of our top rated rice recipes – all under $3 per serving.

Thai Pork with Red Curry: Cost per serving: $2.24

Sweet Pea Fried Rice: Cost per serving: 89¢

Chicken Fried Rice with Vegetables: Cost per serving: 88¢

Shrimp and Vegetable Stir-Fry: Cost per serving: $2.86

Lemony Chicken Breasts with Rice: Cost per serving: $2.25

Posted by Riley Tant, AllYou.com

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Are you going on vacation this summer and leaving your cat or dog at home with a pet sitter? Here are a few ways to help your animal warm up to its caretaker—and one tip for putting your mind at ease while you’re away:

•  If you’re searching for a sitter, invite candidates over to be sure they get along with your pet. Also, request references from past clients. If you already have a caretaker, ask her to stop by before you leave to get reacquainted with your dog or cat.

•  Have your sitter give you a piece of her clothing, such as a T-shirt or scarf. Leave it around your pet for a few days so it will recognize her smell and be more relaxed with her.

•  Write the caretaker a detailed note that includes your vet’s address and phone number; directions for administering medications your pet needs’ and what times to come over so that your pet stays on as normal of a schedule as possible.

Source: Sue Farinato, program assistant for companion animals at the Humane Society of the United States

SEE ALSO:
Get a discount on pet care
Save money on cat toys
Ask a vet about your cat
Travel safely with your pet

Posted by Emily Hendricks Turnier, Associate Editor

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