Countdown to the fangtastic weekend….

Getting ready for one fangtastic weekend

Is Halloween as sacred in your part of the country as it is here?  We´ve had the Halloween superstores popping up all over the place, providing fodder to the debate of how to ride the economic slump we´re in. That debate hit our family hard – should we plop down a whopping $59 – plus another $20 for accessories – to buy that really cute princess costume for a 2-year old?  OK, I agree that $80 is gone in a heartbeat eating out, going to the movies and popcorn for four, a tank of gas or a textbook for a college class.  But $80 for a costume that will be used only once – and at night for few to see?  Sure, you can get some great pictures for the scrapbook with the opportunity of retelling the story over and over to future generations about how the princess got a whopping pound of candy. But, really, is that worth $80?  In some people´s mind it is, just to hold high our tradition of Halloween, where everyone seems to perform their magic marketing tricks for little treats. Is Dracula, trying to sell you the gas guzzler, really effective?  How about giving you ghoulish savings at the local department store?   

No, I´m not the Grinch in disguise putting a damper on our most hallowed tradition.     I´m just saying there are better uses for $80…… How about paying a tutor for a few classes to pull your child ahead in his or her studies?   Someone to clean your house when you are too exhausted from working all week? Find a sitter to provide services as a special gift so your sister and brother-in-law can get away to rekindle their love, or to provide companionship and services for a loved one who might not be able to afford it. You can find these monster bargains at Sunshine Help. We have listings for hundreds of services, from babysitting to pet care, lawn and pool maintenance to personal assistants.  Buy something from the marketplace that you need for your kids, or empty out your basement and offer something for sale – a great idea to earn some extra cash. Maybe you can find the great Halloween costume from someone who did pay the $80 at a price that screams treat – no tricks!

Halloween falls on a Sunday this year,  so join in the fun.  Actually, you can probably find someone at Sunshine Help to help you decorate the house while you look for the movies and prepare to host the neighborhood monsterfest on film. Hummm…..

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