Pumpkins, skeletons, witches and ghouls — spooky season is officially here, and it has a way of getting expensive fast. Between candy, décor and costumes, the average Halloween shopper plans to spend more than $100, and nationally that adds up to a jaw-dropping $13.1 billion in 2025, according to the National Retail Federation. A huge chunk of that goes to bagged, polyester costumes that are worn once and tossed in the trash by November 1.
Here’s the good news, Central Coast: your most original, most affordable, most planet-friendly costume is already hanging on a rack at Goodwill. Skip the pop-up Halloween shop and thrift your look instead. Here’s 10 reasons why it’s the smart move this year:
1. Your costume will be one-of-a-kind. Just say no to the bagged costume everyone else is wearing. At Goodwill, no two looks are the same.
2. You’ll save serious money. We’re confident you can pull together a great costume for a fraction of big-box prices — new costumes can run $50, $80, even $100-plus.
3. You get total creative freedom. Mix and match pieces to build something funny, spooky, nostalgic or completely original. If you can dream it, you can thrift it.
4. You’ll help people get jobs. Every purchase helps fund job training, career services and employment programs for your neighbors across the Central Coast.
5. It’s good for the planet. Reusing clothing and accessories keeps perfectly good materials out of the landfill instead of adding to the waste stream.
6. Brand-new accessories, too. We stock fresh masks, wigs, tails, wings, hats and makeup right alongside our donated treasures, so you can finish your look in one stop.
7. You can afford more than one. Party Friday, trunk-or-treat Saturday, office costume Monday? At these prices, every event can have its own look.
8. It’s a one-stop Halloween shop. Costumes plus spooky décor, place settings and craft supplies to outfit your whole party and home.
9. You’ll score finds beyond the costume. A little browsing through the home and clothing sections never hurt anybody. Win-win.
10. The possibilities are endless. Whatever costume you’ve dreamed up, Goodwill Central Coast can help you make it real.
Four reasons it all works so well together
Low cost. Secondhand clothing costs far less than a new costume from a seasonal pop-up store.
Creative freedom. Mix and match to build a look that’s truly your own — funny, spooky, or straight-up iconic.
Community support. Money spent at Goodwill funds job training and local programs that change lives.
Less waste. Reusing what already exists keeps useful materials out of the trash — the ultimate reuse holiday.
Where your Halloween dollars really go
This is the part that makes a Goodwill costume feel even better to wear. Donated clothing and household goods sold in our local stores fund life-changing work close to home. It all traces back to a belief from Goodwill’s founder, Edgar J. Helms: meaningful work restores dignity, confidence and independence. So when you thrift your costume here, you’re not just saving money — you’re helping a neighbor find a job.
Happy costume hunting! Halloween comes alive at Goodwill. Find your nearest store at www.ccgoodwill.org.