Student festival survival guide: Halloween edition
The University of Toronto Scarborough campus is reviving its Halloween spirit, as seen by campus activities such as pumpkin carving, painting and costume competitions.
Explore how to fave a fun night that will not break your bank. Illustration By: (Aaliyah Daas // The Underground)
The air is chilly as October comes to an end, bringing with it a mix of frightening fun and excitement. The University of Toronto Scarborough campus is reviving its Halloween spirit, as seen by campus activities such as pumpkin carving, painting and costume competitions. Halloween is a popular holiday for university students as the perfect excuse to take a break from the never ending workload and soon approaching final-season which is scarier than Halloween. However, it is essential for students to be alert and cautious when they’re celebrating and avoid financial frights. This student survival guide includes everything you need for planning a safe, affordable, and frightfully fun celebration.
Frights and Finances: Tips to Avoid a Money Scare
DIY costumes: Making your own costume not only saves money, but allows individuals to showcase their creativity. Homemade Halloween costumes are unique because it encourages individuals to be resourceful and foster bonds, as the process of creating a costume together generates unique memories without overspending. A starting point is using what you already have at home.
Thrift store finds: Thrift stores offer a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to buying expensive Halloween costumes. By purchasing used costumes, you can save money while still achieving your desired look. This alternative reduces the carbon footprint of fast fashion by reducing the demand for mass-produced costumes, making thrifting a sustainable choice.
Costume swaps: This strategy ditches the need to buy a costume every year. The idea of “trading instead of buying”, whether that’s with your friends or family members, gives you a “new” costume without spending a dime.
Repurpose old costumes: Make durable costumes that can be combined or removed by repurposing old costumes into affordable ensembles or accessories.
Celebrate smart: Halloween tips for a safe night out
Ensuring that everyone enjoys the festivities safely, these are some tips on how to have a great Halloween and look out for each other:
Stay in groups: Sticking with a group of friends you know and trust to have each other’s backs in case any problems arise.
Keep your phone on you at all times: Have your phone charged in case of an emergency.
Watch your drinks: Don’t leave drinks unattended. This is the easiest way for your drink to be tampered with. To be safe, carry your drink with you, or get a new one if you’ve left it behind.
Arrange a ride home: If you plan on drinking, arrange a plan to get home safely. Either use a ride-share app or choose a designated driver, drinking and driving increases road risk for you and others on the street.
Trick or Treat? Identifying phishing and online scams
During the holiday season, one must be vigilant of scams that use a variety of false financial information to deceive people. Recognize the tricks and protect yourself:
Fake event tickets: Scammers can create convincing tickets to deceive people, such as using stolen logos and QR codes. Scammers often send QR codes that look like they contain your tickets, but when you scan them, you end up visiting phishing websites that are meant to steal your personal information. So if a ticket seems phony, it probably is.
Phishing emails: These include dangerous links or personal information that are sent by scammers posing as staff from the university. According to the University of Toronto website, some common phishing red flags include “requests for sensitive information” (i.e. banking information, UTORid password) and “suspicious attachments or links”.
Spooktacular savings: Celebrate halloween and Fall creatively
A friendly reminder that Halloween doesn’t need to be lavish. Many enjoyable and memorable experiences can be made through simple and low-cost activities. These are unique ways to celebrate Halloween without scaring your budget:
Reesor’s Farm Market pumpkin patch that can be enjoyed throughout Fall. Photo By: (Aaliyah Daas // The Underground)
Pumpkin painting: Host a pumpkin painting night with friends. It’s a great way to reconnect and showcase your creative ideas.
Pumpkin patch or corn maze: Enjoy fall activities like pumpkin picking and navigating a corn maze, providing a full day of entertainment for you and your friends.
Movie marathon: gather friends and family for a fun night of Halloween movie marathons.
Murder mystery dinner: Plan an exciting Halloween party with a murder mystery dinner that combines costumes, problem-solving, and social interaction.
Spooky trivia night: A horror-themed trivia night is a fun way for guests to test their knowledge. Prepare a list of questions, divide guests into teams, and offer themed prizes for the winning team. Make a set of questions, split the guests into teams, and offer themed prizes to the team that wins.
While this list may seem extensive, it is important for students to be alert and make budget-friendly choices. Enjoy the festivities!
