The fall vibes are back, and we're not just talking about children heading back to school and pumpkin spice everything, everywhere. It's not even September, but stores are already stocked with Halloween decorations.
So we wanted to know if you should shop now, what you should look for, or whether you should wait a few weeks for lower prices.
Hottest decor trends this year
You'll hear scary sounds, see animated animals, and will feel small next to all the 15- and 20-foot inflatable monsters at home goods stores like At Home. Julie Rocchio of At Home says these are Halloween's biggest decor trends.
She says inflatables for the yard, from $44 to over $200, are all the rage.
"They are plug-and-play. You can decorate real fast and easy," she said, "and when they disinflate, they are easy to pack away and store for next year."
Rocchio suggests completing your yard with skeletons and tombstones for as low as $19 each. But we wanted to know: Did Halloween creep into stores sooner than usual?
Julie Ramhold with DealNews.com says, "It's still August, right? I didn't lose time somewhere?"
"We're getting this fall vibe a little bit earlier this year," she added.
So just like the excitement around pumpkin spice lattes, stores are getting on board much earlier. That means you can spread out your spending rather than buying everything all at once.
Spirit Halloween plans to hire 40,000 seasonal workers
Spirit Halloween operates more than 1,500 stores during the season across North America.
Shop now or wait?
So should you stock up now? Ramhold says it depends on where you shop.
"Discount stores like Home Goods or TJ Maxx and places like that, you're probably not going to want to wait," she said, because their inventory disappears fast.
She says at big chains like Walmart and Target, which are very well stocked, prices will likely come down the closer we get to Halloween.
The best deals, of course, come on Nov. 1, after the holiday. But if you want those trendy, oversized inflatables, Rocchio says don't wait until October.
"They'll probably be gone," she said. "They are selling out as soon as we put them on the shelf."
