Four frugal ways to have fun this payday weekend!

By Victoria Bischoff

Hurrah! Payday weekend is almost upon us. To celebrate, here's a round up of some fabulous deals and discounts to help you have fun - for less!

1. Cheap spooky treats

You don't have to spend an arm and a leg on your spooky celebrations this year to have fun. Check out these super scary deals.

For cheap costumes, supermarkets such as Asda, Tesco and Sainsburys usually come up trumps. While discount stores like Wilkinsons and Poundland can also be great for buying little extras.

It is also worth checking out Partysuperstores.co.uk. You can pick up some vampire teeth for just £1.99 or a packet of witches fingers for only 49p!

On the other hand if you are feeling ambitious (and can sew a little) why not have a go at making your own costume.

If you're looking to stock up on spooky sweets for trick or treat callers, Tesco and Asda both have a great range of deals and discounts on all sorts of nice to eats.

If you're just hoping to entertain the kids this weekend, check out ideas for ghoulish games, recipes and homemade costumes on netmums.com.

The National Trust website also has a whole range of terrifying Halloween half-term activities.

Or, if you don't fancy going out, why not grab a couple of cheap horror flicks and scream in terror from the comfort of your home. At HMV you can get The Shining for just £2.99 and the Scream trilogy for only £6.99.

2. Check out the mid -season sales

Now the colder weather has kicked in, many of us will be starting to think about sprucing up our winter wardrobes.

Luckily, you should be able to find plenty of bargains in these top mid-season sales to help keep you toasty warm.

• ASOS - up to 75% off selected fashion for both men and women.
• Bertie - up to 50% off selected footwear for men and women.
• BHS - 20% off knitwear for men.
• Debenhams - Up to 70% off selected lines in the Blue Cross Sale.
• Dorothy Perkins - Up to 50% off selected fashion, 20% off selected coats, and free standard delivery when spend over £40.
• Dune - Up to 50% off selected footwear.
• House of Frasier - Up to £25 off knitwear, boots, bags, hats, scarves and gloves. Plus up to 50% off coats.
• Oasis - Up to £25 off selected fashion. Plus, selected coats are just £80 for one week only.
• Wallis - Up to 50% off selected fashion - including knitwear.

In this chilly weather, there is just nothing better than curling up on the couch with a cuppa and watching a great film.

Right now, HMV has some great value DVDs from just £2.99.

If you feel like some comedy, at Zavvi you can buy the complete collection of season 1-10 of Friends for only £49.95.

Or check out Amazon for DVDs under £5 and box sets with up to 60% off. My top pick is the complete box set of Lost, seasons 1-5, for just £79.98.

On the other hand, if you would prefer to snuggle up under the duvet with a good book, check out these super bargains.

Waterstones is offering at least 50% off the top 100 bestsellers and buy one get one free on a whole range of titles.

Meanwhile, The Book Depository is also offering some great discounts. For the Kate Mosse fans, you can save 40% on her latest release The Winter Ghosts.

3. Half-term fun on a budget

If you're looking for fun ways to amuse the kids this half-term, check out these discounts on great days out.

Lastminute.com is currently offering 30% off tickets to London Sea Life Aquarium and up to £12.50 off entry to Legoland.

Or, why not take the kids 1p bowling? This half-term, Hollywood Bowl is offering early birds who arrive between 9am and 9.30am a game of bowling for just one penny.

Alternatively, kids under 12 can get free entry to Alton Towers and Cadbury's World when you print off a voucher from Visit The Heart.

This useful website also offers a whole host of discounts on historical and educational trips too. For example, you can get 2 for 1 tickets to Shakespeare's birthplace in Stratford-Upon-Avon or 2 for 1 tickets to Warwick Castle.

On the other hand, if your kids are a little sporty, this half-term they can take part in a range of activities completely free of charge! Just visit the ASDA Sporting Chance website, print out a voucher and find out where your nearest free activities are taking place.

4. Frugal Food

If you want to treat yourself to a few fancy eats this weekend, check out these six delicious restaurant deals.

(Always check the terms and conditions of any voucher, and make sure it is valid for the day you want to use it before heading out).

• ASK - Buy one meal get one for £1. Offer ends 9 November 2009.
• Caffe Uno - 2 for 1 on main courses. Offer ends 29 October 2009.
• La Tasca - 50% off food Sunday to Friday. Offer ends 3 November 2009.
• Pizza Express - 2 main meals for £10 Sunday to Friday. Offer ends 1 November 2009.
• Strada - 2 for 1 on main courses Sunday to Friday. Offer ends 30 October 2009.
• Zizzi - 50% off main courses Sunday to Thursday. Offer ends 30 November 2009.

On the other hand, if you'd rather stay in this weekend, Dominos is offering 50% off online orders when you spend more than £30 until 1 November 2009.

Happy Halloween - have some spooky fun!

**This material is for information purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. We strongly encourage our readers not to rely solely on this content, but to seek independent advice when making financial decisions.**