Fireworks sure are a lot of fun, and you can buy them to set off at home in many states. If only they weren’t so expensive! Enough fireworks for an impressive home display costs at least a few hundred dollars.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t save some money on your fireworks if you know where to look. You may be surprised, for example, at the differences in price between one vendor and the next. You should shop around, ask about discounts and specials, and put together your own assortment of fireworks, to get the most for your money.
Shop Around
You should avoid shopping for fireworks in grocery stores or big box stores, if only because fireworks stands and tents are usually operated by local business people or even by local nonprofits and charity organizations. Shop around for the best deal – and if you have a favorite vendor, don’t be afraid to comparison shop and then ask for a price match on the pyrotechnics you want.
Ask for Specials and Discounts
Fireworks sellers do have sales and offer discounts, specials, and coupons. Ask the vendor if they have any coupons – they may be able to give you some or you may have to look for them in the daily paper. Ask about military discounts, if you’re a veteran or member of the armed forces.
Vendors might be running specials on different kinds of fireworks each day or week. This might be a way to pick up some cheap smoke bombs, fountains, or artillery shells. Fireworks vendors also have sales, particularly right around the holiday. In the days leading up to the holiday, many vendors may knock 10 to 15 percent off their prices. The steepest discounts come after the holiday when vendors are trying to offload merchandise before closing up shop until the next season. You may be able to get 30 to 50 percent off fireworks that you can store for the next season. Just make sure you keep them in a dry place.
Avoid the Packaged Assortments
You’re likely to get a better deal on fireworks if you buy them all individually, rather than buying a prepackaged assortment. Fireworks you select individually are less likely to be duds, too – those big packages often contain older merchandise that may not ignite if they were stored in damp or moist conditions.
Instead of grabbing a packaged bundle, tell the vendor what your budget is and what kind of display you’re looking to put on and ask what fireworks you should buy. The vendor will help set you up with the right fireworks for your needs and budget.
Go in Together with Friends
If you can pool money with friends and family members to buy fireworks in bulk, you might get a discount. If you’re spending $300 or more, the vendor might be more inclined to give you a good price on some roman candles or bottle rockets to go with your bigger fireworks. If you’re buying several hundred or more dollars worth of fireworks, you might be able to negotiate 10 to 15 percent off the whole purchase.
Keep Close to the Ground
Aerial fireworks are more expensive than fountains, smoke bombs, and other fireworks that work their magic at ground level. A large fountain can emit showers of sparks for up to three minutes, compared to the 25 to 30 seconds of sparks you’ll get out of the average cake. There are some smoke bombs available that go off for six minutes. You’ll get a longer display and pay a lot less money if you build some fountains, smoke bombs, and other ground fireworks into your display.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t have an aerial component. Bottle rockets and roman candles are affordable and impressive when they burst against a pitch-black sky.
Scale Down the Finale
You might be thinking of buying the biggest cake firework you can for your display’s awesome finale. But the big, 500-gram cakes can cost $90 or more, and their display is no more impressive than that of smaller cakes containing only $250 grams. The smaller cakes are more tightly packed, so sparks fly higher and burst more impressively. They also cost significantly less, so you can afford to buy a few of them for the same amount of money and have an even better finale.
Fireworks aren’t cheap, but you can save a lot of money on them if you know how to shop for them. It’s worth shopping around to find a good vendor with good prices, so you and your family can enjoy the time you have together.
