You can shell out a frightening amount of cash on Halloween costumes and Halloween decorations, or you can get creative and hunt down a cheap costume or create your own out of everyday items or thrift store steals.
Some of the best cheap Halloween costumes are last-minute, thrown-together outfits made with whatever is on hand. Easy and cheap costume ideas for kids and adults include:
The Kitchen Drawer
Open any of the drawers in your kitchen and grab a handful of utensils and kitchen tools. Using safety pins, attach them to an old sweatshirt and sweatpants. Top off the look by donning a colander as a helmet. This costume is suitable for both adults and kids.
You—10, 20 or 30 Years Ago
Have you stashed some old, cherished outfit from another decade in your closet? Unearth the beloved bell-bottoms and paisley shirt, curl your hair in a Shaun Cassidy or Farrah Fawcett flip and step out to the nearest Halloween party. A Members Only jacket, tight jeans and a skinny tie instantly create a look straight out of 1983. Find a huge, bulky cell phone at a thrift store to complete the look. Mine your closet for such instant costumes as high school graduate (graduation gown and cap), cheerleader, (old cheerleader outfit) or bridesmaid (formal dress, preferably ugly).
Painter
Dust off your painting duds, the more colorfully splashed with paint samples from your past projects, the better. Get a painter’s cap, which are usually free, from the paint store, and stick a paintbrush in your pocket. Voila, an instant free costume. For a kids’ version, let them dip a paintbrush in some leftover paint and flick the bristles on some old plain clothes. Half the fun is making this messy outfit.
Online Cheap Halloween Costume Sources
Bricks-and-Mortar giants Wal-Mart, Target and K-mart offer in-store and online savings. For the cheapest and best selection of costumes from an online source, however, browse the “Cheap Halloween Costumes” section at Zoogster Costumes. The costume superstore features hundreds of costume options, most under $19.99 each, for men, women, plus sizes, children, baby and dogs. The girl’s “Pumpkin Spice” costume (pictured below in sizes that fit girls from age 3 - 10) is fun and adorable at $19.99. A child’s werewolf costume comes with a fur wig, a ragged shirt with attached fur chest and brown pants. Again it fits ages 3-10 in three different sizes and sells for $19.99. Economy shipping is $7.99 for any size purchase from Zoogster.
Judith Zwolak - Judy is a mother of two and a freelance writer living in South Dakota. Raised by notoriously frugal parents, she comes by her family ...
