Halloween costumes

15 Ways to Make Money on Halloween

Mikey Rox — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 08:30:10 +0000

Most people balk at signs of the impending fall holidays because they fear what's coming — or rather, going: their money. But this year, instead of removing all the bills from your wallet for Halloween this-and-that, stuff it to the gills with fresh cash using these ways to turn October 31 on its paycheck-draining pumpkin head.

1. Attach business cards to trick-or-treaters' candy

Have a business you want to promote? Get in front of a lot of customers this Halloween by attaching your business card to the candy you're handing out. When parents inspect the candy later, they'll find it and hopefully call you. If you own a restaurant or retail store in town or provide a service, try a 10 percent discount instead of a standard business card. You'll build brand awareness among neighbors that may not know about your business, and you'll spend just pennies on new customer acquisition. (Shout-out to my lovely aunt for this idea. Genius.)

2. Rent out your guest space to tourists

If you've been considering whether or not to rent out your home or spare room on Airbnb and other micro-subletting services, use Halloween as a test run. There's usually higher demand around holidays so you'll likely book with relative ease if you keep your accommodations comfortable, clean, and affordable. This is a great way to experience what hosting travelers is like (without committing to it as a full-time job) while pocketing a little extra income. (See also: 5 Easy Ways to Make Good Money From Airbnb)

3. Sell old costumes online

If you still have last year's kids' and adult costumes, and you don't plan to wear them again, try getting rid of them locally via Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or online selling apps like Letgo. You'll have the best chance of unloading your unwanted garb with great photos and reasonable prices. Start at about 60 percent off what you paid for the costume originally and haggle from there. (See also: Turn Old Clothes Into Money With These 4 Tools and Apps)

4. Charge your friends for a sweet fix

You probably won't have much luck at this as an adult, but if you're a high school or college student, tap into your entrepreneurial skills early and peddle Halloween candy for a price. Everyone is in the sweets-eating mood at the end of October, so seize this opportunity to turn your trick-or-treating stash or reduced-priced seasonal candy bags into a profit. Undercut the competition, i.e. vending machines, and you've got a mini-business on your hands.

5. Sit for parents of children or pets

Many adults like to enjoy the Halloween festivities as much as the kids do, so if you know any parents or pet owners, offer your sitting services to allow them to enjoy the parties to which they were invited. There are several popular services that will help you market yourself, like Care.com for child care and Rover.com for pet care. Each will help you build a profile, tap into the local market, and share your services on social media. (See also: How to Make $400+ a Week as a Pet Sitter)

6. Drive revelers around in your car

I've been a Lyft and Uber driver for a couple years now, and I can tell you firsthand that there's major demand surrounding Halloween. I've made a few hundred bucks on Halloween night alone, and that's only driving from about 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Demand, of course, will depend on the area in which you live, but if there's not a lot to do where you are, drive to another, more popular area where you know people will be partying and therefore need a safe ride home. (See also: How to Earn Extra Money Driving for Uber or Lyft)

7. Host a haunted house

A friend of mine told me that his family charged 25 cents for admission to the amateur haunted house they put together in their own home, but this was back in the 1960s. The inflation rate today would be $2.07, and nobody's going to pay that hefty fee to enter your dungeon of terror, but you could probably squeeze out $1-$2 per family if you create an interesting/scary enough attraction.

8. Set up a trick-or-treating yard sale

Have a pile of junk you'd like to sell? Take advantage of the built-in Halloween-night foot traffic by setting up a small yard sale while you're handing out candy. Provide bags for smaller items, and be flexible enough to allow next-day pickup for larger items that chaperones won't want to carry around all night.

9. Offer your face painting or hair and makeup skills

A quick post on social media about your hair and makeup prowess will likely fill up your Halloween weekend schedule. Expand your reach with a post on Craigslist. Everybody wants to look their best for the festivities, and they'll pay a pretty penny for it.

10. Tailor costumes

Holes in costumes may need mending, or someone might need an old costume taken in, and if you're handy with a needle and thread or a sewing machine, you can pocket a few crisp ones for your work.

11. Pick up a seasonal job as a haunted house actor

Enjoy scaring the bejesus out of people? Local haunted houses and corn mazes are hiring actors to spook guests this time of year, as are amusement parks that host seasonal events, like Six Flags' Fright Fest.

12. DJ a Halloween party

Spin "Monster Mash" and other macabre music by DJing Halloween parties. It doesn't have to be a major affair, so look for kids' shindigs, neighborhood parties, and community center events.

13. Make themed baked goods for last-minuters

I have a friend who makes the most incredible, perfectly decorated cookies, for which she's paid top dollar on custom orders. If you're a whiz in the kitchen, offer your baked goods to neighbors for their parties and maybe even pop into your local restaurants and cafes to ask if they might be willing to put your treats in their cases for a cut of the profits. These are the baby steps to a small business.

14. Chaperone children for trick-or-treating

Sort of like baby-sitting; you'll get paid in cash plus a few candy bars. Parents or guardians working late and therefore unable to take their kids trick-or-treating will be interested in this service.

15. Sell water to thirsty parents

Walking children around for hours on end can really take it out of you. Help adults rehydrate by offering bottled water for $1 a pop, or set up a lemonade/Kool-Aid stand to sell small cups of the sweet stuff for 50 cents to a dollar.

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This article is from Mikey Rox of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

60+ Halloween Costume Ideas That Can Save You Money and Time

William Tran — Mon, 05 Oct 2015 21:00:32 +0000

It's that spooky time of the year again! Halloween is just around the corner, and with it comes the inevitable and difficult decision of what costume you're going to wear for this year's party. But fear not! We have ideas for the perfect costume on any budget.

20 Simple and Cheap Halloween Costumes for Kids

It's easy to get caught up in Halloween and become frustrated when a complicated costume goes wrong. Skip all that and go for simple and fun, instead.

20 Cheap and Easy Halloween Costumes for Adults

Halloween dress up is not just for kids. Preserve your dignity — and your budget — with these classic and frugal costume ideas.

15 Halloween Costumes for People Who Hate Dressing Up

If you think dressing up is a drag but still need a get up for a costume party, consider one of these low-effort, high-reward "costumes."

How to Make 8 Trending Halloween Costumes on the Cheap

Halloween is just a few weeks away! That's plenty of time to put together one or two of these clever, trendy costumes.

This article is from William Tran of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

13 Sites to Find Your Halloween Costume Cheap

Nick Wharton — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 15:15:18 +0000

Deciding on a costume might be difficult; shopping for your perfect getup shouldn't be. With this list of popular costume, party, and Halloween retailers, you'll gain access to a wide selection of inventory, plus deep discounts on shipping and sale items. You'll have your killer costume in no time. (See also: Last-Minute DIY Halloween Costumes)

Spirit

Spirit is a one-stop shop with an easy-to-use interface. Well-organized and with plenty of videos and costume idea resources, Spirit's strengths are in its variety (four pages of pirate costumes) and ease of use. Returns are free.

Halloween Express

Halloween Express is your one-stop Halloween shop. They have everything you need for the spookiest 31^st ever, with free exchanges and free same-day shipping to get you your treats in no time. They also provide live chat help, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Frank Bee Costumes

Frank Bee Costumes offers one of the largest, if not the largest, collection of costumes around. Their massive inventory includes the newest and most popular brands and characters, which makes finding the perfect costume for yourself or for your children incredibly easy.

Pure Costumes

Looking for Halloween costumes for the whole family without having to break the bank? Then you should definitely give Pure Costumes a good look. They are currently offering free shipping on orders over $65, and you can receive $5 off an order of $50 or more by using the code FIVEOFF. Sign up for their newsletter, and you'll receive 15% off your first order.

Anytime Costumes

Any costume, any time is certainly true of Anytime Costumes, which houses lots of promotions and a gigantic variety of inventory. They've also got free exchanges and in-home delivery date guarantees. Get 15% off orders $50+ with code TREAT15!

Costume Craze

"Thousands of Costumes. Millions of smiles." The motto of Costume Craze certainly rings true, as they have a gigantic inventory of costumes, accessories, and props for everyone! Most costumes have costumer reviews for added information before you buy.

Official Costumes

As their name may imply, Official Costumes is one of the best places to look for authentic, officially licensed costumes for Halloween for both kids and adults. From Star Wars to Disney to DC Comics, your favorite brands and characters can almost certainly be found here.

Costume Discounters

You'll find everything you need at Costume Discounters, and they'll match any price you find for an identical costume on the web. Plus, Costume Discounters has many expedited delivery options, promotions, and sales and includes pet costumes in their already extensive line of inventory. Use coupon code 15CD50 to get 15% off $50 or more!

Costume Supercenter

Costume Supercenter offers free exchanges, free shipping, and lots of sales items ensure you're getting the best price for the costume or accessory of your choice. Browsing for the perfect getup? The site has over 20,000 to choose from and the prices are hard to beat. Get 15% off costumes priced $20 or more with code X15!

Wholesale Costume Club

Low, low prices make Wholesale Costume Club a steal. Membership at $5 a year yields even deeper discounts on already discounted merchandise with really low, fixed shipping rates.

Wholesale Halloween Costumes

Wholesale Halloween Costumes not only has a wide array of costumes, makeup, hats, masks and wigs, but it also has party supplies, props, and decorations to make any holiday experience complete.

Buy Costumes

Packed with exclusive buys, Buy Costumes has costumes for men, women, groups, teens, pets, and accessories for everyone…PLUS great deals on party supplies, favors, candy, and kits.

HalloweenCostumes.com

Not only does HalloweenCostumes.com offer an incredibly vast collection of costumes and accessories, they also ship to over 200 countries around the world, and they offer same-day shipping for most orders that are placed before 12PM CST on the weekdays.

Price Comparison

What's your favorite source for halloween costumes?

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This article is from Nick Wharton of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Ask the Readers: What Is Your Favorite DIY Halloween Costume?

Ashley Jacobs — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 15:00:07 +0000

Editor's Note: Congratulations to Beth, Susan, and Candace for winning this week's contest!

Costume retailers are out in full force now, but with so many DIY costume tutorials on the web, you can save some cash by making your own. From bubble wrap jellyfish to balloon grapes, your next Halloween get-up is only a click (and maybe some duct tape) away!

What is your favorite DIY Halloween costume? Have you worn this costume before, or made it for someone else? Will you dress up this Halloween — if yes, what will you be?

Tell us about your favorite DIY Halloween costume and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Win 1 of 3 $20 Amazon Gift Cards

We're doing three giveaways — here's how you can win!

Mandatory Entry:

Post your answer in the comments below. One commenter will be randomly selected to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

For Extra Entries:

You can tweet about our giveaway for an extra entry. Also, our Facebook fans can get an extra entry too! Use our Rafflecopter widget for your chance to win one of the other two Amazon Gift Cards:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you're inspired to write a whole blog post OR you have a photo on flickr to share, please link to it in the comments or tweet it.

Giveaway Rules:

Contest ends Monday, October 27th at 11:59 p.m. Pacific. Winners will be announced after October 27th on the original post. Winners will also be contacted via email.
You can enter all three drawings — once by leaving a comment, once by liking our Facebook update, and once by tweeting.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered, or associated with Facebook.
You must be 18 and US resident to enter. Void where prohibited.

Good Luck!

Tell us about your favorite DIY Halloween costume and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

This article is from Ashley Jacobs of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Best Money Tips: Cheap and Easy Halloween Costumes

Ashley Jacobs — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 10:00:04 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some stellar articles on cheap and easy Halloween costumes, cutting Christmas costs, and lessons learned from investing.

10 Halloween Costumes Not To Wear To The Office

Margie Fishman — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 19:10:53 +0000

Link:

http://www.openforum.com/articles/10-halloween-costumes-not-to-wear-to-the-offic...

It’s Halloween again. Time to channel your inner goddess (or demon). And with Halloween falling on a Monday this year, what better way to broadcast your mad skills at applying cakey makeup and repurposing bell bottoms than to dress up at the office.

Slow down there, Pocahontas. Not every costume is workplace appropriate. In 2008, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority fired a supervisor for not reprimanding an employee who wore a noose to the office as part of a Halloween costume.

One in three adults dress up for Halloween, according to a 2010 survey by the National Retail Federation. Witches, vampires, pirates and nurses are among the most popular alter egos, while wenches/tarts/vixens round out the top five.

Office Halloween parties can build morale and teamwork, serving as a platform to showcase employee creativity. Or they can spawn hurt feelings, uncomfortable silences and alienation over an office mate’s misguided sense of humor.

Here are 10 costumes you should definitely keep away from the office.

Sexy ___ (Fill in the Blank)

Sexual harassment doesn’t take a holiday. Pimps and sexy nurses are best left to frat party domain. Superman doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Cover up.

Playing the Opposite Sex Card

While we’re on the subject, this is not the time or place to experiment with gender roles or make exaggerated references to body parts. Note: The Burger King mask is creepy even for men.

Playing the Race Card

Do we really need to go here? Just don’t.

Playing the Baby Card

Diapers don’t look good on anyone over three feet tall. Remember Rob Schneider in Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo? That scene will scar you for life.

Political Maneuvering

Don’t dress up as a politician, political party mascot, or hot-button political issue unless you want to become embroiled in spontaneous debates with at least half of your co-workers on the way to the bathroom.

Religious

Bill Maher had it right. Only poke fun at religion from the comfortable distance of a comic documentary.

Ripped from the Headlines

Ten slasher films were named after Halloween, but fake blood and copy paper don’t mix. Impersonating Casey Anthony or a terrorist is in bad taste and could be mistaken for a viable threat. (Special exception granted to investment bankers who want to poke fun at Bernie Madoff.)

Hipster Irony (i.e., Too Lazy to Assemble a Costume)

Sure, you could wear a white t-shirt and proclaim that you’re God (see Religious), morph into the old standby depressed Red Sox fan, or be that guy without the costume (trust us, that stopped being funny circa 1985), but your lackluster efforts will only earn you a party pooper distinction.

Pink Slip

You might wind up with one if you dress like this.

Your Boss

Imitation is the highest form of flattery unless it’s your paunchy, plodding boss who is blessed with Bill Gates’ fashion sense. Greasing up to resemble that pointy-haired boss in Dilbert won’t win you any points, either.

This article is from Margie Fishman of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

85 Easy, Frugal Halloween Costume Ideas

Linsey Knerl — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 13:00:12 +0000

I'm not crafty, but I know a good costume idea when I see one. That's why I was overwhelmed with the number of high-quality, affordable DIY costume ideas for adults, kids, and even pets available online and in some of my favorite magazines. Check out these links to some excellent tutorials. Most costumes can be made in a few hours or less — and are done with even the most limited budget! (See also: Last-Minute DIY Halloween Costumes)

All You Magazine's 7 Easy Halloween Costumes for Kids — This roundup includes directions for a robot, butterfly, a bunch of grapes, flower girl, baby bat, and lizard.

Family Fun Magazine's 13 Last-Minute Costume Ideas — These can easily be adapted for adults, and they are perfect for the parent who forgot to plan ahead and couldn't buy or make a costume in time for the big holiday! Ideas include Spa Princess and Miss Universe (as well as some "pun-based" ideas that may or may not be as popular).

Woman's Day 15 Print-and-Color Masks — If the weather is chilly, and your costume will be covered by a parka and gloves, anyway, you may want to consider a mask! These printables are easy to color, cut, and wear (and make a super activity for kids to participate in long after the holiday is over).

Like this? How about WD's 7 Super Easy One-Hour Costume Ideas? These include some pretty creative costumes, including my favorite — the mad scientist!

Real Simple's 8 Last-Minute Halloween Costumes — I'm not sure I like the outdated Broccoli Spears idea, but the rest on this list are cute and clever. If you have just a few minutes to throw something together, this is the list for you! (Includes highway, bubble bath, the impressive jellyfish!)

Ready Made's 13 Eleventh Hour Halloween Getups — These tongue-in-cheek costumes are probably best for the ambitious adult, but all of them take little time to create. Choose from Bubble Wrap Man, Cereal Killer, Freudian Slip, and more.

Woman's Day 3 Darling DIY Dog Costumes — These work well for anyone who has a dog too large to squeeze into a infant costume (which can be used for some breeds of dogs). Adapt them for cats, too! (We like the little Frenchman the best.)

Lifehacker's 14 Homemade Halloween Reader Gallery Costumes — There aren't instructions for these super-creative, reader-submitted ideas...but I think you get the picture.

Working Mother's 5 Go-to Halloween Getups — These adorable ideas for younger kids, like ladybug and cowboy, use things you probably have lying around the house (like pantyhose and winter gloves). There are even shortcuts for those of us less motivated moms!

Don't forget Wise Bread! We've got our fair share of tips for simple and creative costumes, too! You can check out our homemade costumes, cheap online shopping sources, cheap and easy kids costumes, and why spending more may be better.

This article is from Linsey Knerl of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

5 Places to Save on Halloween Costumes Online

Carrie Kirby — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 13:00:05 +0000

Halloween is one of those times that brings out the foolish spender inside so many of us. We can plan ahead and spend too much by picking the hottest costumes of the year from catalogs, or we can wait til the last minute and spend too much at those outrageously overpriced Halloween superstores. Instead, why not just take the easy route to really cute costumes by shopping for costume bargains online?

One note: All these ideas are a lot easier if you don't set your heart on a specific costume before you start shopping. For kids, if you do a little pre-shopping before having that "what do you want to be" discussion with the kids, you can guide them toward a costume that you already know is a good value on one of these sites. Nefarious parent! (Hey, maybe that's what I'll dress up as. No costume required.)

thredUP, the kids' clothing swap site, is doing special Halloween swaps. For $5 plus the cost of shipping, you can choose a box with a gently used costume. In return, you agree to list a box of clothes for swap and mail it (postage free) when selected by another user. Listed on the site right now are a cow, a lion, a unicorn, and other costumes. (Not only will this save you money, it's also an environmentally-friendly way to get rid of last year's costumes.)
For your high-end costumes, Zulily has multiple Halloween events running through Sept. 30: Le Top costumes and adorable outfits, Rubie's costumes, WishingWear costumes.
Freecycle! Again with the Earth-friendly! If you watch Freecycle listings for the next few weeks you will doubtless see costumes listed, or you can just ask your local Freecycle group for the exact costume you want.
Ebay's Halloween store is currently offering free shipping on "everything Halloween." Not only can you get great deals on used costumes, but it's also a good place to locate new items that finish off the DIY costume, like a pair of ruby slippers for Dorothy.
OldNavy.com. How could you not love this little bumblebee for only $15? Shipping is a flat $7, and if you spend $75 or more, you'll get 20% off your purchase, through 9/30. Maybe you can lump in some clearance-priced back-to-school clothes to get your total up to $75 — if you need them, of course.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

This article is from Carrie Kirby of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Cheap and Easy Halloween Costumes for Kids

Julie Rains — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:00:03 +0000

I love Halloween but hate paying high prices for kids' costumes. Over the years, I have managed to create a few costumes cheaply without tapping into my extremely sparse (nonexistent?) sewing and craft skills. Here are some costume ideas (suitable for kids of various ages) that could save you money with minimal effort.

A Halloween make-up kit is all you may need to buy, depending on what types of clothing and props you may already have at home. For inexpensive accessories, visit your local dollar store or thrift shop.

Football Player

cover photo by pnoeric

Put black make-up under the eyes to simulate eye black
Wear football jersey (add white football pants or solid-colored sweatpants that match jersey)
Carry a prop such as a football or helmet

Knight

photo by ThrasherDave

Wear solid-colored clothing; add a tunic with crest if you have one
Carry shield, helmet, and toy sword (we have these around the house but if you don't, check out the dollar store)

Ghost

photo by goldberg

Cut white sheets to proper length for your child
Decorate with cute or scary faces (shown here: angry and sad) or cut out a section in the middle for the head so that the sheet fits like a poncho

Pirate

photo by Mykl Rovertine

Dress in stripes with contrasting solid colors (here: striped skirt with white shirt and black tights and black shoes; or go with a striped shirt with black pants)
Add accessories such as an eyepatch, pirate's hat, and/or toy sword

50's Character

photo by divemasterking2000

50's Man:

Slick back hair with hair gel, mousse, or Pomade
Wear white t-shirt and jeans
Add leather jacket if you have one

50's Woman:

Wear full skirt with solid-colored blouse
Put on a polyester scarf
Wear short socks (or bobby socks) with sneakers

The Joker

photo by Beau B

Apply base of white make-up to face, surround outside of eyes with black, and make a smile with red make-up
Wear a cheap suit or sport jacket with pants and tie (try Goodwill to find an inexpensive suit)

Princess

Photo by charlotte.marillet

Dress in a cute outfit (I especially like the pink)
Place tiara on head and wand in hand

Hippie

photo by e m i photoart

Wear psychedelic clothing (try something multi-colored with a flowery or tie-dyed motif)
Put on layers of beads

More costume ideas:

Scarily Simple Halloween Costumes (kids)

Clever Homemade Costumes (grown-ups)

Costumes from things you already own (grown-ups)

Homemade Halloween makeup (very gross but I like the Joker idea)

Do you have simple, fast, and inexpensive costume ideas? Share them in the comments.

This article is from Julie Rains of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

The Best Halloween Costumes Are Homemade

Andrea Karim — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:26:44 +0000

For me, Halloween has always been a homemade holiday. We always made our own costumes, created our own tree-ghosts, carved our pumpkins with frighteningly dull knives from the kitchen, and put together our own haunted houses. In fact, I don't think I had ever set foot into a Halloween store/kiosk until a year ago, when I strolled in to find a cheap costume for an office party, only to find that my costume choices, as an adult female, were limited to Naughty Nurse, Dirty Kitten, Slutty Bunny, and a host of other sexualized forest creatures or blue-collar occupations or icons (there's actually a Statue of Liberty costume that includes garter belts). (See also: 28 Ways to Have Cheap Halloween Fun)

What a disappointment! As someone who enjoyed a childhood dressing as an Arab merchant, gypsy fortune-teller, flapper, super-hero, Alice in Wonderland (the non-slutty version), spider or Killer Bee, I was pretty certain that I could do better on Halloween than merely exposing a bunch of cleavage. Hey, that's what everyday life is for — I like my Halloween to be less boobalicious than that.

I settled on dressing as an undead thoracic surgeon (that's me in the above pic). I was working for a company that designed medical software, so it was topical. My office mates and I purchased some cheap pajama bottoms for scrubs, covered ourselves in 99-cent red lipstick and dark eyeshadow, and lurched around terrifying our coworkers. It was great.

It taught me that the trick to a fabulous costume is really all in the attitude and originality. If you FEEL scary (or cute, or crazy), people will be genuinely impressed with your spirit. Also, there is nothing more pleasing than getting compliments on something you put together yourself.

The simplest materials can net the biggest return, as in some of the examples below:

Yards of Material/Old White Sheet

The old white-sheet with holes cut in it trick still works pretty well, although a more diaphanous material than cotton sometimes works better. Togas are a simple costume, allowing you to go from Edith from Accounting to Julius Caesar (bloody holes in the costume), Sappho (be creative), or Socrates (white beard and hair, pensive expression).

Gwen Stefani recently attended a costume party dressed as a fried egg, in what I believe would be a fairly simple costume to create at home with some white and yellow felt and hot glue (her husband went as bacon, but there don't seem to be any good photos of this).

Mummy costumes are extremely easy to accomplish, given an old white sheet and a pair of scissors.

Cardboard

Cardboard boxes are probably the best thing ever invented by man — never has a more versatile shipping container been seen in the history of mankind. It can occupy your kids, thrill your kittens, and makes for a great basis for many a Halloween costume. You can be a truck, Lego block, or a popcorn box.

One of my favorite people in the world went as his own Facebook profile last year. This year, I'm planning on going as a tombstone — very few things are as easy as a sandwich board costume. I imagine that iPhone costumes will be ubiquitous this year; you could always go dressed as the G1 and challenge all the iPhone-costumed people to a fist fight.

Fake Greenery

Far from being limited to home decor, fake plants, silk flowers, and foliage can make for some adorable and fairly easy homemade costumes. Fake flowers can be expensive, but almost every craft store has a section for flowers that are "out of season."

My dogs are going to be dressed as pumpkins this year, but why not consider a Chia pet outfit for your pooch?

Loads and Loads of Puffy Materials

This smart lady came up with what I think is my favorite Halloween costume of all times: a bath scrubby. I'm particularly fond of the ease with which one could become cotton candy. Pumpkins are easy costumes to create, as are tea bags. I'm personally in love with the idea of going as a bag of jelly beans, except that I have a mortal fear of balloons popping, but I've considered using those cheap, swirly rubber balls and dressing as a bag of marbles.

Paper Mache

Paper mache takes a good deal of work, but if dressing your child as a California Roll isn't worth hours of your spare time, I don't know what is (although some of that is technically upholstery foam, I guess).

Miscellaneous Ideas

The year that I dressed as a surgeon with a taste for flesh, two co-workers down the hallway dressed up as the Blue Man Group — they wore blue sweats, blue swimcaps, and blue greasepaint (they won the office costume party). I've had great success as a bride before — old, tacky bridal gowns are easy to find at thrift stores, and there are plenty of variations of bride: the left-at-the-alter bride, the '80s bride, the bride who decapitated her groom and is carrying his head around...the possibilities are endless.

There are some some good ideas for humiliating your children before they are old enough to realize it, including my personal favorite, a baby Chippendale's dancer. And of course, there is nothing that duct tape can't do.

A plethora costume ideas (without pictures, but with instructions) can be found at LifeTips. Guide Spot has some really good ideas for easy homemade costumes. Coolest Homemade Costumes has some incredible reader-submitted ideas, as does Costume Works. I like the quick-n-easy punny costumes listed at Costume Idea Zone, too. Group costumes are always fun (Japanese tourists are a fun and easy one to mimic without having to purchase much of anything — knee socks with brown sandals, button down shirt, shorts, goofy hat, possible black wig, glasses, and your fingers raised in a permanent peace sign).

Please feel free to share your favorite costume ideas in the comments!

This article is from Andrea Karim of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Hairy, Scary, and Larry--5 Halloween costumes you can make from stuff you probably already own

Sarah Winfrey — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 22:29:02 +0000

It's that dreaded time of year again. No, not tax time. Nope, not time for New Year's resolutions, either. It's Halloween costume time. As in, the time of year where you wonder if you should just turn down the invitation to your friend's party because you have no idea what to wear or how much you'll have to spend for something you'll never use again. But never fear. You can accept the invitation with pleasure, because there are many easy, inexpensive, fun costumes out there.

1. Go as a bunch of grapes. Find some bright purple balloons, attach them to a cheap black or purple T-shirt, find some black or purple shorts, and you're ready to go.

Bonus #1: Find a little green beanie and you've got a stem.

Bonus #2: Use dark baloons and make yourself a blackberry, red ones to make yourself a raspberry.

2. Go as a person from another country...where they wear robes. Pick your country. Many places in Africa, India, and the Middle East could be included here. Use old (or even current, if you're careful) bedsheets and wrap them around you until it looks right. Pin any areas you don't want to fly open. Voila...your'e a farmer/peasant/refugee from somewhere else.

Bonus #1: If helping out refugees is your kind of thing, this can give you a chance to connect for your cause at the party.

Bonus #2: Add some beaded jewelry or some extravagant earrings to make yourself even more exotic.

3. Make up a superhero. All you really need is a cape to be convincing, and that's easy to make from an old bedsheet or just about any piece of material you have lying around. After that, you can go as low maintence ("Hi there, littile girl, I'm Regular Guy!") or as high maintenance as you want.

Bonus #1: Do something funky with your hair. That will stand out at the party, as most of the people will know you with it in a particular way, and will go far to create a persona for your character.

Bonus #2: Wear bright colors and/or tights. This will distract people from the fact that they've never heard of your hero before.

4. Be a serial killer or a psycho stalker. Wear your normal clothes (after all, these people are virtually indistinguishable from everyone else on the outside). Act slightly strange all night: stare at people, refuse to answer when they ask you what you are, laugh at things that aren't funny.

Bonus #1: Carry a box of breakfast cereal and tell people it's a clue to what you are. Offer a prize to whoever guesses correctly. Give the winner the box of cereal.

Bonus #2: Pick a person and follow them around for the duration of the party. Hide behind corners, furniture, potted plants when they look your way. Be obvious...be very obvious.

5. Go as a failed gymnast. Wear clothes that are identifiably sporty--sweats, track pants, yoga pants, etc.--and spend the night trying to touch your toes or other stretches. Turn somersaults and look like you expect applause. Limp. Lament loudly the loss of your career, the win that got away, how "if only" that 15-year old from China had eaten the day before, you would have your medal.

Bonus #1: If you have a swim cap and goggles, add them to the outfit and be a failed swimmer.

Bonus #2: Get someone to come as your coach. Dress them coachishly (sweats are great!) and give them a whistle. Have them come up to you repeatedly yelling coachish things. Ignore them unless they have food.

Clearly, a Halloween costume can be more about personality and less about what you wear. So think up a character, dress appropriately, then act your way through the night. More than anything, though, have a blast! And if any of these costumes win a prize, I want to know!!

This article is from Sarah Winfrey of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

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1. Attach business cards to trick-or-treaters' candy

2. Rent out your guest space to tourists

3. Sell old costumes online

4. Charge your friends for a sweet fix

5. Sit for parents of children or pets

6. Drive revelers around in your car

7. Host a haunted house

8. Set up a trick-or-treating yard sale

9. Offer your face painting or hair and makeup skills

10. Tailor costumes

11. Pick up a seasonal job as a haunted house actor

12. DJ a Halloween party

13. Make themed baked goods for last-minuters

14. Chaperone children for trick-or-treating

15. Sell water to thirsty parents

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