It’s that time of year again – the leaves are falling, the air is cooling off, and soon, little ghosts and goblins will be roaming the streets on Halloween night. It’s always exciting for kids and adults alike to come up with a new costume every Halloween, but face it — costumes can be expensive! You could easily drop $50 or more on a store-bought costume! Did you know that DIY Halloween costume alternatives won’t cost nearly as much, and can be fun to make with your kids?

Inexpensive DIY Halloween Costumes

The easiest way to avoiding paying too much for a store-bought costume is to craft your own. An inexpensive DIY Halloween costume doesn’t have to be complicated and time-consuming. A good way to prime the creative juices is to browse store-bought costumes then find a way to recreate the idea at home. Here are some tips to get you started:

• Mix and match your clothes, your family’s old clothes, or cheap Goodwill clothes. Be creative and use stuff that you already have around the house.
• Recycle costumes you’ve used in the past. If you had a cool costume a few years ago, pull it out of retirement! If you’re going to more than one party, wear the same costume to each party instead of getting multiple costumes – or again, wear one of your old costumes to each party.
• Instead of splurging on a costume, go simple with your clothes and spend a little bit on some face paint. You can transform yourself easily with some paint!
• Got a plaid shirt? A plaid shirt, some painted on stubble and a roll of Brawny paper towels can instantly transform you into the Brawny man!
• Dress in red and cover yourself with cut-out black dots…Voila, you’re a ladybug!
• A Hawaiian shirt, some sandals with socks, a fanny pack and you’ve instantly got a “tacky tourist” costume.
• A simple scarecrow costume is always easy to throw together with some jeans, a flannel shirt, a hat and a little bit of face paint.
• Hold a costume swap party. Make a few tasty Halloween treats and invite your friends to bring any old costumes or accessories they’d like to get rid of. This would also work great for kids’ costumes since they usually outgrow them after one use. Organize a swap in your neighborhood or with your child’s classmates.
• Consider themed pajamas for kids. You could find a Superman pajama set, add a cape and your kid is good to go. You’ll get your money’s worth since your child will be re-wearing the costume as pajamas.
• Go with simple face paint. If your child wants to be a cat, dress her in all black, make a tail and a cat headband, and paint her face. Chances are you’ll have almost everything you need at home already.

If you really love a good store-bought costume, plan ahead for next year. Halloween merchandise usually goes on sale for 50% off the day after Halloween. If you wait a few more weeks, you can get as much as 75-90% off, and you’re set for next year!

Kids (and adults alike!) look forward to Halloween all month long. With a little creativity, you can easily win the costume contest without spending a dime. And you’ll surely remember that costume longer than that cheap-but-expensive plastic mask and cape.

What are your favorite DIY Costumes? Share your ideas with us in the comments!

The CESI Team is committed to helping you reach your financial goals. If debt keeps you from living the life you dream of, contact us for a free debt analysis today and get started on the road to a brighter future!

This article was syndicated and originally appeared on the CESI Debt Solutions website.