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The Good Life For Less: Cheapo Last-Minute Costumes

The world is your Halloween costume.

Look around and you'll find inspiration for a creative (and cheap) outfit:  a garbage bag,  some leaves and a rake -- you're 'yard work.'

Grab a large box with some wrapping paper (to look like a present), a big bow and tag that says "To: Women, From: God" -- you're 'God's gift to women.'

Or my favorite (that my dad used a long time ago): a black shirt with the letter P on it, then blacken your eye with make-up and you are a 'Black-eyed Pea."

I've put together a slideshow of some more ideas here.

If those don't tickle your fancy, here are a few more tips:

Costume Swap

Scour your house and have your friends look through their house, too. Lots of people have retro clothes or a Halloween bin with a few wigs and old costumes. You can save some money if you ask around before you head to a store. (Hint: Grandparents and parents are a treasure trove for unique clothes too.)

Shop Cheap

Accessories are best to grab at the dollar store because, well ... they are only a dollar. For the whole look (clothes, shoes, etc.) try a thrift stores around Halloween. I have and sometimes you can get lucky and find a good price on items, but other times they use it as an opportunity to raise the prices on vintage clothes because they know they're in more demand during Halloween. Just shop around.

Look Through Your Garbage

Yes, it sounds gross, but we're not talking about cat litter and old food. I'm talking about the big boxes, plastic tubs, (rinsed) milk cartons, and other things you can cut and fashion into parts of a costume.

Steal It From The Headlines

If you need more inspiration, you're on the right website. News headlines and pop culture provide all sorts of fun for Halloween. Remember all the Sarah Palins and Snookies a few years ago?

Know of any other deals, share them with other 'Good Lifers' in the comment section. You can also read more money-saving blog posts here and text WCCODEALS to 84816 for a 'deals of the week' reminder.

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