But in an economy like this one, can you really afford the $40 or $50 it takes to outfit each kid, and yourself?

Never mind the cost - it's become cool and political correct to be thrifty (think: repurposing). And thrifty doesn't have to mean cheap. It now means green.

What's more, detach yourself from the easily commercial and exercise your imagination. Here are some tricks on how to stay local, under budget, mostly funny, and still reap the treats of the season:

1. Network with neighbors. Find out what treasures are lying around in their coffers and dress-up boxes. If your kids insist on being action figures or princesses, last year's Spider-Man or Tinkerbell model is just as good as, and no different from, a new store-bought version running over $20.

For adults, the borrowing of bridesmaid dresses is always a winner - and good for cross-dressing - and if your neighbor's closet is anything like mine, you'll have a whole rainbow of discards from which to choose. Accessorize as you like.

2. The infinite possibility of the cardboard box. The ubiquitous cardboard box makes an excellent Rubik's cube or a refrigerator (you can cut out a door and line your belly with rows of gross-looking foodstuff).

If you have two kids who want to hang out together, two boxes make a pair of dice. This is also an excellent couple's costume. For fuzzy dice, cover with old shag carpeting.

3. The easily gruesome. Easy to achieve is the post-catastrophe crash-test dummy (plump yourself with clothes or pillows and wrap yourself all the way around in bandages, then liberally apply red food coloring, paint or ketchup). A variation on this is the mummy, which involves less padding and a little bit of bandage-unraveling.

The squashed bug is great for laughs: Don a pair of black tights and a black long-sleeved T-shirt. Duct tape now comes in nearly every color in the rainbow, so accessorize with stripes of any kind. Antennae and wings are easy to make out of lightweight wire, and they look great when slightly crushed. Liberally apply green goo (you can make your own using a simple gack recipe), find your old fly swatter (or make a giant one) and affix it to your face or head. Kids love this one.

4. Hook, legally (not for children). Gather your courage and ask friends for their raciest lingerie and their Shauna Sand lucite pumps. Not only is this an opportunity to giggle over shared secrets (lingerie does bring people closer!), it's also a chance to avoid wearing your own and risk sharing with strangers a little bit too much about your sex life. If it freaks you out to go bare (and it will likely be chilly at night), wear a black or flesh-colored bodysuit underneath and go to town. Ain't nothing wrong with pretending to be a hooker once a year - and it's perfectly legal.

5. Risk moderate cruelty. This is one of my favorite - and probably disrespectful - costumes for grown men. I would avoid suggesting this to adolescent boys, because, in their hands, this could lead to fisticuffs. Borrow the baggiest housedress you can find, cover with ratty robe, find some surgical compression socks and don enormous slippers. Use bobby pins to hold enormous colored curlers in your hair and cover, if desired, with plastic shower cap or netting. When someone asks you who in the world you are, your answer should be, with the widest smile you can muster: "Your mom." Prepare yourself for the consequences.

6. Go conceptual. If you run with a heady crowd who'll get this joke, it's a hit. Women should tie their hair back as conservatively as possible. A fitted business suit with high collar is best, along with sensible shoes. Make sure the suit has pockets. Accessorize with round spectacles and a severe and judgmental expression. Men can don a grey beard and mustache, the former of which they should stroke thoughtfully and often. A gold pocket watch is helpful as well. Retain an air of mystery, and do not speak. When approached, take out from your pocket not the watch but little slips of paper on which you have written, "I wouldn't do that if I were you," "I can't believe you think that," "That's a tad naughty, don't you think?" and other critical comments. Then, when asked who you are, reply as severely as possible: "Your superego."

7. Oldies but goodies. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the old stand-bys, especially for younger kids. If you're 5, you're hopefully not too jaded yet, and being a pirate is still exciting. Plus, one of the greatest accessories is the fantastic pirate joke (visit www.cleanjokes.com). And fear not the ghost option. The only thing to worry about with youngsters is the tripping factor: Watch the length of the sheet and cut out big enough eyeholes. If the kids carp, invite them to be creative. After all, you can be the ghost of just about anything: ghost bride, ghost horse, ghost bunny, you name it. And if they really rebel, try this: Dress them in black and affix empty cereal boxes to their clothing. There's nothing cooler to a carping kid than being a "cereal killer."