Hobby Lobby also has inexpensive accessories such as hats for pirates, cowboys and witches, she said.

People also can save money by doing creative things with face paint and adult makeup, especially makeup that has been out of fashion.

Halloween haunting, decorating and treating can get expensive. The National Retail Federation’s Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIG research, said the average person plans to spend $66.54 on the holiday, up from $64.82 one year ago. Of that, they likely will spend $24.17 on Halloween costumes for adults, children, even pets; $18.25 for decorations; $20.39 for candy and $3.73 for greeting cards. Total Halloween spending for 2008 is estimated to reach $5.77 billion.

People also can save on decorating by using at-hand items, Stanley said.

“You can make a scarecrow with old jeans and an old shirt,” she said. “Make the head out of a paper sack and stuff it with leaves.”

Rachel Lockwood, Wagoner County Family and Consumer Science Extension educator said people can make all sorts of things with black trash bags, “from bats to goblins.”

People not into Halloween can decorate for fall with items from nature, she said. “They can collect leaves, acorns or nuts.”

That saves money in another way because people can keep such decorations up after October, she said.

We want your ideas

Do you collect coupons? Do you buy store brands or insist on name brands? If you have money saving ideas, contact Cathy Spaulding at 684-2928.

Spooky savings

• Use clothes or items you already have, such as animal print pajamas or old hand-me-downs.

• Buy costumes that can be used for other purposes, such as a princess dress for a party dress.