There are still inexpensive ways you can put on and enjoy some haunted Halloween fun! Decorations and costume expenses can add up quickly, but here are some candy-pinching ideas while still getting a taste of that dark chocolate for some spook-tacular fun.

Stay local while shopping for decorations, accessories, and costumes. Check out stores such as Fun Services Arizona, Phase II, or Easley’s Costumes and Fun Shop. You may even consider digging through Grandma’s closet for some truly hidden treasures! 

Putting together a unique Halloween costume can be easier than you think. Do some hunting at consignment stores such as Buffalo Exchange or Plato’s Closet. Usually during October, they invite their customers to bring in their old costume(s) and accessories to use toward the purchase of a new one for this year! 

Need costume ideas? Late celebrities, news anchors, movies, music, and TV spark some very popular trends for this year. Spirit Halloween, the seasonal Halloween retail chain, has predicted the following will be best sellers this year:

• Michael Jackson
• Jon and Kate Gosselin
• Sarah Palin
• Bernie Madoff
• Robert Pattinson (from Twilight)
• G.I. Joe
• Pop stars including Britney Spears & Rihanna
• Transformers
• High School Musical 3
• Star Wars and Star Trek

Do you know of any other stores or websites for your one-stop Halloween needs?  Feel free to leave a comment and let us know! 

Stephanie Nishioka is the Marketing Coordinator for Arizona Central Credit Union, where she has worked since March 2008. She is an Arizona native and currently resides in Surprise with her fiancé and Shiba Inu.