I grew up with the rule that you couldn’t start planning your Halloween costume until Oct. 1. It was the way my mom kept us from talking her ear off in September about the plans we had for the end of October.

A little plasticky for my taste, but sure, why not? (Photo courtesy Amazon.com)

The rule hasn’t entirely stuck since I left home — I started thinking about it in the middle of September this year — but the execution of said costume planning didn’t get rolling until this weekend.

Prepped to pay between $20 and $30, I marched into the Halloween story at Columbia Mall. My eyeballs promptly fell out onto the floor, bounced down the aisle and landed in a display of fake eyeballs for purchase* when I  saw how much a simple Batgirl costume would cost me. $60? No thanks. I may want to dress like Bruce Wayne’s female partner, but that doesn’t mean I have his financial assets.

*Note: this is hyperbole. I don’t know if eyeballs bounce or not.

So it was back to the drawing board, and this time I decided I would do it on my own. No taking my money, costume manufacturers! Well, maybe some of it, but far less than $60.

If you’re with me on this, here are some ideas to get you going:

A cigarette and milkshake would help, too. (Photo courtesy Miramax)

Mia Wallace

Quentin Tarantino fans will get this one. As a movie buff, it seems right to be the Pulp Fiction leading lady.
Already have: Black capri slacks, white button-down dress shirt, bare feet
Need: Black bobbed wig ($5 at Walmart)
To complete the look, dance the twist to “You Never Can Tell” by Chuck Berry.

The Big Bang Theory character

Guys get short-changed in this Halloween costume planning process. For them (and heck, any girl who wants to flaunt her nerdiness), try being one of the fantastic four from the hit CBS show.
Already have: kahki or, if going as Howard Walowitz, obscenely bright pants; superhero or some other graphic tee
Need: a PhD (unless you’re going as Howard — that just requires a masters degree)

Hermione Granger

Call Harry Potter old news, but it will NEVER BE OLD NEWS. EVER. Pulling together a second-half-of-the-film-franchise costume for Hermione is easy.
Already have: hoodie, denim jacket, jeans
Need: Wand (buy it or just find a nice stick), ratted-out hair, dirty cheeks

Zooey Deschanel

Call it “Summer from 500 Days of Summer” or “Jess from New Girl,” but in the end it’s just a Zooey Deschanel costume.
Already have: Summery vintage dress, cardigan, red lipstick, big doughy eyes
Need: Hipster glasses, awkwardness

Blast from the past, eh? (Photo courtesy of Amazon.com)

Captain Underpants

Remember the days of Captain Underpants books? The undies-clad crusader can make a comeback at any Halloween party, and for cheap:

Already have: Leggings, tan t-shirt, plunger
Need: One pair of clean tighty-whities (excuse any misspellings — there’s no dictionary entry for “tighty-whities”), red cape

Do you have any bright ideas for costumes on the cheap? Be sure to share them here, and supply pictures!