He said
Halloween has lost its lustre for me in the past few years. It's great as a kid, it's an excuse to party when you're a student, but when you have to get up and go to work the next day, it's just another night.
When it comes to costumes, is anybody ever too old to dress up? Costumes come in varying sizes, shapes and levels of imagination. The size and shape change as we get older, but the imagination can remain at the same level of wonder.
We wear costumes for different reasons as adults than we did as trick-or-treaters. For kids, dressing up is all about becoming a new person or at times a monster. As an adult, it's about looking wacky and heading to a club.
The costume I remember is a Ninja Turtle one that my mom made. I don't just remember the costume, but I also remember watching her slave away, sewing that whole thing together. That image is probably ingrained in my brain because she would never let me forget all the work that went into that thing as I nagged her to finish it quick so I could do some karate kicks.
I don't know how much that cost in materials, but it took hours and hours. A quick text from Mom reveals about 20.
"I did nothing in the week before Halloween except basic child care like meals and diapers," she said. "And sewed and sewed and sewed."
I think I stirred up some bad memories.
There appears to be no limit to cost when getting the costume for a six-year-old. When we start buying our own costumes, however, we immediately become more frugal.
Pulling off a Mario and Luigi duo with a buddy is a trip to the Sally Ann for some overalls and a red or green hat. A $20 limit now seems much too high.
What can be found in the closet and turned into something else? This is how, as we get older, our imagination is less about pretending to be a different person and more about imaginative ways to save money.
She said
Spending money is always a touchy subject. Some people have a lot of cash to drop on a costume, while others don't. So reading this, consider that I'm basing this on having money to spend on being Cat Woman for a night. And remember that there's no shame in creating, borrowing or bargain-shopping a costume. After all, it's one night of your life - probably not worth a couple hundred dollars for a couple of scraps of material held together with fishnets.
Anyway, for toddlers, I advocate spending as much as is necessary to create adorable babies. There is no price limit here. If your Cabbage Patch Doll costume needs a $500 investment, I support that. Babies need sweet costumes. This same rules applies to pets as well. Total cost: as much as it takes.
As a toddler or elementary school student, spend as little as possible. And buy it big, because this is Saskatchewan and you'll need to wear ski pants under your Sailor Moon skirt when you hunt for candy. I loved shopping for a Halloween costume at Walmart, which I'm sure was the bane of my mom's life. With three daughters demanding six costumes each, unable to make up their minds, I imagine Halloween costume shopping kind of sucked. So spend as little as possible and get out of the store. Total cost: $15.
High school kids: you're too old to trick or treat and too young to be risqué. Stay home and hand out candy with your parents. Total cost: $0, and you're saving your dignity.
Post-high school into adult years: this really comes down to what you can afford, what you can get away with spending before your dad notices and how high your credit card can go. Shopping locally can save you some cash, and so can borrowing a previously warm outfit from a friend, assuming it been washed. Based on my own experience, I know that costumes run you at least $50 before shipping and accessories. And realistically, there are better things you can be spending your money on Halloween night when you're out. Total cost: $100, optimistically.
