Ways to save on that Halloween costume

A lot of people looking to save money are going to make their kid's costumes this Halloween.

The site www.HowStuffWorks.com says twice as many people are searching for do-it-yourself costumes compared to last year at this time. The most popular searches?

1. Owl
2. Horse
3. Ghost
4. Pig
5. Zombie
6. Donkey
7. Elephant
8. Vampire
9. Turkey
10. Pilgrim

Cleo Manuel, a 40-something mom, runs the site www.ConsumerMom.org. She suggests having a costume swapping party with friends. Everyone brings their kid's dress-up boxes filled with stuff they're willing to share.

"My daughter announced she wants to be a hippie and I'm thinking there's no way I have hippy stuff," Manuel says. "But I did and I'm sure that if I invite some of my friends over, they can find some hippie stuff and I won't have to spend a dime."

The Consumer Mom says you still have time to snag a free costume online at www.freecycle.org. And there's always the local thrift store and consignment shop.

"I went to one and there was a great Superman costume. Tthe woman said it was never worn. Ya know, it's selling for like $7. You couldn't buy something new for that amount.

"Ya know, don't stress about this stuff, Manuel says. "Just have fun with it."