Buy or rent costumes from a vintage shop or thrift store, instead of springing for a new Halloween costume—especially a plastic one. Save up to $25 per year or more. Conserve the resources, energy, water and chemicals that would have been used to make and transport a new costume.

Shift-It Tip: You don’t have to spend any money at all to outfit the family for Halloween each year. Offer to host a family or neighborhood costume swap: Arrange all the hand-me-downs as though they were in a store, and let the kids go “shopping.” You can also throw a party and require everyone to make their costumes from stuff they were planning to throw away. Offer a prize for the most creative one.