Not to panic you, but if you don't start planning your kids' Halloween costumes pretty soon, you know they are going to spend this Halloween as a hobo, like I did most years. My kids always seem to know exactly what they want to be for Halloween -- IN JUNE. But then they completely forget by the time I ask them again in September. And I know better than to wander the aisles of expensive seasonal costume stores with them, trying to explain to an 8-year-old what a "Sexy Trash Monster Costume" is.
After years of experience in costume building, conjuring, finagling, trading, repairing, and trussing, below is my shopping guide for kids Halloween costumes on a budget. Once you get the kids decked out, be sure to make good use of the costumes by pouring over our awesome Connecticut Guide to Halloween.