Halloween Costume Craze

Halloween is right around the corner, and the pressure of finding the perfect costume is on. For boys it's usually easy -- something satirical or even offensive. But for girls, usually there's a need to feel sexy -- to draw everyone's eye.

It seems a little silly, but this pressure hits me hard every year. So what will it be? A pirate? A superhero? A firefighter? Who knows. One thing I know is that it has to be something special, and something that no one else will have on, which is virtually impossible.

It doesn't help that I'm pretty picky either. I always want a costume that stands out in the crowd, but doesn't keep people guessing. I hate when people have to ask, "What are you?" And I want to look cute, not slutty. I usually turn to Halloween Express, Target and many other reliable stores and sites during my costume-shopping stress, but this year it looks like I probably won't be going past my own closet and Google.

So, despite all this pressure to be different during this crazy holiday, I'll probably break down and wear something unoriginal. Costumes are just too expensive these days. A friend of mine once said that there should be Halloween costume consignment shops. I personally think this is a great idea. Although most seasonal Halloween shops allow you to rent costumes, with consignment shops, there's the possibility of getting some money back.

Does anybody have any cute, cheap costume ideas? I'd love to hear them!