I love Halloween. The idea of dressing up as someone or something else, loading up on free candy, and going all out on a night dedicated to the ghastly, ghoulish and, yes, fearful, fills up my little heart of darkness with candy corn-coated joy. It's THE official "holiday" for genre-lovers. But getting a getup together for October 31st can be quite the task, one most of us wait until the last minute to complete, if those around-the-block-lines at the Halloween Spirit stores are any evidence. And doing all Hallow's eve in our hollowed-out economic state means most of us are tightening our studded purse strings when it comes to a costume budget.

To aid in your quest for the scariest-but-still-recession-friendly guise this year, here are some of my ideas. Prices are rough estimates; fear factor scored on a scale of 1 to 5, "5" being the scariest.

JON GOSSELIN – Nail this former Jon & Kate Plus 8 star's "frat-boy-out-on-the-town" meets "middle-aged crisis"-chic look by hitting up a local discount clothier (Marshall's, ROSS, Target) overflowing with tight men's tees covered in tattoo art and/or rhinestones. Invest in an economy-size tub of L.A. Looks hair gel to nail those slicked back, sleazy hair plugs, I mean, hair ‘do. Bonus points if you can nab a waifish sorority girl to hang onto your arm throughout the night, whom you can introduce to others as the "love of your life right now." Angry outbursts about that reverse-mulleted witch known as the mother of your children a plus.
FEAR FACTOR: 4. Few things are scarier than a middle-aged man squeezed into the threads of a 22-year-old Hollywood club promoter.
TOTAL COST:  $75 - $45 for the shirt and hair gel; $30 for the cab ride you'll have to pay for to get your date home when she tells you her actual age. Probably still cheaper than trying to replicate Kate Gosselin's hairstyle.

BELLA FROM TWILIGHT – Dig up your early-90's wardrobe and grab a Forks, Washington-worthy flannel. Pair this with jeans and Chuck Taylor Converse sneakers or Ugg boots. Bulky brown jackets made for camping/escaping vengeful vampires and long sleeve thermals also work. Do not wash your hair for a few days to get Bella's moody, messy hair (also score-able by running massive amounts of pomade through your tresses and parting them unevenly to one side).  Refuse prunes and anything with fiber in it the week leading up to Halloween to achieve proper expression of constipated sexual angst. Cross and uncross arms throughout the night. Talk vaguely about your boyfriend; look like you're on the verge of tears or a total breakdown when you do.
FEAR FACTOR: 4.5. Ask any guy: Girls are scary when they look like they're going to cry.
TOTAL COST: $20 for pomade (optional). Repelling fellow party-goers because you look like you'll explode into a lovelorn mess of teen hormones? Priceless.

ANY MEMBER OF THE NEW MOON QUILUTE TRIBE – A relatively easy costume, especially if you're a dude with chiseled abs. Find dark pair of jeans but forego the underoos: the key to this getup is letting those pubic bones jut through, but be sure to manscape before you do. Lose the shirt and instead, coat chest with a generous amount of baby oil. Add in a little guyliner around the eyes for "edge" factor. [Ed. - Won't people think you're just dressed up as an American Apparel employee?]

If you're lacking in the six-pack department, have your girlfriend shade in some abdominals with a little bronzer. Make consistent effort to avoid direct moonlight and talk mysteriously about your Native American roots. Express disdain for pasty guys with glittering skin; repeatedly remind fellow revelers that you are not available for Bachelorette parties. Bonus authenticity points if you look vaguely ethnic.
FEAR FACTOR: 3. That cheesy temporary tribal tattoo slapped on your shoulder downgrades your intimidation factor.
TOTAL COST: $5 – temporary tattoo and cheap black eyeliner from the drugstore.

ANY J-HORROR GHOST/VILLAIN – The authenticity prerequisite for this one is that you have to be a petite Asian girl. Throw on a white nightgown (check out a thrift store) and a long black wig that can obscure your face. Paste it up with some ghost-worthy white powder and douse yourself with water throughout the evening so that you're uncomfortably dripping wet. Talk about vengeance. A lot. Oh, and children.
FEAR FACTOR: 3.5. Scary, yes, but like most things Japanese, also weirdly cute. Your dripping wetness will probably annoy everyone around you after awhile. Keep a towel handy.
TOTAL COST: $30 – $20 for the black wig, $5 for the thrift store nightgown, $5 for white makeup. But those antibiotics for the pneumonia you'll unavoidably get for walking around soaked all night will cost you.

And if all else fails, white bed sheet + scissors = old school ghost costume.

So what are YOUR freaky, budget-friendly getups this Halloween?