Running low on funds? Don’t want to use a boring store-bought costume? No worries, there’s a simple solution: this Halloween, make your own costume! DIY (do it yourself) costumes sometimes get a bad rap. They’re too last minute, not as put-together as ones you could purchase in a store or online, etc. But before you go to Party City this year, consider these reasons why getting creative is the right move for your Halloween looks.

1. Store-bought costumes are almost always overpriced. Why spend almost $100 on a Little Mermaid costume when you could just as easily wear a green skirt, purple top, and a couple fake sea shells? People will still get your costume, but this way you can afford to buy candy instead.

2. It’s fun to make costumes with friends. Whether you’re going to a party or passing out candy to trick-or-treaters, you might as well make a night out of it! Get a group of friends together and brainstorm some fun ideas, or troll Pinterest and find some of the wackiest costumes out there. Either way, you’ll have a fun time in the process, especially if you choose to tackle some intricate costumes.

3. Or, put in minimal work and money. Part of the charm of DIY costumes is that it’s however much effort you want to put in. Just want to wear regular clothes? Put on some jeans and a red bandana and you’ll instantly become Rosie the Riveter. Or, stick smarties on those same jeans “” you’ll be the “˜smartie pants’ everyone is jealous of.

4. You’re rarely an outfit repeater when you make your own. You’ll see plenty of sexy cops, sexy witches, sexy nurses, etc., but if you wear all blue and put a shoe on your head you will most likely be the only “˜gum under a shoe’ at the party. But, on the off chance you do, it’s always a blast to compare costumes; if you run into another cat burglar this Halloween, you can see who did it better.

5. You can get creative! This is by far the most compelling reason to make your own costume. Store bought outfits are all the same “” they’ve either been ridiculously overdone, like cops, or they’re just characters from TV shows or movies. And both are likely to be objectifying; some nights, you really don’t want to have to put in the effort to be sexy Rick Grimes or a sexy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. So before you commit to spending way too much money, think about making a costume that is original and going to save you money.