Halloween continues to grow like the blob – Americans are going to spend $5 billion on it this year, according to the National Retail Federation. (And, yes, I will contribute a big chunk of that in trade for bite-size Snickers bars and candy corn. Part of my platform is being pro-candy corn.) Pets are even getting in on the act.

My 5-year-old declared her intention to be a cheerleader last Halloween and nothing has changed. That’s a pretty easy costume. I feel for my friend, whose son wanted to be the Empire State Building. (Thank heaven for little girls.)

Not ready to fork over more of that $5 billion than you have to? Never fear. Some fine and resourceful souls have come up with great ideas to scare up some great Halloween savings:

The folks at Halloween Online Magazine recommend opening up a Halloween savings account — like a Christmas Club account, but for vampire teeth and fake cobwebs.

Savingadvice.com has an old post with some good info about saving money on Halloween candy. Some alternative ideas: Give away stickers, erasers, balloons (but not for little ones) or other fun tchotchkes. Go on the prowl at the dollar store and see what you can buy in bulk for a buck.

On the costume front, skip the $30-40 pre-packaged variety and make your own (Really…it’s possible and not that time-consuming. And I don’t sew a stitch.)

There are also some good tips in this Kiplinger’s article, which also includes a couple of good places to hunt for deals online.

Halloween doesn’t have to break the bank. Now, you only have to fear the awful shrieks from your child’s post-trick-or-treat sugar crash.

 Now, THAT’S scary.