Halloween is almost here, and you’re at a loss for a costume. Not to worry—here are three cheap and easy costumes that will be sure to make you the life—or at least the talk—of the party:

- Sarah Palin. A pair of glasses, a little red suit, some fab heels, and a prom-queen hair-do (we’re sure there are cheap wigs that will suit at Walmart and the like). Carry a pig stuffed animal and a tube of lipstick, or a hockey stick for good measure. If you want to be really creative, tell people you’re Tina Fey as Sarah Palin.

Total cost: Assuming you already have or can borrow the suit and heels (and don’t count out the thrift stores), $0-$25, depending on the price of oil

- The Dow Jones. Get one of those giant chart paper pads with graph paper, draw on some official looking-numbers and a big fat arrow heading downward, cut out a place for your head, and voila—you are the most relevant and potentially depressing character around. For the best effect, carry around some fake dollar bills you can toss at random, so that they flutter uselessly to the ground in your wake . . .

Total cost: $10, depending on the day’s closing loss

- Tabloid Queen. Throw on a short trench coat, big sunglasses (think Mary Kate Olsen), gather one or two tabloid newspapers, and pretend “like your trying hide, while secretly wanting to be noticed.” You can turn this into a couple costume by having your partner act as a member of the paparazzi, your publicist or—if you’re feeling anti-social—your bodyguard.

Total cost: $0.00-$10.00, depending on the size of your headline