There is something more terrifying about Halloween than all the ghosts, ghouls, and goblins of the world running amuck for one frightful night – the price tag of doing so. Every year, Americans spend an average of $4.75 billion on Halloween costumes and decorations, with each participating person spending around $56.31. Also, costume manufacturers rely on huge profit margins during the holiday season. So, the costumes you buy probably won’t survive the holiday, and they will probably be over-priced.

While parents might feel just fine “throwing something together” for their office party, children can be very sensitive about homemade costumes. They want to be their favorite movie character and impress, or at least blend in, with their friends.

So, we’re not suggesting gluing a cotton ball to your child’s rear end, calling her a bunny and sending her on her merry way. But there are many ways that you can add a little green to your holidays this year.

Compromise With Your Children or Yourself

There’s something about the psychology of wearing a store bought costume and, as much as your frugally focused mind might not want to admit it, you have to compromise with your children to get them on board. But this doesn’t mean that you have to go out and buy an expensive full costume. Especially with movie Halloween costumes, there’s usually one defining piece of the costume that makes the whole thing come together. So, you might consider buying the one defining piece at the store and frugally handling the rest. For example:

• Leonidas from 300 – The Spartan Helmet
• Jason from Friday the 13th – The Hockey Mask
• Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean – The Pirate Hat

Always think of ways to cover both ends of the problem with Halloween costumes. While you might want to save money on your Halloween costumes, there’s nothing wrong with purchasing a single item for your child to help preserve their self esteem.

Holiday Costumes Entirely From Scratch

There are also movie costumes that can be made entirely from scratch with a bit of ingenuity, like:

• Indiana Jones from Raiders of the Lost Ark
• Harry Potter from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz
• Woody from Toy Story 2

For portions of a costume (or entire costumes) that you would like to treat frugally, use the following techniques to put together costumes that look good, without requiring you to shell out that $56.31.

Make a list of what you need: Ask your child (or yourself, of course) what he or she would like to be for the upcoming holiday. Ask him or her to make a list of the possibilities. Then, use these to start on your own list. Find a picture of the character and start making a list of all the items that make the costume come together. For example, if you want to be Jack Sparrow, you might make the following list:

• Pirate Hat
• Red Bandana
• Long Black Wig (with multicolored beads)
• Black Makeup
• White Shirt
• Blue Vest
• Belt with Large Buckle
• White and Brown Sash
• Brown Pants
• Black Boots (or spats)
• Sword and Sheath

You now have a shopping list (or scavenger list) for all of the costume items. If you have multiple people to dress up, consider convincing them to wear complimentary costumes (like a vampire and his victim) to cut down on both costs and shopping time. Take this list and a picture of the character with you as you hunt for the necessary items.

Check your own closet first: You’d be surprised what you can find in the forgotten depths of your own closet. A loose white shirt can easily become part of Jack Sparrow’s ensemble. That old berry picking basket would be perfect for Dorothy or Little Red Riding Hood.

Visit the local thrift shops: Thrift shops are obviously a gold mine for Halloween costumes. While you would never wear or own a frilly white shirt, for example, you might be able to find one at the thrift store. Keep an eye out for extra items that you didn’t think of in the first place too. For example, you might find some garish rings that look like the ones Jack Sparrow wears in the movies. But be careful – it can be easy to accidentally spend much more money than you anticipated at the thrift store. Sometimes you can even end up going over the original store-bought budget.

Alter existing items: If you have a hard time finding one item, consider using a bit of creativity to make another one work. You might not find boots that fit you for your costume. But, by cutting out the bottoms, you can make some spats to wear over normal black shoes. This works best with boots that don’t have laces. Along the same lines, if you can’t find a cheap whip for your Indiana Jones costume, consider simply wrapping a piece of rope in a loop on your belt. It doesn’t have to be a fully functioning whip to be an effective accessory. If all else fails, try just going without. Can you look like Captain Sparrow without donning a black wig?

Take advantage of seasonal sales: If you just can’t get creative, ask around to see if anyone has old Halloween costumes in their attics. Or, buy your costumes right after the holiday, when they are priced up to 80% off. This tactic is best for costume accessories rather than whole costumes (children grow out of clothes quickly). Also, you very well might find yourself wearing that Indiana Jones hat to keep the sun out of your eyes while you work in the garden during the year – giving you an extra bonus.

The automotive industry is one of innovation and creativity which has transcended into the ever-growing movement towards alternative energy.  Many individuals are now looking for automobiles that promote a green environment rather than settling for the traditional, petroleum based vehicles.  The problem that arises is that while many people want to contribute to a cleaner environment, the litany of options available can sometimes be a bit overwhelming.

In order to help consumers solve this problem, FindTheBest has designed a new platform which allows users to find and compare the most fuel efficient vehicles based on vehicle class, engine size, miles per gallon (MPG), fuel type, green vehicle rating, and more. With nearly 2,500 different cars to compare, you’re bound to find a green automobile that meets your specific needs and desires, without the hassle of traveling from dealership to dealership trying to locate a particular car.

Looking for a small car with a combined MPG greater than 80 and powered by an electric battery?  Need a specific make or model that can fit an entire family?  Simply set the filters accordingly and let the tool display all the options available.

The days of polluting the environment by driving huge trucks and SUV’s are hopefully fading, and tools like this help to both educate and perpetuate the green lifestyle.  With so many incentives at both the state and federal level, the idea of owning an eco-friendly automobile is becoming more and more a reality.  Insurance companies are now offering affordable plans that incorporate a discount on the premium you pay due to the fact that purchasing an environmentally-friendly car conveys a dependable image in the eyes of insurance companies; therefore, reducing the probability of settling accident claims.

Next time you’re considering purchasing a new car, be sure to take the time to research automobiles that not only add value to your personal life, but also add value to the world around us.

Michael Bracy is a Business Development Associate for FindTheBest, a comparative search engine that compares a variety of green products from Energy Star refrigerators to photovoltaic solar panels.

Environmental crisis is one of the major problems which the whole world is facing today. Progress of mankind depends upon scarce or limited natural resources. It’s important for human civilization to grow economically, but not at the cost of natural resources. It is a debatable topic.

There are numerous examples around the world which show the dilemma between economic growth and a need to conserve our ecosystem. One particular example is the drilling project proposed by a German company RWG in the North Sea. The Wattenmeer is an area of great biological diversity, a regional stop over for millions of migratory birds and a potential spot for being a UNESCO world heritage site. Environmentalists have conducted huge protests over this project which could destroy a biological treasure. There have been similar protests against the Nord Stream pipeline project being proposed to be constructed between Russia and Western Europe, which could affect the ecology of the Baltic Sea. The governments and economists have argued that the oil is a vital part of the economy in the world today, and it cannot be compromised. So where do we draw the line between economy and ecology, which unfortunately tend to be on opposite sides.

There’s an overwhelming belief that the two cannot be tackled together and that there’s a need to give a sort of priority to ecological matters. However, experts feel that such thinking is a big mistake. The economy and environment are related to each other. In fact economy can be assumed to be a subsidiary of environment as environment has all the resources upon which the economy depends. Thus the two are inseparable.

Economic development without conserving the ecology can have serious implications. There’s a possibility of conflict for natural resources. Water conflict is one such example where the construction of dams has created serious argument between the upstream and downstream countries. Clean and safe drinking water is a big concern in the developing countries. Rapid industrialization and urbanization with inadequate drainage and sewerage can affect the availability of drinking water in rivers and groundwater. The people affected are often the poor and the marginalized sections of the society. Thus, treating earth as a huge storehouse with unlimited potential for human consumption can have serious consequences for us.

The governments and private companies require incentives to act on issues relating to environmental concerns. The more immediate issues regarding profit for private companies and economic and political issues for the government tend to dominate the agenda. Thus an effective action in the direction of ecological conservation is less likely to be taken by them. There lies the role of small scale actions and generations of awareness in the community.

The concept of carbon credits has been introduced in order to tackle the problem of emission of greenhouse gases. In this system each nation is stipulated with a definite amount of gases which it can emit. If it exceeds the limit it has to pay charges for its excessive emissions. The money raised is then used to help the lower emission countries.

Thus we need a mandate to develop a Charter of Rights in relation to the environment in the United Nations. It is in our interest as human beings to preserve the environment not only for economic growth but also for the survival of our future generations.

Amanda Kidd is a blogger whose favorite portals to write on are lifestyle and finance. She recently read an article about the world’s most expensive cars.

Even though summer is now on it’s way out, it’s still hot out and there are many frugal ways in which we can go green and save some money.

The summer weather does tend to bring with it some motivation and inspiration that’s quite hard to find during the winter months, so it’s vitally important that we make the most of it. Here are 4 great ways to get greener this summer.

Dry Your Clothes Outside

This goes without saying but once the sun comes out, we should all make use of it by drying our clothes outside instead of using an electric dryer.

You’ll save money on electricity and you’ll be doing your bit for the environment at the same time. Use a simple washing line inside or if you have the room, hang your clothes outside on a line to get the full use of the sun’s rays.

Not only will this save you money on your energy bills but your clothes will smell and feel better for having been dried outdoors.

Grow your own fruits and vegetables

A lot of people think that growing your own fruits and vegetables can be difficult and time consuming, but not if you follow some very basic guidelines and if you have the weather on your side!

Foods like tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, eggplants, peppers and even corn, grow fantastically well during the summer months so why not give them a try and see what happens. You can save some money and there will be a real sense of satisfaction when you are eating the food that you have grown yourself.

You will probably be able to find the seeds for your own fruit and vegetables at your local store or market, do some research or follow the instructions on the packs and see how you get on, you may surprise yourself.

Enjoy fresh produce from your local markets

I’m not sure what it’s like by you, but I have some fantastic local markets by me that offer fresh produce at great prices. Local farmers markets are great for finding fresh meat, but depending on what they have in stock, they can also be great for baked goods, cheeses and more.

Try out more than one local market to make sure that you are getting the most from your money as prices in your local area will most likely vary.

If you’re really hot, use fans instead of air conditioners

We all know that air conditioners do a very good job, but they’re expensive to run and take their toll on the environment. A more frugal way to keep cool could be to use a fan as these also do a great job too and use less energy than air conditioners.

Fans can circulate cool air around the rooms indoors instead of keeping the air trapped in a single room as an air conditioner does. It’s better for the environment and cheaper for you too, so why not give it a try?

I hope that these frugally green summer tips will help you to save some money and do your bit for the environment too this summer.

Les Roberts writes for moneysupermarket.com, the UK’s number one comparison website that can save you money with low-rate loans and balance transfer offers.