Ways to enjoy a scary, safe Halloween

Shopping for Halloween starts early, giving little witches and wizards plenty of time to change their minds about their costumes.

As the big day draws nigh, beware of a frightful sight in the $5 billion-plus industry for Halloween: Your bills for costumes, candy and decorations can take a bite out of your budget weeks before bigger holidays.

Some simple ways to save:

--Recycle costumes among family and friends.

--Hit thrift stores for parts of an outfit that add up to your child's own creation.

--Stuff fall leaves into pumpkin trash bags for a cheap but fun-to-fill decoration.

--Send party invitations online and go for potluck dinners.

--Put a bandanna on Fido instead of a pricey pooch outfit.

--A digital camera will help cut back on printing crummy photos.

--Look for library books such as "Homemade Halloween: Creative Crafts for Ghosts and Ghouls" (Chronicle Books, 2003, $9.95) for inexpensive treats and decorating ideas your kids will enjoy.

The authors of "Parenting By Strengths" (Distinction Press, $12.95, 2009) see Halloween as one more challenging situation for Mom and Dad. For parents with young girls, especially, Halloween brings on fussing about short skirts and bare midriffs.

Use these teachable moments to discuss your values and limits around costumes, the authors suggest.

For preschoolers and younger kids, let them have fun wearing their costumes ahead of time. Check for hems and sleeves that are too long.

Here are safety tips from the Consumer Product Safety Commission:

--No eating Halloween candy until it's inspected at home.

--Add reflective tape to the fronts and backs of costumes and on candy bags. Provide flashlights or glowsticks.

--Consider nontoxic makeup instead of masks.

--Remove tripping hazards from your yard; have trick-or-treaters use sidewalks and walkways.

--Buy costumes with labels indicating they are flame-resistant.

--Wait until children are home to sort and check their bags of goodies. Toss out anything that's homemade or not prepackaged.

--Dried flowers, cornstalks and crepe paper are highly flammable. Keep these and other decorations well away from open flames and heat sources.

--Teach children their home phone number, and discreetly attach emergency information under the costume.

Betsy Flagler, a journalist based in Davidson, N.C., teaches preschool and is the mother of a teenage son. Reach her at p2ptips@att.net.