Monster mash for those low on cash

The immortal words from the original Misfits effectively inspire frightening imagery of what Halloween should be like.

“Bonfires burning bright / pumpkin faces in the night / I remember Halloween. Dead cats hanging from poles / little dead are out in droves / I remember Halloween. Brown leaved vertigo / where skeletal life is known / I remember Halloween. This day anything goes.”

But how can a college student with little money achieve these sorts of ideals?

If given $50, what could a college student accomplish in the way of an ultimate Halloween shindig?

First, one cannot have a party without food. For $10 at any corner store, one can buy enough potato chips to satisfy plenty of college students. Or it can be mixed among chips and various forms of candy.

With that staple out of the way, it is time to properly plan the party.

“Just tell people to wear costumes and have a BYOB party,” freshman Cassie Burnett said. “You don’t really need money for a party, just an imagination.”

That statement alone alleviates the need to budget for alcohol, which can save the host a fair amount of money.

“I would rent a horror movie and perhaps watch that with everyone,” freshman Brittnie Turner said. “I would also get a cheap monster mash CD and end the night with a dance off and a best scream contest.”

Party City sells Halloween CDs for $12.99 apiece, and a horror movie can be rented from Blockbuster Video for $4.29.

The food, the flick and the music: $27.28 before tax.

One option is to use the remaining funds for decorations, costumes or something even more macabre.

“I would buy some fake blood and try my best to depict a murder scene in my house,” junior Scott Hollingsworth said.At Party City, a pint of theatrical blood costs $4.99, bringing the total to $32.27.

The remaining money should be used to costume yourself, which can be done by allowing creativity to reign.

At any Goodwill store, pants cost $4, and shirts cost $2. Endless costume combinations are possible with a mixture of pants, shirts and the fake blood already purchased from Party City.

It doesn’t take a lot of money to be creative and have fun – it just takes some thought. And if you still can’t come up with any good ideas, rent a classic horror film and buy any CD by The Misfits (all less than $10 from Amazon.com). Then invite some people over and just enjoy the cinema and music together.