If the thought of donning another store-bought vampire costume fails to give you chills, maybe you’re in need of some inspiration for your Halloween costume this year.

Assembling a costume that will haunt your friends but not your bank statement is important.

One of the easiest ways to save money on costumes is to use items you already have. Raid your dork cousin’s closet and be a nerd. Recycle your old prom dress and be a dead prom queen. Use those great go-go boots you have for a ’60s costume.

But your greatest struggle may be deciding on a costume rather than financing one.

The greatest inspiration this year comes from real people, like celebrities and professionals.

Patriotic costumes like firemen, police officers, and military personnel should be big. Other occupational options are to dress like doctors, astronauts and priests.

One trend this year is to dress as your favorite rock star. Besides being a good idea, it’ll allow you to live your dream of being in the band, if only for a night.

Try classics like Jimi Hendrix or Janis Joplin. Or maybe one of the Beatles circa 1964. Today’s stars are good pickings for costumes too. May we suggest Gwen Stefani (blonde wig, houndstooth hat), Fred Durst (red backward cap, wifebeater tank) or Britney Spears (pigtail puffs, schoolgirl uniform). Or just dress in white, red, and black and presto! You’re a member of the White Stripes.

Another surefire way to come up with a good costume is to look to this summer’s blockbuster movies. Spider-man should be popular for those who don’t mind putting on a full-body leotard. “Austin Powers in Goldmember” offers a plethora of characters to choose from, like Foxy Cleopatra, Dr. Evil, or the International Man of Mystery himself. Star Wars fans will no doubt pick costumes from “Attack of the Clones.”

Television provides as many ideas as there are cable channels. You can be the Crocodile Hunter with some khakis, an outback hat, and some fake blood to simulate a snake bite. Crikey! Flip a few stations over to MTV and the Osbournes become a good idea for a family costume. Just dig out your purple circle-rimmed shades for Ozzy and some wild hair dye colors for the rest. Switch the channel to E! because maybe you’d like to dress up as America’s intoxicated sweetheart, Anna Nicole Smith. Over-applied make-up, a snug-fitting dress, bouncing bosom and a platinum blonde wig are all you need. Or check out Cartoon Network for Powerpuff Girls, Scooby Doo and Sailor Moon ideas.

But whatever you do, don’t be another cliche clown or hackneyed hippie. Make sure to have fun with your costume. As the Web site everythinghalloween.com says, “Halloween costumes are one of the few chances we get each year to be truly creative.”