As a Halloween buff, yes, I believe there’s no time like the present to start planning your next Halloween costume.

Why?  Well, for one thing, you’ll have time to put together a much better costume if you start now.  If you are putting together your own costume, you can get a jump start on combing the thrift stores, before anyone else starts.  Some items are difficult to find, so you might really benefit from the additional time in that case.

Another reason to start looking early: Garage sale season is in the warmer summer and early fall months, and garage sales can be a great source for clothing for a Halloween costume.  Driving around to garage sales can be time- and gas-consuming, though, so I advise checking Craigslist and newspaper ads to see if the sale has clothing before you head on over.

Even if you prefer to buy a ready-made outfit, the extra time can help.  If you need a plus size women’s costume, for instance, you may find that the selection is smaller and good costumes are more difficult to find.  Starting to shop early will give you more time to find what you want.

The beautiful thing about a costume is that if you find one early, you can store it until Halloween rolls around.  So don’t be afraid to look now.  Better too early than too late, right?

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