MoneySmart

Earlier this week I shot a video (embedded below) in which I talked to parents and the cutest kids imaginable about what they wanted to be for Halloween. We also wanted to know where parents planned on getting the costumes and their advice for saving money on them. All the families were very nice and kind by allowing me to put them on camera.

I got predictable answers - make the costumes at home, reuse a dance costume, hand costumes down from older to younger children. But it's a good reminder that instead of shelling out money for a cheaply made costume, you can save money and have fun making it yourself. I remember one year my parents wrapped me up in tin foil and called me a spaceman. I had a blast (off). Ha.

One piece of advice I didn't hear was to shop for costumes immediately after Halloween when everything is on deep discount. Share your Halloween costume memories here.

-Joseph Popiolkowski

It seems more and more people are ditching their land line and relying on a cell phone instead.

My sister swears it's a terrible idea, and feels a tremendous amount of security by hanging onto her home phone. I use just a cell phone.

Is this a smart way to cut back on costs? Are there benefits to having both lines of communication? Or, are duplicate phone lines just a waste of your hard-earned cash?

--- Samantha Maziarz Christmann

Although gasoline prices have (finally!) begun their slow descent, most drivers are continuing their gas-saving ways.

Many, like the hypermilers, have made a game out of trying to get the best gas mileage possible.

Seeing the way your gas gauge is affected by changing a few driving habits can be addictive - turning the drive to work into a fun daily challenge. (Read these stories in the new MoneySmart section.)

Have you tried any of these techniques? Do you have your own tips to share? How far can you go between fill-ups?

--- Samantha Maziarz Christmann