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Halloween is objectively one of the best holidays of the year, especially when it comes to us fashion girls. A holiday all about picking an outfit? Sign me up.

But there are a number of factors to consider when it comes to the actual execution of a good costume. First of all: budget. Dropping a bunch of money on an outfit you’ll wear once doesn’t feel particularly practical—especially when we’re heading into the fall and winter fashion seasons and there are other places we’d rather allocate our spending. Second: wear. Are we buying a bunch of pieces that we’re just going to get rid of? Or worse, a bunch of cheap pieces that are going to fall apart and inevitably end up in the bin? Third: creativity. When we choose a costume, are we just shopping cheaply made (and overdone) costumes from the nearest Spirit Halloween?

And look. I don’t mean to imply that a Halloween costume needs to be some deep-cut, impossible-to-figure out original idea. I am the biggest fan of being basic. But what sets a cool costume apart from a boring one is the execution. Maybe you’re dressing as the same thing as ten other people, but the corset you’re wearing isn’t one of Amazon’s most-sold products.

So how do we do it? How do we put together a cool costume without the literal and financial waste? Two very straightforward steps: renting & thrifting. And a general—albeit sort of annoying—commitment to putting in a little bit of work.

Every piece of my first costume is coming from the clothing rental service Nuuly. It wasn’t even my original intention. I’d decided what I wanted to dress as, and was having an impossible time finding just the right top and skirt to make the outfit work. And then I was scrolling through Nuuly, putting together my monthly order, and I came across the exact right top—more perfect than I actually even imagined I’d be able to find. It inspired me to look up the rest of the pieces I needed on Nuuly, and in a stunning turn of events, I found them. And when I say more perfect than I imagined, I mean it. The pieces I found feel like cooler takes on the costume than I had the creativity to envision in the first place. The combined price of the pieces I’m renting is over $400, but they’re only taking up half of my $98/month order. I’m getting high quality pieces that will look amazing on Halloween, but won’t take up place in my closet (or my bank account) once the holiday passes.

Now let’s talk thrifting. Let me preface this conversation by saying: I am a terrible thrifter. I’m impatient and picky and get annoyed when I don’t immediately find pieces I love. I find it so hard to lock in and shop without getting overstimulated and overwhelmed. So why would I recommend thrifting a costume?

Because the things I find frustrating about thrifting are irrelevant when it comes to costume shopping. You’re not confined by what will work in your wardrobe, what’s realistic, what will be easy to style—I think some of the best and coolest costumes will come from walking into the thrift store with no idea what you’re looking for, and letting yourself get inspired into a costume.

My final note on Halloween actually has nothing to do with making your outfit sustainable. It’s just a friendly reminder not to fall for online discourse criticizing “slutty” Halloween costumes. And another friendly reminder that that discourse—and the general anti-partying shame spiral being forced on 20-somethings—is directly related to the rise of conservatism and fascism happening right now. Obviously, wearing a super short skirt or tiny top isn’t going to end fascism. But not falling for the conservative propaganda, and wearing whatever the fuck you want, is certainly a great place to start.