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ESCANABA -- Halloween is coming up, but finding the perfect affordable Halloween costume isn't always easy.

Some people hit the aisles of big name stores, but others find inspiration in donated merchandise at Goodwill.

Escanaba Goodwill store manager, Colleen Valencic, said they're even busier now than they were during back-to-school shopping.  And its low prices and an assortment of costumes that keep customers coming back.

Valencic said they typically do 20 percent better in October than any other month because of Halloween.

Accessories are sold more than the costumes, and they cost around two dollars.  But the donated costumes here are still very affordable.  The prices have been marked down to 25-50 percent off their original cost, and a complete outfit can range anywhere from $20 to $50.

“I believe that we can do that for customers,” said Valencic, “because we're lower retail price than, say, the big bucks stores, so we can save people a lot of money if they can use their creativity a little bit."

And this is good news for customers, especially for those with kids.

“It’s very important, especially now, because raising kids isn't cheap anymore,” said customer Vicky Blanc.

But what does this mean for parents?   

“Basically it goes right back into saving money for my kids,” Blanc said.

Valencic said female customers seem to plan their costumes more.  But male customers make up just slightly less than half of the store's Halloween shoppers.