Halloween is just around the corner, and even though times are tough, that doesn't mean you shouldn't still have a kick-ass costume. And since no one wants to end up trick or treating as a lame ghost (or a "sexy border patrol agent"), I'm here to help, with a handful of homemade Halloween costumes that allow you to still dress up as your favorite artist, while not breaking the bank.

Of course, if you don't have a bank to break, fret not, because a lot of my ideas don't require a costume at all -- just your imagination, a fierce attitude and an awareness of irony that borders on, well, ironic. So, if you're at a loss for your next costume -- or too broke to care -- read on, because, boy, do I have some suggestions for you. After all, Halloween is for everyone (especially those who love candy), and who among us doesn't want to dress up like Coldplay?!? Have a look, and send me some candy!

Adele: Deceptively easy. Refrain from speaking to anyone all night (vocal rest!) while firing through Marlboros like a mahjong player on a bender. For added authenticity, sell approximately one bazillion albums.

Beyoncé: Take a balloon and stuff it beneath your $10,000 Reed Krakoff dress, mimic B's matronly glow with a $7,000 HD Ruby and Diamond Peel Facial, strap your $1,200 Christian Louboutin heels on extra tight to replicate the ankle-swelling side effects of pregnancy. Or just down a crate of Four Loko and get all crazy like the "Ring the Alarm" video.

Britney Spears: Get a boyfriend with exactly 24 rippling abdominal muscles. Consume Strawberry Frappuccinos as if they were being discontinued. Be a commercially viable force, much to the consternation of critics and naysayers the world over. Say "y'all" a lot.

Coldplay: Dress in matching, finger-painted outfits with three of your closest friends (or, in a pinch, tattered [article id="1589362"]French Revolutionary garb[/article]). Donate all your candy to Oxfam. Hang out with Brian Eno. Maintain an almost annoying level of self-efficacy.

Justin Bieber: Just get a [article id="1669881"]snake named Johnson[/article].

Kanye West: Communicate to every single person you meet as if you were speaking in ALL CAPS. Wear sunglasses, even at night. Have a bizarre thing for the Olsen twins. Over-share when it comes to your personal feelings and sexual proclivities. Create complex, Machiavellian conspiracy theories. Treat every comment and criticism as if it were a flaming sword to the torso. [article id="1668929"]Cut a Maybach in half[/article] with your pal Jay-Z.

Katy Perry: Dress up as [article id="1667171"]a mermaid[/article]. Or a gawky, [article id="1665312"]orthodontically enhanced pre-teen[/article]. Or an S&M cheetah. Or a [article id="1661051"]space alien[/article]. Or, really, you could just lick a bunch of candy and stick it to various parts of your body. Katy's simple.

Lady Gaga: Sure, you could go the easy route and just trick or treat as Jo Calderone (and deliver a [article id="1669843"]lengthy monologue[/article] while doing so), but where's the fun in that? Instead, why not meld yourself with a motorcycle, like the [article id="1662183"]cover of Born This Way, or mimic her eternally moving beauty mark with a piece of double-sided tape?

Lil Wayne: Nicki may have already beaten you to the punch, but that's only because a Weezy costume is pretty easy to pull off: Just sag a pair of jeggings, draw all over your face and chest with a Sharpie, glue some diamonds to your teeth and twist your hair until it eventually transforms itself into a truly impressive mane of dreadlocks. Also, carry around a guitar, for display purposes only.

Rihanna: Go trick or treating with a British boxer-turned-model[/article], make a drug-fueled music video with him. Note: May not get you a ton of candy on the farms of Northern Ireland.

Got a low-budget Halloween costume idea? Let us know in the comments below!