It happens every year – you spend all of October saying you'll get a costume early this time, you spend ages browsing Amazon for something really cool or your local shops for something hilariously funny – and yet somehow, somehow, you manage to leave it until the very last minute. Again.

Don't deny it, we know you well enough by now! Either that or you're the 'cool' kind of kid who would prefer to put the least amount of effort in as physically possible.

Well good for you Dave, we hope you're happy now!

Ahem, excuse us. We've put together a list of 10 easy-peasy lemon-squeezy last minute Halloween costumes, and they're pretty cheap too – all to help you avoid the utter humiliating embarrassment of going as a white t-shirt zombie for the sixth year in a row.

And for the love of god, leave the fake blood at home unless you like the 'stained red face' look for lectures the next day!

1. 50 Shades of Grey

Get yourself down to B&Q or any shop that sells paint (we're not fussy) and grab as many grey swatches as you possibly can.

Wear any grey clothes you can find, stick the swatches to yourself however you like, and voila – you'll be transformed into a slightly out-dated pop culture reference faster than you can say 'restraining order'!

2. Nudist on Strike

Literally the easiest costume in the world – just wear your regular clothes, and bring a sign that says you're on strike.

Just make sure you stay well behind the figurative picket line all night or risk getting arrested for public indecency. You've been warned!

3. Unicorn

What's more magical than a unicorn? A costume that takes less than 5 minutes to make, that's what.

Just roll up a piece of paper and stick it to your head, wear some pastel colours and maybe even a tutu if you can get your grubby hands on one.

For an added bit of fun, take a little bag of glitter and throw it on your friends*!

* or into the eyes of your enemies. No, no we're joking, don't do that... but if you do, it has nothing to do with us.

4. Stick Figure

Got white pants and a white t-shirt? Great, all you need now is some black tape and you can go as a stick figure. Stick the tape in long lines down your arms, legs, and torso – it really couldn't be easier.

Or if you fancy something with a little bit more effort, you can wear all black and attach glow sticks to yourself in the same way!

(This costume is even funnier if you happen to be an art/design student – who doesn't love a nice dose of irony?)

5. Classic Mummy

One of the classic go-to costumes is the traditional mummy outfit, but here at Huddersfield SU we like to think outside the box.

Ok so it's basically the exact same costume – go down to Sainsbury’s, Poundland, or wherever and buy a tonne of bandages, then all you need is a baby doll and you've made your costume 100000x more hilarious (well, at least mildly amusing) with just one addition.

This costume is also great for if you happen to fall over; you've got an in-built first aid kit.

6. A Student

The most terrifying costume of all. Remind yourself and all your friends of your crippling debt and looming adult life by going as a student – this outfit is perfect for people who really want to bring down the mood of any party.

Bring a pack of bargain noodles, a raggedy notebook, and of course wear the comfiest and most pyjama-y clothes you can find (the more creased the better).

Hard mode; don't buy a drink all night because you're £2000 overdrawn and you can't afford it. Really get into character.

7. Plastic Bag Crisis

The perfect mix of topical reference and minimum effort, the Plastic Bag Crisis costume is great for the joker of the group.

If you can afford it, go down to any shop and literally just buy tonnes of plastic bags. Stick them to yourself and enjoy how witty and on-topic you are all night. Bring lots of 5p coins. You win.

8. Off-duty Cowboy

Another thinly veiled excuse to just wear your regular clothes, the Off-duty Cowboy costume is pretty adaptable.

Just wear a red chequered shirt and slippers, and boom! Costume.

This also works as off-duty policeman, off-duty doctor, off-duty fireman, off-duty teacher... you get the picture.

9. Snapchat

Take a traditional sheet ghost costume, a camera or phone, and spend the night taking a lot of photographs of every single thing that happens.

Show the pictures to your friends, but only for 3 seconds at a time. Selfies are a must.

10. 404: Costume Not Found

White t-shirt + sharpie = costume. It's as easy as that. Just write "404: Costume Not Found" error message on the top, go out, have fun... you get the drill.

This costume is deeply sarcastic but does kind of reveal the lengths you'll go in order not to wear any sort of costume whatsoever. If you can live with that fact, then go crazy.