Written by Elena Gonzalez, Staff Writer

So it’s less than a week until Halloween, and you still don’t have your costume. While normally, this would mean yet another appearance of the classic bedsheet ghost, this year there’s no need to bother — here’s a list of simple last-minute Halloween costumes you simply can’t go wrong with.

• The Politician

If you want to seem politically savvy, dressing as a politician is quick and fairly easy to recognize. For clothing, dig out your classiest business suit or pencil skirt, matched with a pair of formal shoes. Making a campaign pin is easy — simply cut out a circle from a sheet of paper, write whatever slogan you want, and tape it on. And, if you want to be even more elaborate, buy a mask from a party store, or use a print-out one instead.

• Pajamas

All this one requires is your comfiest pair of pajamas and a pillow. Not only is it cost-free, but after a long night of trick-or-treating, you can go home and head straight to sleep, no makeup removal or change of clothes required. A slight variation of this costume is dressing as a baby or toddler, which is essentially the same thing except with pigtails and a stuffed animal. Either way, you’ll definitely be the comfiest one out of your group.

• The Pun-Master

Another option is to go punny, which is sure to draw attention. There’s the Ceiling Fan (pom-poms and a shirt with ‘GO CEILING!’ written on it), Fantasy Football (a wizard’s beard and robe paired with a football and helmet), or Facebook (literally just the word ‘BOOK’ written on your face, à la Jim Halpert). Not only are you being significantly witty, but you can even make a game out of it by trying to see which of your friends gets what your costume is first.

• Back to Black

If you’re really in a rush, dressing in all black clothing and using some makeup takes no time at all. In mere minutes, you can transform your face into that of a cat or a skeleton. You might not win Best Costume, but, hey, at least you’re dressed up as something, right?
So come Halloween night, don’t flake out. Wearing a costume is one of the holiday’s most sacred traditions, and you’ll be sure to regret it if you stay in. Even if it takes five minutes, the effort you put in will always be worth it — after all, there’s free candy.