Ghouls’ Night Out

The hunt for the perfect grown-up Halloween costume

By Joseph Beyer

Rain or shine (or sometimes snow), Halloween is coming your way on Oct. 31. If you partake in this particularly spooky holiday, you likely fall into one of two costume categories: 1. Halloween Hero. You’ve got this. You plan your costume in advance with care and creative thought. Everyone wants you to stop by their party because you wear something wild and crazy each year. You embody the fun and the child-like spirit of the night. 2. Halloween Hacker. When it comes to your costume, you definitely wing it. Even now as you’re being reminded you only have days left to plan, you think: no sweat. Because each year, you come up with a costume idea at the last minute, piece it together quickly, and still collect as much candy as the rest of us. You are the improv master with whatever you've got off the top of your head.

According to Statista’s latest data from 2021, today’s modern on-demand marketplace for costumes in all shapes and sizes (adults, children and now pets) is a wild $3.3 billion a year, and that doesn’t even account for decor and the sweets. The same fascinating study reported that many of us (38.73 percent to be exact) make our costume choices based on “what’s easiest,” and 11 percent get inspiration for costume ideas from social media and memes.

We asked you, our readers, about some of your most memorable costumes, and boy did you deliver. Read on for a look at both Halloween types, and may the candy flow for you this weekend.

halloween heroes

Benjamin Marentette

When asked about one of his favorite costumes ever, civic servant Marentette says, “It’s gotta be when I dressed up as the Eighth Street Detour, remember that project? Why not have some fun with it! The sign was legit!”

Asked to tease out his latest upcoming costume, he shares “It involves my husband Matt, my amazing mother-in-law Mary, a huge piece of notebook paper, scissors, and Dwayne Johnson.” Becky Childs

Halloween enthusiast and director of marketing for Traverse Symphony Orchestra Becky Childs remembers one of her favs: “Right after the Yosemite Mountain Double Rainbow guy’s video went viral, we thought it would be super creative and original as a couple to dress up as a homemade double rainbow. Little did we know some friends had the exact same idea. We became a Quadruple Rainbow all the way!” Goodwill Northern Michigan

As Assistant Director of Donated Goods for Goodwill shops across the region, Josh Olds says Halloween is definitely one of the busiest times at thrift stores as people hunt through their large selection of costumes and accessories…and scour the used clothing racks for additions or ideas to make their own. Items flagged for Halloween go out in July, so he says to shop early. After 14 years on the job, one category of costumes seems to be a NoMi anomaly: steampunk.

Whether you’re into steampunk or space, we think Store Manager Pat Kelly and the “Goodwill One” Star Wars team brought their A game. Florina Kapitzke (and her pups!)

Kapitzke shares some tips for those working on costumes for pets. She has two dogs, one loves to dress up and the other “would rather die,” she says.

“I usually find children’s clothes, toys, and accessories and then put it all together. Buying a costume seems like cheating!” When it comes to taking pictures, there’s lots of wrangling and lunchmeat. “The outtakes from those sessions tell more of the truth and are funnier. They get all the likes.”

Is Pet Insurance a Luxury or Life-Saver?

How to be prepared for your furry friend

By Craig Manning

Did you know that 91.7 percent of the U.S. population had some form of health insurance coverage as of last year? While that figure still leaves tens of millions of Americans without a healthcare safety net, it also means that the vast majority of people in the U.S. are insured.

No such majority exists for American pets.

Right now, approximately 90.5 million U.S. households have pets, according to the American Pet Products Association. Yet, according to a recent “State of the Industry Report” from the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA), only about 4.41 million pets “were insured in North America at the end of 2021.”

Pet Insurance in Northern Michigan

Why isn’t pet insurance isn’t more commonplace? Northern Express asked local insurance expert Scott Tilford to weigh in, given that Tilford’s local State Farm Insurance agency started offering pet insurance policies about a year and a half ago.

As it turns out, precious few customers have climbed aboard the pet insurance train in that 18-month span. Tilford says he only

gets one or two inquiries per month from pet owners interested in getting a policy quote. Compared to many of the other types of insurance that Tilford’s office offers— including coverage for things like cars, houses, condos, and personal articles—pet insurance is small potatoes.

Tilford has a few explanations for why pet insurance might not be taking off among his clientele. One factor: Tilford’s office only does policies for dogs, which means cat owners would need to look elsewhere

for coverage. Tilford also thinks that a lot of pet owners simply don’t know pet insurance exists or how it works—and if they do, he reckons they’re put off by some of the inherent limitations of the coverage.

“What’s not covered? Pre-existing conditions, preventative care, flea and tick control, spay or neuter, exam fees, wellness visits,” Tilford says. “From my experience, it seems like most consumers are looking for help with more of those preventative things, the immunizations, the regular checkups, that kind of thing. So, that might explain the hesitancy.”

Even pet parents who are vigilant about building a “rainy day fund” for their dogs, cats, or other critters can still find themselves out of their depth when emergencies strike, simply because they underestimate how expensive vet bills can become.

Breaking the Bank: Pet Costs in America Of course, annual checkups and flea or tick prevention aren’t usually on anyone’s list of biggest pet expenses. Most sources put the average cost of a routine vet checkup between $50 and $250. Lifesaving procedures, treatments for serious health conditions, and other not-so-routine vet costs are where pet owners usually end up spending big. Tilford says many pet owners choose to “self-insure” for those expenses, simply by setting money aside for potential accidents, injuries, or illnesses that may Northern Express Weekly • october 24, 2022 • 15