photo by Christopher Mulhare

How can you save money on those humungous pumpkins your children love to buy for Halloween?

One thought is that you can head for a nearby farm and pick your own to save dollars.

• Here's the skinny on those big old pumpkins:

Hamilton Farms in Boonton Township, New Jersey has pick-your-own pumpkins for 59 cents a pound, and F & W Schmitt's Family Farm in Melville, New York has them for 69 cents. That seems to be the going rate for most of the farms. This means you can pick out a decently sized pumpkin for around $10-12, and a cute, little one for around $6.

But here in Brooklyn, the pricing can be very competitive:

Shannon's Nursery on Ft. Hamilton Parkway has pumpkins in stock for less than 50 cents per pound.

C-Town in Park Slope sells pumpkins for 99 cents per pound and the Park Slope Food Coop prices pumpkins at around $1 per pound. Even though that is more expensive than the farm prices, when you add in the price for a tank of gas to and from the nearest pick-your-own, buying locally is still the best bargain.

Of course, buying a pumpkin at the supermarket isn't the same, let's face it! At C-Town they don't have corn maizes, hay rides, or a petting zoo. If you're looking for a farm experience, but you don't want to drain your car's gas tank, try going to the Queen's County Farm Museum.  There you can find all the Halloween trimmings and a pumpkin patch without the long drive.

To find out how to save money on Halloween costumes, check out Halloween costume that aren't scary expensive.