It's that time of year, and Santa Claus is everywhere. If you want to be part
of the Santa scene, now is the time to find your big red suit.
With prices for complete costumes starting at $23, making your own may not be
the most cost effective approach. Then again, you definitely get what you pay
for, and making an outfit for yourself allows you to customize it. We'll tell
you how to meet your Santa clothing needs either way, and at a price you can
afford.
BUYING A SANTA SUIT
The full cost of a Santa outfit includes the base price, any accessories that
you'll have to purchase separately and shipping & handling. If your budget
is tight, be sure to account for all of these before making your
final selection.
The cheapest... er... most inexpensive costumes we found were around $15. Judging by the photo, these might even make good pajamas once your Santa days are over. But you can do better than pajamas...
Note (Oct 2009): Costume Craze has an incredible deal on a Santa costume that includes jacket, pants, hat, belt, gloves and boot tops, all for just $46.95. Looks pretty good, too. (See photo below.)

The companies below have some of the lowest Santa costume prices to be found. You should easily be able to suit up for $60 or less, but be careful to pay attention to what does (and doesn't) come with the suit:
United Mask & Party
SantaSuits.com
Costumes
Inc
Cosmic
Outfitters
Planet
Santa
Go
To Chapter 2: Santa Accessories