How to Save Money on Buying Halloween Candy this Year

Entry #721, October 25, 2011

Leading up to Halloween there is always the last minute items, the costumes, the kids plastic pumpkins to collect candy, and oh yeah.. what candy you are going to hand out at your door?!  Since we have moved to a new neighborhood that is older and more established, we get a ton of kids to our door! To me, candy goes up in price every year. Last year I had found this great article on how to save money on Halloween candy… take a look…

Original Entry #308, October 22, 2010

I remember for Halloween, when I was growing up, my parents would purchase 2 or 3 large bags of candy and it would last through the trick or treaters, and have more leftover! Now that I’m a parent, it seems like 2-3 bags only gets you through the toddlers! Then the bigger kids come and the grown ups come! Ok.. this year, I need a new plan for saving money on Halloween candy.

I found this great article on About.com by Jennifer Wolf. She has some great ideas!

Maybe you don’t need so much candy corn!

The point of Halloween is to have fun, of course, but between the costumes and the candy, it can get quite expensive. One way to protect your finances is to create a Halloween budget and stick to it. Decide up front how much money you can afford to spend on costumes, props, make-up, and accessories. And when it comes to buying candy, apply these tips to save some money this Halloween:

Use Coupons –

Scour your newspaper for buy-one-get-one-free bags of Halloween candy, or shop for candy only at stores that will accept double coupons. You can save even more if you wait to use your coupons when you see those items go on sale, too.

Give Out One Piece of Candy Per Child, Instead of Three or Four –

I’m always so excited about giving out the candy that I give away much more than necessary! Sticking to a one-piece-per-person rule can save you a quite a bit of money, especially if a lot of trick-or-treaters come through your neighborhood.

Buy Candy That Will Last –

If you’re worried about buying too much candy, or if you just don’t know how many trick-or-treaters to expect, make a point of buying something that will last for a long time. Typically, this means staying away from chocolate items. The benefit is that you can store the leftover candy in a cool, dry place, and bring it out a few months from now, for a special occasion, to fill your kids’ birthday party goody bags, or when you go on a long road trip.

Take Your Kids Trick-or-Treating and Don’t Give Out Candy At All –

Finally, another idea is to forgo giving out candy altogether. Simply turn out your porch light to let your neighbors know that you’re not home, and chaperone your kids while they go trick-or-treating. You’ll probably have more fun walking around, anyway!

For more Halloween ideas on Stagetecture, click here.