As I walked through the grocery store yesterday, I glanced by the candy in the impulse shopping section right before you get to the cash resisters. It was filled with candy. In the 30 seconds that I glanced I noticed that this year’s Halloween Chocolates were in smaller bags than previous years and that these small bags of chocolate cost $10.00… 10 dollars… TEN DOLLARS!!!
There is no way I am ever going to pay $10.00 for a bag of chocolate. I am not even going to pay $5.00 when they put them on buy one get one free sale toward the end of the week (as is normal custom.) So what is a frugal person supposed to do for Halloween Trick or Treaters.
Personally, I don’t want to participate at all. I am a typical Halloween Scrooge, and no ghosts of Halloween past, present, or future has ever visited me to tell me different. At most, in the past, I have purchased a bag or two of non-halloween candy such as Jolly Ranchers, Lollypops, or butter scotch candy, which are usually priced lower. (Sometimes my husband does decide I am crazy though and throws bag of chocolate into the mix.)
I am actually not going to be home this Halloween as something far more interesting than candy and children in costumes has come up, still, the church has requested candy for a daytime fall festival we are having in lieu of Halloween. So what is a frugal shopper to do?
As I mentioned earlier, purchase candies that are not typically Halloween Items as they are likely to be cheaper.
Use coupons or shop in discount chains as mentioned in Frugal Candy Ideas for Halloween
Give out quarters if you live in a small neighborhood. My neighborhood only gets about 20 kids coming through each year. It is actually cheaper to give out 20 quarters($5.00) to 40 quarters ($10.00) than to buy bags of candy.
Stop at McDonald’s and ask for food coupons. You can get 12 coupons for a Dollar and they are good for things like apple dippers, juice, hamburgers, and ice cream. Tape 1 piece of wrapped candy to the coupon, and you have saved a ton. I would only need 2 or 3 books for my neighborhood and a a $3.00 bag of jolly ranchers.
Too bad I am not going to be home.
~Andrea Hermitt writes for parenting (specifically teens), the home blog, and also the frugal blog, and homeschooling at families.com.
Also read:
Halloween Parties for Preschoolers
Healthy Halloween: Halloween Hazards