Frugal Candy Ideas for Halloween

by Nicole Humphrey | More from this Blogger

Halloween time is candy time. With all the goodies available at Halloween is tempting to get caught up in it all. But there are frugal ways to save on the cost of seeing smiling faces shouting Trick or Treat.

Coupons

If you feel you must hand out Hershey Bars or Reeses Peanut butter cups watch your Sunday paper for coupons. There are typically lots of candy coupons that come out at this time of year. You can usually watch for sales at this time of year too, use a coupon and double your savings.

Other Candy Types

There are a lot of alternative candies that are substantially cheaper than those listed above. For instance, lollipops, frequently come in huge bags for a substantially low price. You can even dress them up for Halloween by putting a facial tissue over the top, tying a black or orange piece of yarn around the neck or stick and drawing on eyes. You just made a ghost! You can also buy an assortment of cheaper candies or gum and package them in sandwich bags. Seal with a Halloween sticker. Or use festive bags obtained at a discount store.

Other Foods

You can try something different besides candy, though I am not sure how much of a hit you'll be. You can hand out apples or other fruit, popcorn, homemade cookies, brownies, etc. But be careful, some parents are nervous about that sort of thing and might just throw the stuff out when their kids bring it home. You might want to do this if you get the same kids every year or you live in a community where everyone knows everyone.

Alternatives To Food

Sometimes you can get packages of small toys, such as party favors for birthday parties at a low price. Visit the dollar store or your local party store and look for inexpensive alternatives to candy.

If you are the organized type and see these over the course of the year pick them up and save them in a box for Halloween time.

I recently saw pencils for 2 packages for a dollar. Each package had 10 pencils in it! This comes out to be about 5 cents per pencil which is far less than the price of a candy bar!

Kids also love stickers. If you give kids a choice between candy or stickers, you might be surprised at how many will choose the stickers. After all their bags are already filled up with candy.

Use your imagination and keep an open mind about what qualifies as a treat. There are many parents out there who will appreciate that you didn't give their child more candy and I'm sure the dentist will thank you too.

Stores

Don't assume that you have to purchase candy or other treats from only the grocery store or discount chains. Don't forget the dollar stores. They always have treats and treasures that would be perfect for this time of year.

Do you have some hints or ideas for trick or treat night that you can share?

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Learn more about Nicole Humphrey

Nicole Humphrey is a freelance writer, consultant for CTMH and a Sr. Blogger for families.com. She resides in St. Charles, Missouri with Mike and their five children and two furbabies.

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