# How much do you spend on Halloween? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 24, 2017, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-halloween/797237 "2017-09-24T23:31:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-halloween/797237/41 "2017-09-26T02:28:39Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Zero. I’d spend less if I could. Maybe you can; it depends on how determined you are, and how unscrupulous. Whenever a kid comes to the door collecting coins for UNICEF, take some coins OUT of the collection box. _E voila!_ You have spent less than zero! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-halloween/797237/42 "2017-09-26T06:44:17Z")
Oh,right, the question. Typically about ten bucks, just in case the little hobgoblins show up (which they hardly ever do). Then about $30 on November 1. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-halloween/797237/43 "2017-09-26T06:49:15Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > $10.56. That’s ten bucks worth of candy from the dollar store plus tax. > > Most years we don’t get many kids and I have way more than enough. When that happens whatever kid comes to the nearest to when trix or treats is supposed to end get’s all the remaining candy dumped in his bag. I love to watch their face when I d:eek: that. One time this boy about 11 said to me “Dude, you rock!” Made my day. I imagine he felt differently about your degree of rockitude the following day. Have you ever eaten the kind of Halloween candy the dollar store sells? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-halloween/797237/44 "2017-09-26T06:58:00Z")
Missed the edit window. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Debillw3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Debillw3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debillw3)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-halloween/797237/45 "2017-09-26T07:09:21Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > So I’d like to ask, how much do you spend on Halloween? About $20 for candy every year. I put up a handful of decorations, which ran about $50 each, but they’re used year after year (I’ve had 'em for about 10 years now, and I expect to have 'em for a good number more), so their yearly cost is negligible. > [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Do you do a big display? Not really. The only reason I put up the aforementioned decorations is that I found out that, in this neighborhood, parents hustle their kids past the house if there are no decorations, even if the porch light is on and the door is open. I learned that the one year I decided to sit outside with the bowl instead of inside. I’m not sure what they thought I was doing with a bowl of candy, but it explained the low numbers the earlier years. I actually heard one mother say “I don’t think they celebrate Halloween…”–only to have to double back when her kid realized that the bowl of candy wasn’t just for show and I was giving it out freely. > [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Do you do a home haunted house? Nope. Candy to trick or treaters only. > [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Do you host or attend a costume party? I haven’t dressed up for Halloween in earnest since I was a kid. I say “in earnest”, because, in my recent adult years, I’ve taken to handing out candy in a costume that I stole from NBC’s The Office: “Dave”. For those who haven’t seen or don’t recall, I stick a name tag to my shirt that says “Dave” on it. This year, though, I’ve been thinking that I might go as “Fred”. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-halloween/797237/46 "2017-09-26T13:03:48Z")
Less that 0. We wait till after Halloween to buy pumpkins at half price or less. My wife makes a wonderful pumpkin soup; I make pumpkin spice bread; I love roasted pumpkin seeds. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-halloween/797237/47 "2017-09-26T14:54:53Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > According to[THIS](http://www.retaildive.com/news/halloween-spending-to-reach-record-91b/505628/)article Americans will spend $9.1 billion on Halloween. Another zero here, the Doper average so far is about $5 apiece. Somebody, somewhere must put on a helluva $9 billion party. In the last 13 years we have had exactly 0 kids come by our house for trick-or-treat. It’s an older neighborhood with mostly older residents and just isn’t on the T-or-T radar. > [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Then about $30 on November 1. While not on par with after-Easter candy sales, I do loves me some clearance Halloween candy! ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-halloween/797237/48 "2017-09-26T15:15:21Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > According to[THIS](http://www.retaildive.com/news/halloween-spending-to-reach-record-91b/505628/)article Americans will spend $9.1 billion on Halloween. Since there are roughly 325 million Americans, that’s about $28 per person, which is the cost of a few bags of candy for the trick-or-treaters. Just to put that $9.1B in perspective. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-halloween/797237/49 "2017-09-26T15:30:18Z")
We do maybe $10 worth of candy. We don’t get too many TTs down at this end of the street. Around here Halloween actually lasts about a week with different businesses and groups putting on events like TTing at stores, trunk or treats, and haunted houses. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-halloween/797237/50 "2017-09-26T15:58:10Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Since there are roughly 325 million Americans, that’s about $28 per person, which is the cost of a few bags of candy for the trick-or-treaters. Just to put that $9.1B in perspective. Of course, $28 per person means $112 for a family of four. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-halloween/797237/51 "2017-09-26T16:55:44Z")
> [@Cayuga](#): > > Of course, $28 per person means $112 for a family of four. I can believe that. Couple $20-$30 costumes for the kids, candy, some $5 pumpkins and paper skeletons, etc. Sure there’s families where the kids are dressing as hobos or making costumes out of boxes but there’s also families buying the [$300 dinosaur skeleton](http://www.homedepot.com/p/Home-Accents-Holiday-9-ft-Standing-Skeleton-T-Rex-Dinosaur-with-LED-Illuminated-Eyes-7342-99908/301148793) I saw at Home Depot yesterday making up the difference. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-halloween/797237/52 "2017-09-27T14:18:10Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Since there are roughly 325 million Americans, that’s about $28 per person, which is the cost of a few bags of candy for the trick-or-treaters. Just to put that $9.1B in perspective. Yeah, but once you subtract the 8MM Jehovah’s Witnesses it comes to $28.70 per. [sub]I have no idea why I thought that was funny. Statistically speaking.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-halloween/797237/53 "2017-09-29T19:31:20Z")
Parents, when you take the kids out, remember that the house gets 10%. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-halloween/797237.md?page=2)