Spend This Much on Candy for a Budget-Friendly Halloween

ByGeoff Williams
Edited byMegan Hull

Updated: October 24, 2022

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    ByGeoff Williams
    Edited byMegan Hull

    Updated: October 24, 2022

    Advertising & Editorial Disclosure

    How much candy should you buy to be generous to your neighborhood and yet, kind to your wallet? That’s a decision that every household has to make every Halloween. However, MoneyGeek does have some suggestions to help you curb higher prices this halloween while still satisfying trick-or-treaters.

    So, How Much Should You Spend?

    A Mayo Clinic study suggests that the average trick-or-treater consumes 1.2 pounds of candy on Halloween.

    Assuming that’s the case, the average trick-or-treater visits 10 homes in their neighborhood and the average home receives 50 trick-or-treaters, MoneyGeek recommends doling out around two ounces of candy per visitor to meet their candy requirements for the night. That’s around the size of one bag of Sour Patch Kids or Reese’s Pieces per trick-or-treater.

    Buying enough candy to give each of your 50 trick-or-treaters two ounces of candy would mean spending just $40 for the evening, especially if you’re buying candy in bulk.

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    Other Factors to Consider When Deciding How Much Candy to Buy

    We're confident that our estimate of $40 would cover the candy needs for most homes on Halloween night. However, everyone's situation and needs are different. Here's a few additional factors to consider when deciding how much to spend on candy so you don't unknowingly trick your neighborhood kids out of well-deserved treats.

    1

    Your Decorations

    If you go all out with decorating your home for Halloween, trick-or-treaters may expect more from you than one little bag of candy. If you don’t want to see frowns, in theory, you may need to double that $40 to $80. If your neighbors decorate for Halloween, that, too, may mean more visitors, and thus more candy, and thus more spending.

    2

    Your True Intentions

    Do you want to have some candy to “accidentally” be leftover, and, darn all the luck, you’re going to have to eat it? You may want to add $5, $10 or whatever feels right to your Halloween candy budget.

    3

    Your Neighborhood

    Do you live in a subdivision where hundreds of children trick-or-treat? Our $40 estimate might not be enough for the night. Do you live in an apartment, retirement community or another place where trick-or-treating is less common? You may be able to get away with spending far less. Be sure to consider your individual living situation when making the final candy-buying call.

    Ways to Save Money on Candy this Halloween

    For many people, even spending $40 on Halloween candy can feel like a stretch. Fortunately, some tried and true money-saving strategies could help you bring down your Halloween candy price.

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    About Geoff Williams

    Geoff Williams headshot

    Geoff Williams has been a personal finance journalist since around the time of the Great Recession of 2008. He's been writing professionally since the 1990s about a variety of topics, including personal finance, credit cards and loans.

    Williams is also the author of several books, including "Washed Away: How the Great Flood of 1913, America's Most Widespread Natural Disaster, Terrorized a Nation and Changed It Forever" and "C.C. Pyle's Amazing Foot Race: The True Story of the 1928 Coast-to-Coast Run Across America."

    Born in Columbus, Williams now lives in Loveland, Ohio, with his two teenage daughters.

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