Halloween will be here before we know it, and ouch, that candy gets expensive! If you like handing out candy but are on a budget, you can still buy a lot and make kids happy. I’ve been doing research for the past few Halloweens, and I’ve come up with some tips to help you save on Halloween candy. You can apply these year after year!
Watch the ads
Looking at all the store ads every week is the first and best step to save on Halloween candy. Starting around early/mid September, the Halloween candy will come out and the sales will begin! If the thought of searching for ads overwhelms you, download the Flipp app and use your zip code to find store ads in your area! All your local stores will be in one convenient spot for you to flip through and look for candy sales.
Know your price points
Figuring out how much to pay takes practice and a little math; but once you know what you want, knowing the best sale price becomes pretty easy!
Now, telling you the lowest price for candy in general is hard because there are So. Many. Kinds. And the popular candy is always more expensive- I’m looking at you, Hershey and Reeses! I typically look at the Price Per Piece. For example, if a bag of mini Reeses cups is $1.99 and has 35 pieces (Look at the nutrition info for Total Servings), then the Price Per Piece is 5 cents per piece. On the other hand, a bag of Fun-sized M&Ms could also be $1.99 but only have 20 bags because they take up more space. That bag would only be 9 cents per piece.
As you can see, the price really differs between candy types. So either pick your favorite kind and wait for a good sale, or just find random bags that have more pieces and have a good Price-Per-Piece.
Check club stores
Club stores like Sam’s Club can sometimes have the best deals! If you don’t want to deal with buying ten small bags, buying one giant bag can be a good option. But like I said above, you have to decide which brand you want and figure out the Price Per Piece. Check this out:
This is a great representation of brand pricing. You can see that the bag of Mars candy, with 205 pieces, ends up being 6 cents per piece; and the Nestle, with 325 pieces, is only 5 cents per piece, even though the bag costs more. And the Hershey’s is 7 cents per piece, making that bag the most expensive. Price-wise, I’d go with the Nestle because you get more… but if I’m honest, I’d buy the Mars bag for myself because I like all the flavors. It’s all about what brand you like!
Clip coupons
You can find coupons both online and offline! The Sunday papers will start having Halloween candy coupons toward the end of August/beginning of September, and Coupons.com will have some soon after. You can print up to two of the same coupon per computer, so have a big stash ready when a good sale appears!
Get a mix of “good” and “okay” candy
Maybe I’m a little opinionated, but there is some candy I’m just “meh” about. Like Sweet Tarts. They’re not bad, but they’re not my favorite chocolate. The good thing is, the more “unpopular” candy also happens to be one of the cheapest. You can consider buying a couple bags of those to go with your favorites, and hand out one of each to every child. (How much candy do you typically give each kid? I don’t even know, it’s been awhile since I’ve handed out candy!) That should help the candy last longer.
Following these tips each year will help you save on Halloween candy, get more for your money, and have enough candy to hopefully last the entire Trick-or-Treat night! Do you have any tips that you use each year? Be sure to share in the comments below!
Jaime is a Nutrition Coach through the ISSA and professional writer. She has 4 years experience coaching and 9 years experience in writing. She enjoys cooking easy meals, running, and learning more about food.
Jaime specializes in helping women with ADHD learn to meal plan and cook healthier meals without getting overwhelmed.