Save big on Halloween candy
The average U.S. household spent $ 66 on treats to hand out last year— luckily, it’s easy to score a great deal with these sweet tricks
Giving out chocolate? Seek these brands
The savings pros at Krazycouponlady.com have tracked Halloween candy sales for the past seven years and discovered a secret: In the weeks before the holiday, Hershey’s and Mars offer the most coupons and have the best sales, giving the biggest savings. To snag rock-bottom prices, check out Sunday circulars to find coupons like $3 off three bags of candy, then pair them with sales. For example, last year the supermarket Shoprite sold six 11.5-oz. bags of candy that usually go for $3 or more for $1.88 each. When stacked with the coupon, each bag cost 77 cents!
Want the best bang for the buck? Hand out hard candies
Before you buy, flip the package over and do some math to figure out the price per piece (simply divide the cost by the number of pieces in the bag). Prices vary from 3 cents each to 11 cents— and when you add up all the treats you give out, that’s a significant savings! In general, hard candies like Jolly Ranchers and Smarties cost significantly less than candy bars. Also smart: Keep your receipt since you can return any unopened bags after the holiday.
Buying in bulk? Skip the warehouse stores
When you need to stock up on mega-sized bags of candy, your first instinct might be to head to the warehouse club to get the best prices— but hold off! Amazon.com is actually a better source when you need a surplus of sweets. Last year, when paired with coupons on the site, a 96.5-oz. bag of Mars candies containing 250 pieces cost just $18.54, or 19 cents per ounce. A similar bag at Sam’s Club was priced at 23 cents per ounce— a savings of about $ 4 per bag.
Shopping last-minute? Opt for traditional treats
If you wait until the night before Halloween or even the day of, your best bet is to skip over the holiday-themed bags of candy, which won’t go on sale until November 1—instead, pick up treats that are available year-round in the sweets aisle. For example, at Target, a 4-pound bag of Child’s Play mix filled with Tootsie Rolls, Tootsie Pops, Dots and more is $ 8, compared to a 2.5-pound bag of Halloween chocolates for $10. You can also pick up a bag of 50 Market Pantry caramels for $1.99 or Dum Dum lollipops (with about 28 pops per bag) for $3.59.