Halloween candy...parents, consumers complaining! (cheap)

[JustJulia]

TWENTY POUNDS of candy? Oh my stars, Charles.

[tilli]

Originally Posted by tilli

I just moved to a new apartment complex and bought a bag of candy hoping maybe there are actually trick-or-treaters here. At my last complex I had only one knock in the past five years so I stopped even buying candy.

Sadly, my hoping was in vain and I did not get any trick-or-treaters.

[jaindow]

About a year and half ago the price of coca went up about 40% so that had a big impact on chocolate makers. Callebaut, a Swiss company who was the biggest maker of bulk chocolate, fought this hike by selling less of its own chocolate to the general public and instead making the raw materials like coca butter and becoming a contract manufacturer for other chocolate brands like Hershey or Nestle. So basically other companies like Hershey or Nestle who didn't change their business model other than to outsource their chocolate when coca went up are more than likely passing cost on to customers now.

[eagle7]

Originally Posted by Charles22

I noticed that candy is about 3$/ lb. now. I bought about 20 lbs worth. I didn't count the kids but there were hundreds of them. I only give out a single piece unless it's junk candy like a single gumball or lollypop.

What happens to all that extra candy that's not sold but has halloween themed wrappers?

The candy is discounted & sold. I bought 3 11.5oz bags of nestle crunch bars for .99 a bag. Regular price was $2.50. I was hoping for snickers or peanut butter cups but they sold out.

[natalayjones]

I got my candy from the dollar tree. $3 for 3 bags.

[gardener34]

Just make sure you don't get any chocolate made in china. Yes, I have seen this. Check country of origin! I wouldn't trust it. If we don't buy it, they won't sell it.

[mommytotwo]

Originally Posted by GypsySoul22

I love seeing the little kids and handing out candy. But this year the price of candy seems SO high for so little. Everywhere I went, people were complaining about how much it costs and how little they are going to give out.

An elderly man was pondering his candy purchase at CVS for about 20 minutes. He mentioned to me he's only giving out one piece each.

Did you buy less candy this year and what type due to the recession or your own reduced funds? I can't imagine having enough money to give out all chocolate. We bought a bunch of different kinds (chocolate and non).

It is true. I went to CVS to buy candy for bags. The packages with 8-10 items each, you know, the strip packages, were on sale for $1. (4.4 oz.) The big bag was "on sale" for $5.99 (18 oz.) I wondered how many people grabbed the big bag that was on sale rather than grab 6 strip packages for $6 and got 26.6 oz. total vs. 18 oz for the bulk bag.

Buying in bulk is supposed to bring the price down. It seemed like Halloween candy is such a racket.

I also noticed that they are now selling "non-candy" boxes, which are probably just really cheap junk inside a box. Not much cheaper than the candy but just a sticker inside.

Among other things, I got pencils from Staples for about 10 cents each. Figured that was the way to go, instead of the candy. Too much of it gets thrown out anyway.

[NCyank]

The candy is discounted & sold. I bought 3 11.5oz bags of nestle crunch bars for .99 a bag. Regular price was $2.50. I was hoping for snickers or peanut butter cups but they sold out.

I just bought enough candy for next year....75%-90% off. We paid $0.13 for FULL SIZE candy bars!! That price seemed reasonable to me and the Best By date is next November for most of it.

Actually, this candy will mostly be for Christmas and baking...should last until Easter at least. After Easter we'll have to buy enough to last until next Halloween.

[Aconite]

Originally Posted by HIF

WOW! 692 trick or treaters! Last year we had about 50. This year only two groups, 6 kids in all. Very sad!

I ended up getting pretzels, cheese crackers, sweet tarts, nerds and Hershey kisses. I thought I might have some left over, but didn't expect only 6 kids! (Actually bought other candy a while ago, but it didn't survive.)

I LOVE the neighbors who give out pretzels and goldfish. It used to in the school lunch bag the next day, and the kids felt like they got something over on the people who made the "no Hallowe'en candy in lunches" rule (even though they really didn't).

[Aconite]

Originally Posted by sskkc

Last time I looked this was the USA. People can decide for themselves whether or not to participate in a holiday. If you have a problem with their lifestyles (they buy beer, pizza and cigarettes instead of handing out candy), then it's YOUR problem.

My problem isn't with those who choose not to participate, mine is with those who cry broke, still allow their kids to participate by taking candy from the neighbors and smoke cigarettes.

In America, they have that choice - but to blame the economy when it's really all about their own choices & selfishness irks me and many others.

What's wrong with this country today? It's people who use the liberty they've been granted by God and our military to choose to do the wrong thing.

Y'know...my neighborhood has been hit hard. It's pretty white collar, middle class, the people who aren't traditionally out of work or underemployed. Yet at least three families have experienced unemployment over the last year (including one made up of school employees, both of whom lost jobs in recent school consolidations). The Moms' group I belong to has experienced a pretty high rate of family financial emergencies...and those are just the people I know about personally.

Does choosing to work continuously in jobs that are now laying off constitutes "bad choices"? Personally, I can't see penalizing little Johnny and Isabella for trick or treating in costumes Nosy Neighbor can't tell are borrowed from friends or pulled from the dress up box stocked in better times. Maybe you can. Maybe you're above the rest of the world. Good on ya.