Personal Interest - Ways to Save on Halloween Candy, Courtesy of Shelton Becnel

Bags of candy are an essential element to the trick-or-treating experience but the costs can add up rather quickly if you are not mindful of your spending. To prevent high costs that can cut into your budget, below are a couple of tips that can help you save on your Halloween candy costs:

•  Buy Late - usually, procrastination doesn't pay, however, in the case of Halloween candy, it often does. Halloween candy will often be discounted at the last minute so that stores can attempt to get rid of inventory. Waiting to buy Halloween candy can prove to be a cost-saving trick.
•   Coupons - many retailers will run deals on candy so that it can be purchased at a lower cost around Halloween time. Before you head to the store to pick up some Halloween candy, make you sure grab those coupons!
• Non-Candy Items - can be a big hit! Try looking for inexpensive items like plastic rings, stickers and mini balls that you can pass out instead of candy. Items of this nature can be purchased at dollar stores, party stores and department stores so they can be relatively easy to find. In addition, these are a healthier alternative to sugary candies.
•  Non-Chocolate - have you noticed that non-chocolate items tend to be less expensive than chocolate candies? Well, it is true; just take a look the next time you are in a store. If you are trying to cut the cost of candy this year, try going with fruity candy as opposed to chocolate candy as they are often less expensive.
•  Hand Out The Candy - some people will allow kids to pick out their own candy, of course, this can lead to them taking a number of pieces and thus you running out of candy sooner than expected. To prevent this, hand out the candy yourself so that you have control over the quantity that each 'trick-or-treater' gets.
•  No One Is Home - the last way to save money is to not give out any candy - this will likely prove to be the most cost-effective method but the least favorable among the 'trick-or-treaters'.