So here’s how Halloween goes every year for me: I buy candy early because I’m trying to be on the ball and I can normally find a great sale on it {and they practically put it out in July, so it tempts me every time I pass by it for months!!}, and then I eat it. The whole bag. And so I buy more. And then I eat more. Wash, rinse, repeat. How, after this many years on Trick-or-treat duty, have I not learned?
The only way to avoid this sugar-binge cycle is to wait until the day of Halloween to buy candy. I know this. But do you think I ever do this? Um, heck NO! You know that slogan “No one can eat just one?” I think it was for chips or something, but it really should be a warning label slapped onto every bag of tasty Halloween candy instead of used as a slogan. I can totally eat just one potato chip. That’s easy. One Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup? Not a chance. I have no willpower when it comes to candy. None. It’s probably why I have such crappy British teeth. Who knows?!
Anyway, my question is this: When do you buy your candy to pass out to trick-or-treaters? If you buy it early, how in the heck do you keep from eating it? Lock it in a safe? Have a neighbor keep it safe for you? Whats’ the secret? Do share…
*wipes chocolate crumbs off computer so typing can continue*
~Mavis
Kate says
I wait until a few days before, and I buy *mostly* candy I don’t like. I can’t stay out of it… so I only buy 1-2 bags of stuff I like, and I leave in the packages on the bench by the front door. That way I’m not looking at it often and if the package is sealed, it makes too much noise if I try to get some!
Randi says
I buy candy i don’t like a week or so before Halloween, otherwise if there are Resees anywhere in the vicinity there is nothing but wrappers
Another Lisa says
I buy some expensive but good quality chocolate and then treat myself to a few squares everyday, after my workout meal. Then I’m not depriving myself and I can remember the cheap candy as waxy and too sweet. There’s no contest in my mind : )
Jamie says
I actually gave it to my neighbor to hold onto one year. Unfortunately I will eat candy, even if I don’t like it and it’s in the house. This year I will be in China for Halloween, so no temptations, especially since we bought the huge Halloween Playdoh pack from Costco to give out. My teenagers think it’s great to give out, even to our teenage trick-or-treaters. Too bad I bought so much candy in Europe last month, the temptation is real!!!
TJD says
Hehehee.. So funny. Candy comments rolling in, but nary a one on the broccoli salad! (which looks wonderful)
I don’t have trick-or-treaters anymore. Our downtown vendors always have a Halloween walk for the kids. They had out treats and the stores stay open late.
I buy Halloween candy AFTER Halloween for our ’emergency’ chocolate at work. We keep it in our locker room and anyone can have a nibble if they are having ‘one of those days’ everyone contributes so it’s a good thing.
vicki says
This year I am going to try waiting until the last minute to buy candy so I won’t get into it. I was at Target the other day and saw Bag of 400 pieces. I have to admit I drooled a little.
Pamela says
I don’t give out candy. Many times I am at work on Halloween. BUT that isn’t to say I don’t buy ANY candy. I usually buy 1 bag of candy corn and that satisfies me. Sometimes a 6 pk of Reese’s pumpkins. BUT the biggest problem I have is where I work sells candy …. like good candy, out of a candy case. Most every holiday we get “special” candy for that particular holiday. Let’s put it this way…we are not forbidden to sample. Need I say more?
Brianna says
I am always by myself on Halloween with 3 little kids, so I prefer to take them trick or treating rather than hand out and buycandy. I tried leaving a bowl out with candy once, but some kids took it all rather than a few pieces. After we trick or treat for 30 minutes or so then we head home. We pour it into a bowl and quickly separate chocolate, keep (15-20pc per kid) and hate/other pile. I then spend my evening with the kids handing out the hate/other pile to trick or treaters. I package the chocolate pile to ship off the same evening. I only keep 5 pieces for myself. I never shop for candy at the store unless it is for a project or school list.
LIVINGRICHONTHECHEAP says
We have anywhere from 30-70 trick or treaters per year depending on the weather. Now that there are no longer kids at home whatever is left ends up getting both in advance and after halloween. I am exactly like you. Chocolate is my vice. Hubby loves chips. We are more health-conscious this year but…….am thinking I likely will fall into the same old trap. Buy it on sale, eat it, buy more, get fat and have to walk even more damn miles on my fit bit!
Yvette says
Where’s the “like” button for this? Haha.
Cheri says
I buy it just before Halloween to catch the best sales…and to keep it safe from my prying fingers.
Deborah McGeary says
Buy whatever kind of candy treats you personally don’t like.
Or give out something other than candy! You are a creative person,
think of something, pencils, pennies, whatever….
bobbi says
I live on 10 acres in the woods. No one has been brave enough come down our spooky driveway in 60+ years to get candy so we don’t buy it. 🙂
Marcia says
We don’t usually buy much candy, and we wait until the last minute. First, we have little kids so we are out, not at home. Second, I don’t want my kids to eat that much candy either. Then we end up with a ton leftover. Ugh.
Anyway, this last few years I’ve been trying to get all “green” and all. So I’ve been looking for candy that doesn’t use child labor (hard to find), and I’ve also been trying to avoid a lot of trash. So, the temptation to eat the candy myself is gone (for the child labor AND the trash reason – I’ve been buying candy in bulk bins & reusing my own bags to avoid the trash). Mostly chocolate chips, which are more expensive in bulk by about 2x, but then I’m not creating trash from the plastic bag. I’ve been eating a lot of chocolate chips lately though.
So in theory, I could buy the candy ahead of time and not eat it because of my own self-imposed crazy rules.
Candy C. says
Haven’t bought any yet and only will if it is dark chocolate. Doesn’t entice me as it once did. Live up on a hill in country so no trick or treaters. Worked as a manager at a chocolate store for 6 years. I was told by the owner that I had to try everything in the store so I can describe clearly to customers what it tasted like and also to test all the chocolate covered peanut and peanut butter items to be sure they hadn’t gone rancid..which can happen in the summer even if it is air conditioned in the store. Think I a sugared out. Rather have savory now..or occasionally dark chocolate.
Mavis Butterfield says
I would love that job!
Carrie Council says
I worked at a fudge and ice cream shop one summer in college. I did not grow tired of chocolate!
Elaine says
I buy candy I don’t like. However I love the suggestion of not buying any and then handing out what we don’t like! I throw away candy EVERY year… thankfully my son doesn’t have a sweet tooth! Here is a hilarious Halloween story that will make the budget conscious cringe… My older brothers first year living alone as a bachelor, he bought one bag of candy (as if!) not realizing he lived in a total Kid Zone and ran out within 30 min. He was so desperate he ran up to the DELI (we live in NY) and bought ALL of the FULL size Snickers bar and Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups and handed them out!! Needless to say he was the most popular house until he ran out again and just shut off the light! 15 years later we still laugh about it!
Diane says
There are so few (or ZERO) trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood, most years, that we finally got smart and stopped buying candy (which we usually ended up eating most of, anyway, and I hardly need the sugar/calories). We keep the front of the house buttoned up and dark on Halloween night. I feel kind of nostalgic about the rampant trick-or-treating of my youth, but a lot of families just don’t do that anymore.
Deborah from Texas says
Well . . . since we have 11 grandchildren and one great grandchild, we keep some kind of candy on hand all the time. And if I have a sweets attack (shh, too often), I eat some and have to buy more. So do t feel alone. You have company. Want to come over for chocolate?
Tracy says
After 25 years doing the Halloween thing, now I pull the drapes closed, turn off the outside lights and have a little par-yay on my own!
Linda Sand says
We no longer get trick or treaters but when we did we would save coins all year, dump them into a bowl, and let kids grab some. The kids were happy, it felt like ti didn’t cost us anything, and we didn’t mind having leftovers. 🙂
linda says
We live in a gated community in the country which decided years ago to forego allowing kids to walk the dark streets to collect treats. The POA collects candy donations before Halloween (and Easter, too) and has a big kids party in the community building. Over the years they’ve built little houses so the kids can go door to door in one safe area, and volunteers staff those houses, giving out the donated candy. It is very popular, and since we are located 5 miles from the nearest town, it works well.
As for the broccoli salad, I use a similar recipe, but I add peanuts and raisins instead of cashews and craisins. It’s one of my grandsons favorite things. YUM!
renay says
When my son was about 2 we went first to the neighbors across the street for his first trick or treating… They had $100,000 Bars. I had one that night because I hadn’t had one in so long and oh, mama, were they good! Living on a busier street, we don’t get a lot of trick or treaters so I called her up a couple days later and said hey, got any candy left? And she said she threw it away so they wouldn’t eat it. I said NEVER THROW AWAY CHOCOLATE AS LONG AS YOU LIVE ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME!!! ha!
Gloria says
Short answer for why you can’t stop eating candy is dopamine. Studies show it rewards your brain and becomes as addictive as crack, really. The solution is to not eat that first piece or, as you said, don’t buy it until the day you need it. Or buy stickers and playdough and bookmarks. ☺
Love Lozz says
We don’t give out candy…we give out bubbles..toothbrushes and toothpaste but thing that really went over big was 2 minute timers …that look a tooth…kids love it
tia in boise says
What I do: I hide it (so kids and DH won’t eat)–I’m usually pretty good about it because I’m cheap and don’t want to buy more! I usually buy 2 months or so before….when there is a good sale and coupons available.
I’m a teacher and give my students their favorite candy bar for their birthdays–I buy them in the summer (just have to guess at what they’ll want based on past years) when they are on sale–refuse to buy a regular sized candy bar for more than $.50. I FINALLY learned to keep those in the freezer so I wouldn’t eat them and have to replace. (I can’t stand frozen candy–I know that doesn’t work for everyone.)
Mavis Butterfield says
I LOVE frozen chocolate!!! And, that is very sweet of you to do that for your students.
Mel says
My husband buys cases of full-size candy bars for Halloween. However, we’ve never had a single trick-or-treater (we are the youngest couple in the neighborhood), so we end up having to eat it ourselves. It lasts until about Easter. But, our closest neighbors now have a toddler, so we’re trying to make trick-or-treating a thing. The neighbor is a pilot, so we bought plane-shaped lollipop molds and are going to make chocolate airplane lollipops for them this year.
Cheryl says
I am a diabetic and might two to three fun size bars over the month of October. Have your dh his them for you. Cheryl
Lace Faerie says
We do buy early and often! Sometimes after, too. HH loves after Easter sales best, he loves Starburst jelly beans. I love chocolate!
I miss having trick or treaters. Only three little ones on the block, with a new developement around the corner, hope springs eternal.
My in-laws have always given away full sized packages of microwave popcorn. It was a pretty popular stop in our neighborhood. I had no idea in high school that my future husband lived 8 doors down in the house with all the roses and the yappy dog!?!
Mable says
THAT IS A GREAT IDEA! I eat even candy I don’t like so try to give out something else. One year it was cans of pop, another year bags of chips. The year I gave out raisins one child was rude enough to tell me, “If I wanted healthy snacks I would trick or treat in my own house!” (Kid appeared to be about 11). I am going to buy popcorn this year!! Thanks for the suggestion.
Kate says
We live in the country and don’t get trick or treaters anymore. The trend is to drive into the pricey neighborhoods. So, we stock up on candy the day AFTER Halloween enough to last us until the next candylicious holiday. Then we repeat the process.
Practical Parsimony says
I was buying early and eating it and rebuying like you do. Freezing it is not good, because I can still hear chocolate calling my name. Since I have diabetes, I would buy a bag, take out a few in the store and give the rest to the cashier. This year, I don’t think I will buy any since for the last few years I have not put out candy. The front of the house is dark, and I stay in the back and watch tv in the dark. I will eat anything chocolate. Tootsie Rolls are one of my favorites.
Aunt G says
We live too far out for trick or treaters so we don’t buy candy. It wouldn’t tempt me anyway. I would rather have a second helping of whatever is for supper. I guess everybody is different…
Carrie Council says
I’m becoming cranky about trick or treating. I am childless at 30 and I live in a very family friendly neighborhood. I love seeing my neighbors dressed up but what I hate is the van loads of kids that are trucked in from other neighborhoods. I’d say 200 kids ring my bell, less than 20 actually live in my neighborhood. Almost every church has a free event with candy so I’m not sure why people feel the need to bring kids into neighborhoods where they don’t live. I started to limit the candy I buy to 100 pieces and have to turn off my lights once it’s gone. I can’t really afford to buy any candy at all but I love my neighbors and I know Halloween is special to the kids.
I have noticed the kids prefer sour, non-chocolate candies. I love the dark chocolate kit kats so I buy a bag of those (steal some for myself) and usually go with Nerds, Sweettarts or similar for the majority of the trick or treaters.
Lisa MTB says
Huh, I had never thought about it, but I’m sure that’s exactly why holiday candy goes on the shelves so early– so people will buy more than they intend (on multiple shopping trips).
Pam H says
I was eating from the first bag of candy for the season when I got this email. I totally do the same thing. I can buy it the night before and usually be ok. But any earlier than that and I eat it. Yummy.
Nan says
Giving out candy on Halloween night is a pleasure for me! It must stem from my days as a kid in Iowa. Believe me, we pretty much ran for 3 hours and got lots of candy. I buy the full sized bars and actually have 4 boxes now- 18 to a box so I think I’m set. I usually only have 50-60 kids. I haven’t given them a thought- today candy just doesn’t call my name like salty foods or good homemade desserts. The leftovers will go to the grandsons who love candy.
Christy L says
WE try not to give out candy, kids get so much of it. We have done bags of pretzels or a small toy like stickers or temporary tattoos. Then after Halloween I shop for the candy I like and stash it way to consume when desired.
Ashley C. says
If I know it is for something specific then I won’t touch it. However, I do have to buy the candies that my husband does NOT like if I want it to last until Halloween. I also have five kids so of course I have a hiding place from them lol.
AlysonRR says
I possibly have 3 candy bars a year. One year I bought some good dark chocolate truffles from Costco – the 120 pieces lasted 2 years 🙂 I have one kid like me and one that we have to hide candy from or it’s gone in a week, max.
However, a bag of potato chips doesn’t last a day in my house. The kids know they have to hide their special flavors from me – if it’s crunchy and salty, I can’t stop 🙁