Anyone else a scrooge and NOT give out Halloween candy?

[LiLIrishChick63]

i think that $20 isn't that bad to spend on candy. you could always go to the dollar store and pick up some bags. they're not as great as the grocery store bags, but they're sure as hell much cheaper. when you run out just turn your light off or just don't answer the door.

my mother doesn't like to give out candy either, but that's just because she's lazy and doesn't like answering the door.


i hope you do the candy when you have kids. it'll ruin the whole halloween thing if mom and dad aren't into the holiday.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

We always give out candy, but my mom decided she's not going to do it this year. She's one of those people who decorates for every holiday and she used to love seeing all the kid's costumes. She said the last few years there were just too many disrespectful teens banging on her door late at night, no costumes, smoking and throwing trash on her lawn.

see, my city's got it down. i don't live in exactly the BEST city, but our city has a cerfew on halloween night. it's usually by 8pm all trick-or-treaters have to be off the streets. cops will usually patrol nearby to make sure, but we've only ever gotten maybe 1 or 2 people knocking after 8 in the past 6 years or so.

 

[Clotho]

I am so jealous of you guys in "busy" neighborhoods! when we bought our house, our first, we were so excited as a newlywed couple to have our first Halloween (my favorite holiday, BTW). We decorated and carved pumpkins and bought great candy for the kids and mini-liquors for the chaperones...and at the end of the night we had maybe 4 small groups come to the door, and our pumpkins got kicked in by teenagers.

Now we just go out and party. We love dressing up, we watch Rocky Horror as our "holiday special", drink, eat lots of junk food, go out to clubs with parties...we love it. But I would trade a smidge of it for some trick-or-treaters and no teens ruining our hard work...

 

[Stitchfans]

We normally don't get that many kids so I usually have some left over.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We are blessed to not have many treaters to our home. But my girls still like to get the candy so we can give it out.

I think it is a fun tradition and have no problems if anyone chooses not to for whatever reason..just please turn off the porch light if you aren't giving out candy or other goodies.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I love handing out candy, seeing the trick or treaters, walking around with our kids (I'm down to only walking around with our 6yo now), and all the activity of Halloween (except for our dogs, who get so wound up...). However, if it would put a serious crimp in your budget to buy the candy, don't do it. Turn your porchlight off and don't answer the door (or go somewhere for the night). Some people don't observe for a variety of reasons and there's nothing wrong with that.

As far as handing out candy, I'll do it to anyone who comes to the door (even the adults who look hungry ), however, I give more to the little kids. I have a son who's now 13yo who is really growing out of ToTing, but he loves candy and I know is going this year. I'm ok with him going as long as he dresses up. I figured that last year would be his last year, but greed is getting the best of him. I'm assuming that by next year he'll move to Halloween parties, instead.

 

[WDWfan36]

Me too!!! I spend way too much on groceries. You could give lessons.

But really, if you can't afford it, it's completely understandable to not give out candy.

YES Teach Us!

 

[MrsPete]

When we lived at our old house, we had TONS of trick-or-treaters because we lived in one of the few neighborhoods waaaaay out in the country. I enjoyed putting together nice little treat bags for the kids in our neighborhood, but I resented the large numbers of people who brought literally truckloads of kids in to trick-or-treat. These people would drive into our neighborhood, stop the truck, and drive down the road slowly while the 20 or so kids ran from house to house, then they'd all pile back into the truck and go somewhere else.

That's not trick-or-treating. That's not enjoying the costume, showing it off to the neighborhoods, and -- oh yeah -- getting a little bit of candy along the way. Instead, that's taking your kids out BEGGING.

I also agree with what someone else said about costumes. If you're too old to dress up, you're too old to trick-or-treat. If you're old enough to dress as a hooker -- a VERY COMMON COSTUME, by the way -- you're too old to trick-or-treat. I remember when my brother and I were seniors in high school, my parents FORCED us to take the three younger siblings trick-or-treating. We certainly didn't have costumes, and we were so ashamed of being out trick-or-treating that we hid in the bushes where we could assure the little ones' safety without being seen.

After the first couple years of that, we started preparing nice treat bags for the little kids who'd come around early . . . then we'd turn off the porch light.

Now we attend a church that does a huge fall festival, and we always take part in that. We donate candy to that event, and we work at the little games: golf games, fishing games, inflatible slides, etc. As a result, we do not do candy at home.

 

[KirstenB]

I'll be very candid and say I don't understand this. Even before kids, we loved seeing all the little ones dressed up, and seeing how excited they got when we handed out candy. I guess we've always gone overboard the other way, and tried to figure out what the "cool yummy candy" was. If you were truly strapped for cash, I'd sympathize.

I almost didn't post, because I don't want to be mean. Having grown up poor myself, I just don't understand not wanting to see the kids and see them happy.

 

[AKLRULZ]

DAGONE! Our weekly bill for groceries for 5 people is $250-300!! What are y'all eating - Ramen Noodles?!

We actually purchase a bulk carton of full size candy bars for the neighborhood kids we know well and a bag or two of fun sized bars for those who we don't know. It's a lot of fun.

 

[Sparx]

I always give out candy- I usually dress up even. But, to address a pp's comments: here's my rule-

No costume, no candy. NOT at my house! You can't just wear regular clothes and put a mask on and expect me to give away my delicious chocolate for your half-a**ed effort. (BTW- this is specifically directed towards older trick-or-treaters, whom have become greedy and out-of-hand).

Around here, that doesn't happen to often. We have highschool kids who go all out on costumes and go trickortreating. Sometimes the older kids look better than the little ones.
But we do get a few thug looking kids who were kind of scary, so we gave them candy anyway.

 

[teacherforhi]

When we lived at our old house, we had TONS of trick-or-treaters because we lived in one of the few neighborhoods waaaaay out in the country. I enjoyed putting together nice little treat bags for the kids in our neighborhood, but I resented the large numbers of people who brought literally truckloads of kids in to trick-or-treat. These people would drive into our neighborhood, stop the truck, and drive down the road slowly while the 20 or so kids ran from house to house, then they'd all pile back into the truck and go somewhere else.

That's not trick-or-treating. That's not enjoying the costume, showing it off to the neighborhoods, and -- oh yeah -- getting a little bit of candy along the way. Instead, that's taking your kids out BEGGING.

So if you live out in the country you're not allowed to go trick-or-treating? Or are the cows supposed to give out the candy?

When we were little we would go to our relatives' houses and stop by their neighbors. Guess we were just out begging.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

DAGONE! Our weekly bill for groceries for 5 people is $250-300!! What are y'all eating - Ramen Noodles?!

OMG, what are you eating? I'm not sure how much exactly we spend on groceries, but I'd guess probably $150/week. Usually I spend under $100/week for my normal shopping trip, but I do go to Costco or Sam's and sometimes another grocery store so I get some of my groceries at those other places some weeks. I should keep track, but I don't think it's much over $150/week. And there are 5 of us, with 2 of the kids being teenagers, all of us eating lunches from home (my DH works at home).

But we do spend a lot on Halloween candy.

 

[EthansMom]

If you don't want to give out candy on Halloween, then just turn off your outdoor lights and don't put out a Jack-o-lantern. Most parents teach their kids to only go to houses that have lights on. There's nothing wrong with not giving out Halloween candy.

We have a "limited access" neighborhood with only two ways in or out. Before we moved here, people from outlying areas would drop their kids off... SIL down the street said she would get around 200 kids and the vandalism from older kids was outrageous.

Then two years ago, the police closed off our neighborhood and would question anyone coming in on Halloween evening. Anyone without a good reason for being here was turned away. They also stepped up Halloween evening patrols. We still get some vandalism, but not as bad.

We get about 40 TorTers and about 10-15 are older kids who've made little effort at a costume. IMO, those kids' parents should be telling them to stay home and invite a few friends over for scary movies and snacks (which is what my family did as we got older). I still give the older kids candy, but tend to give them the candy that the younger kids are less likely to enjoy. For instance, I'll let younger kids take their pick out of my bowl and then when older kids come, I'll hand them the candy that the younger kids haven't been choosing.

 

[VSL]

Well, seeing as it's an American holiday, Halloween is weird over here. It's recognised, and all the shops have costumes to buy and stuff... but I find it strange because, to me, it would be like the US celebrating Guy Fawkes! And, as a result, it's not done 'right' over here.

But anyway...

Kids over here don't really go 'trick or treating'. They go 'Happy Halloweening' (at Christmas they basically do the same thing, but with no costumes... sometimes there's caroling). Most houses here give the first kids 50p-£2 (between them - not each!), and tell all groups that come afterwards - 'sorry, I've already given'. We don't really 'do' sweets or decorations for Halloween here.

Then the next week they come around asking for a 'penny for the Guy'.
Then it's Christmas.

 

[Keli]

I've always wished we had trick or treaters. I loved handing out candy at our other homes. The first year we bought this house I bought a bunch of candy and not one single kid showed up. Then it dawned on me, not one single kid lives on our street. And we are in such a rual area that a child would have to walk a mile to reach 7-10 homes anyway so no one's going to come from other streets either.
Now I know why my parents have so many trick or treaters. They live in the only small villiage in this part of our county. All the kids from my area are being driven or there to trick or treat. My parent's don't mind though. They love handing out the candy to all the little ones and the big ones!

 

[sweet angel]

I don't give out candy at my house.

Frankly, I have 2 dogs that bark constantly at anything coming near my property and I don't want to listen to it and have to wrestle them away from the door every time someone comes. Plus, the railing on my steps is broken and I don't want anyone leaning on it and possibly falling.

I'll close my gate, close my blinds, keep my light off and go to a friend's house with a bowl of candy. I'll hand my candy out there.

And sure, I like seeing happy kids, but I wouldn't go out and spend money I didn't have just so some stranger's kid wasn't disappointed. That just seems silly.

 

[Disneyland1084]

My neighborhood use to get between 60-100 trick or treaters every year. 2003 and 2004 was pretty hectic. Last year my DH and I bought a TON of candy. We didn't get nearly as many trick or treaters, so I was giving out like three large handfuls of candy to each kid that came to our door. We will still hand out candy this year, but won't buy nearly as much. Just two bags from Costco should do it, or Wal-Mart.

 

[Micca]

Iwon't be at home on Halloween night, so no candy this time.

 

[disykat]

I give out candy now that I know the neighborhood kids. Where I lived before I had kids, none of my neighbors had kids so I didn't know of anyone who would be coming. Call me a scrooge, but I don't think kids who don't know me from Adam should be coming to my door for candy.