Updated April 11, 2016

Infographic: Halloween Statistics


Halloween is quickly approaching (it's a tad creepy how fast it seems to come every year!) and that means that it's time to purchase candy, costumes, decorations and other party supplies to make this year spooktacular. Before you pull out your credit card and do some serious shopping, take a look at the amount that Americans spend for Halloween. The numbers may shock you.

To help you ensure that you don’t get too overwhelmed with sticker shock, we’ve included some tips on what you can do this Halloween to make it more affordable.

The Cost

Between candy, costumes, accessories, decorations and parties, Halloween can become an expensive holiday. Here are just a couple of facts for you to consider:

  • The eight-week period leading up to Halloween accounts for $1.9 billion in candy sales
  • In 2009, Halloween costume sales exceeded $6 billion, with adult costumes accounting for 62 percent of those sales
  • Eighty-six percent of Americans decorate their homes for Halloween (and with any decoration undertaking, it’s never cheap)
  • Halloween is the third biggest party day of the year

Even More this Year

Of course, just like every other product we purchase, the cost of Halloween supplies is increasing. The following is the average cost and the percent increase of price in 2008 compared to 2007:

  • Costume hair coloring: $4.42 (125.5% increase)
  • False eyelashes and accessories: $3.91 (9.5% increase)
  • False nails and nail decorations: $4.59 (3.2% increase)
  • Candy: $3.59 (2.9% increase)

It might not seem like a lot, but when you have several people who need costumes and then you add on the price of candy and party items, Halloween can create a serious credit card bill.

Money Saving Tips

Before you start sweating about the costs and try to cancel Halloween (that may cause your kids to revolt), consider the following money saving tips:

  • Take advantage of your rewards or cash back credit card—these cards allow you to earn incentives for each dollar you spend. It’s like putting cash back in your wallet and will help you off-set the increased expenses in October.
  • Utilize your accrued rewards—if you have already been using a rewards credit card, check your points balance. You probably could redeem your points for a gift card that you can use to purchase candy or Halloween costumes.
  • Check out Craigslist and thrift stores—many people use their Halloween costumes once and then either sell them or donate them. Because they were worn for just a couple of hours, they are typically in great shape. You may also want to consider a costume swap with your friends and family.
  • Look for coupons—check online, in the mail box and the local newspaper for coupons before you go shopping. If you plan your shopping trips accordingly, you could see quite a bit of savings.
  • Make it a potluck—instead of hosting a full Halloween feast, ask your friends to contribute to your Halloween party by bringing their favorite spooky treat. Hold a contest and have everyone vote on their favorite dish.

As you can see, these tips are easy to do and won’t waste a bunch of time. And when you put these tricks to work, you’ll help make this Halloween a real treat without blowing your budget!

Meghan C is a contributing writer at CreditDonkey, a credit card comparison and reviews website. Write to Meghan C at meghan@creditdonkey.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for our latest posts.

Comments about Infographic: Halloween Statistics
  • Laura@Catharsis from Michigan
    on October 2011 said:

    I am happy to say that I don't usually spend a lot at Halloween. I try to get my costume and my kids' costumes as hand-me-downs or on the cheap. Thanks for the money saving tips, though. Some things are just too expensive to be purchased.

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