MW Some people are spending $200 on Halloween candy - and others are skipping the holiday - as 'greedy' trick-or-treaters spoil the fun

By Charles Passy

Forget fun-size candy - these days, the pressure is on to dole out full-size chocolate bars and more

Some households are reporting spending more than $200 on Halloween candy this year.

Are kids becoming too greedy when it comes to Halloween trick-or-treating - and making the holiday so expensive it's scary?

That's the question some people may be asking as they stock up on Halloween candy, with the holiday just weeks away. And it was something that Kelly Ripa, co-host of TV's "Live with Kelly and Mark," addressed recently in a rant that has gotten attention.

"You know, we give good candy. Full-size candy. You think they'd take the win and say, 'Thank you.' But they go, 'I don't like Hershey's, can I get a Snickers bar? I want Skittles,'" Ripa said.

Her solution? "I am tired of dealing with this. So, now I'm getting opaque bags and putting the candy in the bags and you get what you get. Bye-bye. See you later."

While Ripa was speaking about the situation in New York City, there are no shortage of people complaining about the Halloween greed factor wherever they live.

One commenter on Reddit took note of kids who "would grab a handful [of candy] when I would say 'grab 2 or 3.'" Another commenter observed: "It's not even little kids that are raiding the sweets, it's the older ones from 10-12 and teenagers and college kids that keep on taking the sweets."

Others describe scenarios even worse than that.

Jan Norris, a resident of Riviera Beach, Fla., had to leave her home for a few minutes during one recent Halloween. So she put up a sign asking trick-or-treaters to take a limited amount of candy. But when she returned, she found everything was gone.

"I couldn't get over the audacity," she told MarketWatch.

Neither could Enid, a New Jersey resident who declined to give her last name. Not only did trick-or-treaters take all her candy one year after she, too, left her treats unattended, but they also swiped her porcelain Halloween bowl. Even more disturbing: Someone played a prank and damaged her electric doorbell, necessitating a repair that cost several hundred dollars.

Enid told MarketWatch that she's given up on taking part in the Halloween ritual as a result. "We're lights off," she said.

Halloween is more expensive this year

Still, there are plenty of folks who continue to embrace the holiday - so much so that Halloween sales are projected to reach a record $13.1 billion this year, according to the National Retail Federation. Candy sales account for $3.9 billion of that total.

There do appear to be growing expectations of full-size candy bars being doled out instead of the mini or "fun size" versions that were long the Halloween norm.

But consumers may be feeling especially pinched this year when it comes to candy. Prices for the sweet treats are higher, particularly because of the rising cost of chocolate. Wells Fargo recently reported that cocoa prices have more than doubled since the beginning of 2024.

Tariffs have also had an impact on Halloween costs - most notably for decorations and costumes.

Combine the greed factor with the price hikes and you have a recipe for misery, some say. In certain cases, people are reporting that their candy budgets are now $200 or more.

The Moneyist (2024): This Halloween, I'm not buying candy for trick or treaters. I have better things to spend my money on. Am I a bad person?

Not that you can't find ways to save. Some consumers say they find deals by shopping at warehouse clubs like Costco $(COST)$, or through Amazon (AMZN). They can even find full-size bars at a decent price at those places.

"Even with concerns about price increases due to tariffs, Halloween continues to resonate with consumers of all ages," said Katherine Cullen, vice president of industry and consumer insights at the NRF.

But as the NRF data suggest, it doesn't look like folks are giving up on the idea of spending big for Halloween - just the opposite, in fact.

As for problematic and demanding trick-or-treaters, Darby Fox, a child and family therapist based in the New York metropolitan area, says that's symptomatic of the times.

"We don't teach manners anymore," she said.

Fox added that Halloween provides a good opportunity for parents to teach their children to be polite and graciously accept any treats they're offered. If anything, she suggests the holiday should be celebrated more as a fun, community event rather than a sugary free-for-all. "It shouldn't be about the candy," she said.

Some also suggest that people should put the greed factor into perspective. That's the view of Lizzie LeBontemps, an artist who has made a specialty of Halloween songs. She notes there are still plenty of grateful trick-or-treaters out there.

"I get rude, greedy kids every single year - and also every single year, I get polite, delightful ones who compliment my decorations and exclaim with a delighted 'Thank you!' when I hand them treats," LeBontemps said.

-Charles Passy

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October 18, 2025 10:00 ET (14:00 GMT)

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