How Much Will Halloween Candy Cost in Central Minnesota This Year

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) - It’s almost time for trick-or-treating, and if you haven’t stocked up yet, remember to bring extra cash. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says inflation has found the candy aisle.

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Halloween candy is projected to be up 13% this year.

While the cost of eggs may save a few homes this fall, nobody wants to be the “bad house” on the block, so we did a little comparison shopping to find the answers to your Halloween questions.

What’s the cheapest Halloween candy?

We shopped at Target in St. Cloud, and they had rows full of Halloween candy. It was easy to find the favorites. We assumed that most will give out the fun-sized candy bars (at least I’m not THAT house), so we priced out those bags. Using the posted price for candy, before any sales or discounts, here’s the price per piece:

Double Bubble bubble gum: $0.04
Smarteez: $0.04
Hershey Kisses: $0.05
Variety bag of Skittles and Starburst: $0.10
Haribo Gummy Bears: $0.11
Variety bag of Hershey, Almond Joy, Whoppers, and Milk Duds: $0.12
Sour Patch Kids: $0.13
Variety bag of M&M’s, Twix, Snickers, and Starburst: $0.13
Variety bag of Baby Ruth, Butterfinger, Crunch, and 100 Grand: $0.13
Fun Size Snickers: $0.19
Fun Size Twix: $0.19
Reese's Cups: $0.27

Where’s the biggest bang for the buck?

Using those prices, it’s pretty obvious a single piece of bubble gum is the cheapest option for trick-or-treaters. It’s also the option most likely to get your house egged.

What’s the biggest grab?

You want to seem like a big spender when you get a knock at the door. So, using those prices here’s a “price per knock” guide:

$0.25 per door knock:

2 Smarteez – 1 Double Bubble - 1 Fun size candy bar
2 Skittles – 1 Hershey Kiss
1 Haribo Gummy Bear – 1 Starburst – 1 Smarteez

$0.50 per door knock:

1 M&M – 1 Almond Joy – 1 Baby Ruth – 1 Haribo Gummy Bear
1 Reese's Cup – 1 Sour Patch Kids – 1 Starburst
1 Snickers – 1 Twix – 1 KitKat

If you’re like me, I tell the kids to “take whatever you want”. After all, I have to eat the extras! If you were to buy the candy listed above, it averages out to $0.22 per piece on average – but remember, the Reese's Cups will go first!

Grab any 3:

Any three items (random): $0.67

Grab Any 5:

Any five items (random): $1.12