What does $12.2 billion spending on Halloween says about our economy?

[Anonymous]

its a LOT IMO. I buy maybe $20-50 each year for each holiday in new decorations. We reuse the same paint to paint the pumpkin and make it a dinosaur with the kit I bought 2 years ago. I have hand towels and cute decorations and $5 wreath from Target on the door. All repurposed from the years prior. My son's costume is from Costco for $25 and we will sell it for next year or give to a friend with a younger/smaller kid or add to our dress up collection.

I pretty much do the same for each holiday (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines Day, Easter, 4th)- some gel clings for the windows that get reused each year, a wreath, maybe a door mat, some towels and usually handmade kid decorations. This year I bought fall-colored blankets for the season. Next year I'll buy some cute fall-colored pillows. Same with Christmas. I have some "winter" blankets (think plaid or really plush white throws) but need some velvet pillows for winter. That'll be my addition for this year.

Christmas is a bit more expensive, but our budget is $1500 for everything- tree, decorations, all gifts, food, hosting supplies, etc.

I do not understand the bales of hay and multiple pumpkins and gourds and inflatables. I like to look at Southern Living magazine but I dont think every house needs to try to emulate it. And if you do, it comes over time while you accrue pieces that can be repurposed.

[Anonymous]

Its bot just wastage of money but also so environmentally damaging and disrespecting inequality.

[Anonymous]

*not

[Anonymous]

With online access to colorful junk, consumers are easily coerced into buying wasteful junk. Just go to suburbs and see how many 12 feet skeletons there are, it wasn't even a thing before China started sending cheap plastic crap.

[Anonymous]

I probably spent $100-150 on Halloween this year - new costume for DD, pumpkins, candy for ToT and a new witch/tree decoration since our old one ripped last year. We have some other decorations I've been using for around 10 years and will keep using. Seems quite reasonable.

[Anonymous]

Source:

https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/halloween-spending-reach-record-122-billion-participation-exceeds-pre

From the National Retail Federation, which has an incentive to up the numbers, so it's probably overstating things.

"...consumers plan to spend a record $108.24 each."

Of the $12.2 billion, it's $4.1 b on costumes, $3.9 b on decorations, and $3.6 b on candy. So that's about $30-$40 per person average on each. That's certainly more than we spend and strikes me as a lot, but for most people it's not going to send them into bankruptcy.

[Anonymous]

There's a house near me that has enough pumpkins and decorative gourds out front to fill at the least, the bed of a pickup truck. It bothers me that all those pumpkins and squash are just going to go in the trash even though I know that's somewhat irrational.

[Anonymous]

That our priorities are messed up.

[Anonymous]

I love giving out (full size!) candy to adorable children and there is nothing cuter than my dog in a wig!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People spend on the little treats they can afford since home ownership and other middle class milestones are unfathomable.

This. We get a lot of joy out of our $20 pet costume and Halloween decorations.

My kids have more fun on Halloween than almost any other holiday. I agree that you don't have to spend on ridiculous yard inflatables, but they get into planning costumes, decorating, and carving pumpkins.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love giving out (full size!) candy to adorable children and there is nothing cuter than my dog in a wig!

Preach!

These complainers are likely the same people complaining about loveless/sexless marriages in the relationship forum.

It’s okay to be happy and have fun!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's a house near me that has enough pumpkins and decorative gourds out front to fill at the least, the bed of a pickup truck. It bothers me that all those pumpkins and squash are just going to go in the trash even though I know that's somewhat irrational.

Ohhhhh, walked by a gorgeous house like that in Georgetown last weekend. It’s beautiful but I thought to myself “that’s $1,000 worth of pumpkins” I can’t imagine spending that for maybe 6 weeks of decor every year. On the bright side, it’s not plastic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love giving out (full size!) candy to adorable children and there is nothing cuter than my dog in a wig!

Preach!

These complainers are likely the same people complaining about loveless/sexless marriages in the relationship forum.

It’s okay to be happy and have fun!

We have lots of fun without wasteful oversized stuff. That you think bigger and more equals happier says volumes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love giving out (full size!) candy to adorable children and there is nothing cuter than my dog in a wig!

Preach!

These complainers are likely the same people complaining about loveless/sexless marriages in the relationship forum.

It’s okay to be happy and have fun!

We have lots of fun without wasteful oversized stuff. That you think bigger and more equals happier says volumes.

Who said anything about wasteful oversized stuff?! You think those kids won’t eat a full size candy bar? My dog’s wig is not oversized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love giving out (full size!) candy to adorable children and there is nothing cuter than my dog in a wig!

Preach!

These complainers are likely the same people complaining about loveless/sexless marriages in the relationship forum.

It’s okay to be happy and have fun!

We have lots of fun without wasteful oversized stuff. That you think bigger and more equals happier says volumes.

Yet you seem to waste a lot of time looking down on others for personal choices. Something tells me you don’t know much about fun. People having fun aren’t wringing their hands over a random neighbor’s Halloween display.