Halloweconomics

[NeverMore]

Says here that the U.S. is expected to spend about $8 billion this year on Halloween. Whew! Up 17.5% from last year.

Thanks to work being slow and a bunch of unexpected expenses, I'm actually going to spend less. Maybe about $200 total, which includes the fifty or so I spent growing the pumpkins. Then again, we've been eating out of the garden and now have irrigation for next year so that pretty much evens out. Not to mention, I'll probably end up with 20 pumpkins which would have cost me close to $100 alone.

How much you guys plan on spending?

[Demonic Duck]

Thusfar we have spent $303.75 unless I paid for something in cash and forgot about it. We're not done either we still have to buy the food for our party, pumpkins and also haven't gotten a new piece for our Department 56 Halloween Village. So I would estimate at least another $200.

[NeverMore]

It sort of figures that people who spend time on a Halloween forum would spend more than the national average.

I want to go to the other Halloween Expresses to see if they have one of those photo ops from the TV show last night but I know I'll walk out with at least $50 worth of merchandise.

[Demonic Duck]

I don't think we have any Halloween Expresses near us this year. Halloween City seems to have more and Spirit seems to be less. The nearest Spirit still has stuff in boxes when I looked through the window. So we drove 20 mins yesterday to get to one.

[witchy]

I've sent about $100.00, but my dad has spent $400,00 on me for my birthday, we usually don't spent that much, this is the first year my dad ever bought me Halloween stuff. My birthday is in Dec, and he usually forgets it, so this year he said he want to make up for all the gifts he forgot to get me, I kept telling him I don't need anything, but he insisted, I have the best dad in the world!!! He said now he know what to get me every year, Halloween stuff, he actually loved shopping for it too.

[Demonic Duck]

That is awesome of your dad Witchy. Neither my parents or my inlaws are that into Halloween.

[Boogeyman]

I don't think we have any Halloween Expresses near us this year. Halloween City seems to have more and Spirit seems to be less. The nearest Spirit still has stuff in boxes when I looked through the window. So we drove 20 mins yesterday to get to one.

While I rarely buy anything there, I love walking through the Spirit Halloween stores more than any other. When all of their displays are set up, it is pretty cool. Michael's is a close second. Maybe that is because I love the Lemax Spookytown village collection.

I rarely spend anything on Halloween. I think the most I have ever spent is $50. I like most of the decor that I have. If I buy anything else, something that is on display now, would not be up. I don't have that much room. All of my table space or flat surfaces are spoken for.

[Demonic Duck]

My problem is I would drop the money on some of the awesome animatronics they have there but I would want to put them outside. However all of them say at best for sheltered outdoor use. My lawn has no shelter at all. Sigh my next house will have a front porch for sure.

[Pumpkin_Man]

I'm the resident cheap skate. I only spend my Grim Reaper money, and I bought myself a bag ful of balloons that have LEDs in them so when you blow the balloons up they glow. OF course, I did spend about 50 dollars on orange smoke bombs last June that I planed to use for the ToTers, so I gues I'm not so cheap after all.

Mike

[Murfreesboro]

So far all I have spent is for a few Halloween-themed magazines and a pair of cookie cutters (I needed a skull one I didn't have to make some Day of the Dead cookies). I will most certainly be buying candy for the ToTers, but otherwise have no big plans to spend lots of $$. I will have to buy a few pumpkins closer on to the day. Oh, and I guess I've bought a new Halloween DVD or two.

My daughter played a zombie in a school talent show a week or so back, so if she costumes, I will encourage her to do that. I don't know what she plans for Halloween itself, though. I have gotten her a couple of adorable Halloween-themed Hello Kitty t-shirts which she seems to love. I guess those cost me just under $20 together. And the DVDs were about $20 together. And the cookie cutters were about $2. So I guess I've spent a little under $50 already, not counting the mags.

I always re-use my decorations, and I have quite a few, so I don't really need to spend a lot on yard or house stuff at this point

[witchy]

I got a Dept. 56 Witch house and my Lab guy this year, and some scary portraits, I also picked up some stuff for my grim reaper and some party supplies for my Halloween party. Oh I almost forgot I got a Halloween tee shirt too, love it!!! I still need a pumpkin to carve and some trick or treat candy too, then I'm done, I think!!!

[Demonic Duck]

Witchy which Witch house did you get? I haven't gotten my yearly building yet hopefully this weekend if budget allows.

[NeverMore]

Witchy which witch house. Hee hee.

Hey Witchy, didn't anyone tell you they don't celebrate Halloween in New Mexico? Hee hee. Are you going to be near Carlsbad Caverns? If so, make sure you go there as the sun goes down. Watch the cloud of bats arise out of the cave (in my spookiest voice).

I think we should start a thread to come up with a name for SpookyBK's baby. Something Halloweeny sounding.

[Demonic Duck]

I would love to see the bat cloud.

[Boogeyman]

I think we should start a thread to come up with a name for SpookyBK's baby. Something Halloweeny sounding.

Casper sounds good. Or Vlad if you really want to be out there.