Where to Find the Best Deals on Halloween Candy

Oct 10, 2020 | Holidays, Shopping Tips

Spooked about what Halloween might do to your budget? You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to get prepped for trick-or-treaters. These deals on Halloween candy are scary good!

woman giving candy to trick-or-treaters, from Fun Cheap or Free

Halloween will be here before you know it. Eek! Are you ready? Before you head out and start hunting for the best costumes, decorations, and goodies, make sure you know where to find the best deals on Halloween candy.

*NOTE: When you click the links in this post, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Candy sales aren’t just for November 1st — although we sure do love to stock up then! (Hello, 80% off.) Don’t let Halloween sneak up on you this year! We’ve scouted out all the best deals and even have some suggestions you can use if you don’t want to hand out candy. Let’s do this! 

DRUGSTORE & DISCOUNT STORE DEALS ON HALLOWEEN CANDY

While you’re running errands, stop by your favorite drugstore or discount retailer and grab a bag or two of candy. We won’t tell if you stash a bag for yourself! Here are a few stores to try:

  • CVS – If you’ve got ExtraCare Bucks to use, you can save some SERIOUS moola here. If you have one of the coveted $10 coupons, you can likely get all the candy you need for free! Sweet…literally
  • Walgreens – They often ofter BOGO deals on select candies. Check the walgreens.com website for weekly sales! 
  • Dollar Tree – It’s pretty hard to beat their prices! Stock up one $1 bags of candy and grab some porch decorations while you’re there. 
  • Dollar General – You can score name brand candy at a fraction of the price at Dollar General. Check out their rewards program, too! 
  • Family Dollar – They’ve got good deals on candy, decor, costumes, and more. Their familydollar.com website even has fun recipe ideas! 

We know things get busy, and it’s easy to procrastinate on shopping. The key to finding the best deals on Halloween candy is getting an early start! If you wait until the last minute, you may be forced to go over budget due to a lack of options. Plus, stores are known to jack up the prices just before October 31st!

STOCK UP ON CANDY AT THE BIG BOX STORES

Woman putting Halloween candy in a container, from Fun Cheap or Free

Some of the deals at the discount warehouses are just too good to pass up (we're talking to you, $5 rotisserie chickens)! But is buying in bulk the way to go for Halloween candy? Maybe. Here’s the skinny on finding big-box deals.

  • Costco – If you live in a popular neighborhood for trick-or-treaters, you may want to stock up in bulk. Just be wary of falling victim to the items that aren’t such a good deal! We’ve got advice for navigating Costco like a pro. If you’re a BJ’s or Sam’s member, you can find Halloween candy there, too!
  • Target – Is there anything Target doesn’t have?! They’ve got some of the best deals around on candy! Check out their variety packs. 
  • Walmart – Kids LOVE little dum dum lollipops, and you can get a BIG bag at Walmart for just a few bucks! A whole pound of candy for under $4, to be exact. 
  • Big Lots – We love stocking up on cleaning supplies at Big Lots, but they have great stuff for Halloween and Christmas, too! If you join BIG rewards, you can save 15% on your first purchase. 

Pro Tip: No time to head to the store? Don’t sleep on Amazon! They’ve got pretty much any candy you could think of in just about any quantity you could need. Take advantage of those Prime benefits

GROCERY STORE DEALS ON HALLOWEEN CANDY

You know those grocery flyers you get in the mail? Don’t toss them in the trash! They are pure GOLD when it comes to finding special deals. (And after you’re done with them, they make great table covers for craft projects with the kiddos!) Shop around and see which local grocer has the best price on Halloween candy. Here are a few suggestions for places to try:

  • Aldi – Aldi carries some pretty dang good store brand candy! And they’re known for their super affordable prices. Some even say their peanut butter cups are better than the name brand! You be the judge.
  • Lidl – This discount European grocer is known for its unique foods and stellar prices. And yes, they do carry candy! Sign up for myLidl rewards to save yourself even more money!
  • Trader Joe’s – Their Halloween gummies are a steal! And they’re made using all-natural ingredients, so you can feel good about passing them out to the neighborhood kiddos. 
  • Sprout’s Farmers Market – Yes, they’re known for their affordable health food, but Sprout’s loves Halloween. Be sure to check out their digital coupons before you head to the store! 

You can save room in the budget for special occasions like Halloween with just a bit of planning. We get loads of questions about grocery budgets, so if it overwhelms you, know that you’re not alone!  Learn how you can shop smarter, not just during the holidays, but all year. 

OTHER SWEET DEALS FOR THE TRICK-OR-TREATERS

young girl dressed in witch costume trick-or-treating, from Fun Cheap or Free

Don’t limit yourself to candy! Many trick-or-treaters these days have allergies or dietary restrictions, so here are some fantastic places to find great deals for other treats!

  • Oriental Trading Company – If you’re a child of the 80s (or 90s), you probably remember getting the Oriental Trading catalog in the mail. Well, they’re still in business, and they have SO MANY Halloween toys for just pennies each.
  • Etsy – We could literally spend hours browsing the incredible handmade creations on Etsy. There are so many affordable, unique Halloween trinkets for sale! How stinking cute are these little spider soaps?! 
  • Target Dollar Spot – Okay, you guys. We have a hard time walking past the Dollar Spot at Target. It’s a GOLDMINE for fun deals. Halloween treats and trinkets are no exception. Check out all the goodies like stickers, coloring books, and holiday-themed pens. The kids in the neighborhood will thank you!
  • Five Below – They have so many cool things for Halloween! If you’re throwing a party, stop by and grab some fun favors and decor from Five Below. While you’re there, check and see if they have any spider rings you can toss in the trick-or-treaters bags. 
  • Party City – This place is a mecca for holiday-themed items. They’ve got stickers, games, and temporary tattoos galore. Who needs candy anyway?!
  • Amazon – You can score 144 giveaways for less than $15! That's less than ten cents per item. How fun are those pencils?! 

Looking for another way to stock up on fun gadgets to share on Halloween? Start a basket where you save fun finds and clearance items, birthday party favors, prizes from school or church, etc. Fill it throughout the year, little by little. By the time October 31st rolls around, you’ll have tons of fun surprises to share! 

DIY IDEAS TO DELIGHT TRICK-OR-TREATERS

little girl wearing orange shirt and black tutu holding pumpkin, from Fun Cheap or Free

If you want to go all out this year, there’s still plenty of time to DIY it. Using supplies you likely have at home, you can put together some killer treats to hand out on October 31st. And you can get the kids involved to make it a fun family activity! Here are seven spooktacular ideas:

FOOD

  • Fancy Caramel Apples – We’ve got an entire post dedicated to this fun fall treat! Shop your pantry to find toppings. Have any chocolate, sprinkles, nuts, graham crackers, or marshmallows? They’re perfect on caramel apples! We guarantee these will make your house the talk of the neighborhood.
  • Halloween Oreo Pops – These are so fun to make for any occasion! Start by dipping them in white chocolate, then use whatever Halloween sprinkles you have to finish them off.
  • Monster Cookies – Make your favorite cookies rise to the occasion with this killer set of Monster Cookie Cutters! It doesn’t get any easier than this. 
  • Spooky Rice Crispy Treats – These are scary good and too stinking easy! How fun is this Halloween recipe from The Spruce Eats?! Try subbing in Cheerios for the eyeballs!
  • Eyeball Cake Pops – You guys! Take a look! We’re obsessed with this cake pops recipe from Pretty Providence. 

TOYS

Alright, well there you have it! Those are some of our favorite ways to find deals on Halloween candy. Hopefully, they'll help you to get the best bang for your buck and stay under your holiday budget for the year!

Image with text that reads "the best deals on Halloween candy" from Fun Cheap or Free

What are you passing out this Halloween? Tell us in the comments!

Looking for more ways to celebrate Halloween? 

Trick or treat!

3 Comments

  1. Kendra

    Oh, these are such great ideas! We usually just end up doing costco or something. I do love to shop at Target after Halloween for all those great deals. Then we use all the leftover candy for Christmas time!

    Reply
  2. Ariel

    I plan to go to Ollie’s. It’s similar to big lots. I also plan to get a few costumes in the sales after Halloween. They’ll be dirt cheap and my daughter’s favorite thing to do is play dress up. I may even give them to her as a Christmas gift.

    Reply
  3. Lvy Warner

    Great tips. I am new to the blogging world just started a month a go.

    Reply

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